A Basic History of the Minnesota Vikings Football Team

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional football team that plays in the National Football League. The Vikings play in the North Division of the National Football Conference.

The franchise was founded in 1961 when the Minnesota Vikings began playing in the Western Conference of the National Football League. The Vikings continued to play in that conference through the 1969 season, including playing in the Central Division of it from 1967-1969.

As part of the AFL-NFL merger, the Minnesota Vikings began playing in the NFC Central in 1970. The team continued to play in that division until the 2002 season when they began playing in the NFC North as part of the NFL's division realignment.

In the franchise history of the Vikings, the team has won a total of sixteen Division Championships. They won back-to-back NFL Central titles in 1968 and 1969 and fourteen NFC Central titles, with the most recent coming in 2000.

The Minnesota Vikings have won four Conference Championships. They won their first in their final year in the NFL Western Conference. The Vikings then went on to win three NFC Championships in the 1970s, in 1973, 1974, and 1976. The Vikings lone League Championship was a 1969 NFL Championship. The Vikings have never won a Super Bowl.

The Minnesota Vikings first played their home games in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961-1981. In 1982, the Vikings moved to their current location, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Five former Minnesota Vikings players are currently enshrined in the National Football Hall of Fame. Those players are Fran Tarkenton, Paul Krause, Ron Yary, Carl Eller, and Alan Page. Former head coach Bud Grant and former general manager Jim Finks are also in the Hall of Fame.

The Minnesota Vikings have six retired numbers. The players whose jersey numbers are retired are Fran Tarkenton - 10, Mick Tingelhoff - 53, Jim Marshall - 70, Korey Stringer - 77, Cris Carter - 80, and Alan Page - 88.

The Vikings have their own Ring of Honor at the Metrodome to honor former Vikings. The former players in the Ring of Honor are Fran Tarkenton, Paul Krause, Bill Brown, Mick Tingelhoff, Randall McDaniel, Jim Marshall, Ron Yary, Korey Stringer, Cris Carter, Carl Eller, and Alan Page. Former head coaches Jerry Burns and Bud Grant, former general manager Jim Finks, and Fred Zamberletti, the team's medical adviser since it was founded, are also all in the Ring of Honor.

The current owner of the Minnesota Vikings is Zygi Wilf. Brad Childress is the head coach, and Rob Brzezinski is the general manager.

The official colors of the Minnesota Vikings are purple, gold, and white. The team's mascot is named Ragnar.