Happy Anniversary
Minnesota then drove to the Falcons 20-yard line, setting up a 38-yard field goal attempt for Anderson, who had not missed a field goal all season. Another successful kick would have all but wrapped up the NFC title for Minnesota, but Anderson’s kick sailed wide left, giving the ball back to Atlanta with 2:07 left and new life. Chandler then led his team down to the Vikings 16-yard line. Following a dropped interception by Minnesota LB Dwayne Rudd, Mathis’ 16-yard touchdown catch tied the game with 49 seconds left and sent it into overtime.
After the first 3 possessions of overtime ended in punts, Chandler, on a bad ankle, led his team 70 yards to set up Andersen’s 38-yard field goal with 3:08 remaining that put Atlanta in the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.
I can stlil hear the deafening silence from my friends and me in my apartment that day. And I can still remember that the front page headline of the Star Tribune on Tuesday was about how bad Monday sucked.
I remember confidently telling my cousin in November, “Who’s going to beat them?” when she asked if I thought they would really make the Super Bowl.
I had broken my thumb breakdancing on New Year’s (seriously), and when they asked me what color to make my cast, I went with purple to celebrate the Vikings’ 15-1 season and imminent Super Bowl victory. Sitting in my apartment that day with that purple cast, I wanted to cut my whole arm off. When I got the cast off in mid-February, there was another man getting his purple cast off, too. I said, “I hope you didn’t make yours purple for the same reason I made mine purple.” He said, “Those assholes….” I concurred.
It was easily, easily, the toughest loss I’ve endured as a sports fan. I still haven’t forgiven them.
Tags: 1999 NFC championship, football, Minnesota, sports, Vikings