Thank you, Wisconsin, and thank you, Green Bay Packers. We say this on behalf of Vikings fans everywhere. Thank you.

Thank you for producing such ridiculous fans. Really, they are a special breed. It is one thing to root against a rival in a playoff game against a team other than your own (see, perhaps, Vikings fans rooting for the Giants in last year’s NFC title game). It is another thing entirely to root against your own team, which is playing a team most of your fan base proclaims as its biggest rival, based on the slim chance that a lesser rival might have its playoff chances spoiled — its spot taken by the biggest rival. Really, bravo, to three Packers fans we know who said “Go Bears” last night. That’s the logic we’ve come to expect from you. That’s the pride filling Lambeau every Sunday right there.

Thank you for losing in Vikings-like fashion. Really, if Vikings fans were going to cheer for the Packers for a night, it couldn’t have been more appropriate. Crushing special teams blunders? Check! A seemingly comfortable lead evaporating? Check! A nagging feeling that something terrible was going to happen? Check! Snatching defeat right from the gaping maw of victory? Check! Yes, Green Bay: you are the new Minnesota. Mike McCarthy is your Mike Tice. Aaron Rodgers is your Daunte Culpepper. Enjoy every minute.

Thank you, again, for trading Brett Favre. Rodgers is certainly a talented young man, but there was a graphic last night on MNF that told the story beautifully. We really wish we had it in front of us. But it had to do with his performance late in games when the Packers were either tied or trailing. His record? Abysmal. His QB rating? It would make Randy Wright blush. Say what you want about Favre’s recent performance. Convince yourselves, Packers fans, that it was the right move all along and you’re happy to be rid of No. 4 and the headaches. Certainly there are mitigating circumstances this year, but we hate to say it: Favre had the “it” factor, and we’re not sure Rodgers does. The savvy vet was 13-3 last year and had your team within OT of the Super Bowl. This year’s squad is 5-10, with seven of the past eight losses (including one in each of the past four games!) coming by four points or fewer.

But most of all, thank you for reminding Vikings fans that cheering for the Green and Gold has consequences. Those who temporarily set aside decades of venom to cheer for the likes of A.J. Hawk and Greg Jennings last night are surely kicking themselves this morning. Sure, one could rationalize that the shortest distance to the playoffs for the Vikings was a win by the Packers. But really, it would have felt like an unsavory berth. If the Vikings can’t win one of two home games against playoff-caliber teams in Week 16 and 17, then they have no business being in the playoffs. Simple as that. So thank you, Packers, for allowing your ineptitude to put a state back into its right mind.

Fasola-link! Rubik’s Cube solvers … in real life.

P.S. Thanks to all who attended the Redactular last night. Good times, good times.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 at 9:09 am and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.