Did Vince McMahon Really Want To Buy The Vikings?
It's hard to see the Vikings being owned by anyone but the Wilf family. The Wilfs' have overseen the construction of a brand new stadium in US Bank Stadium, and just recently opened up a new practice facility in Eagan. They have been willing to spend money on a roster capable of winning a championship. But things could be much different if Vince McMahon had purchased the Vikings in 1998.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the name Vince McMahon he is the man behind the WWE. McMahon currently is the majority owner, chairman and CEO of WWE. McMahon isn't unfamiliar with football, as he was the owner of the once defunct now making a comeback XFL.
So why are we now finding out about Vince McMahon's interest in the Minnesota Vikings back in 1998? According to the Daily Norseman, a former wrestler's podcast produced the tale that Vince was interested in the purple.
The former wrestler, Bruce Prichard, who hosts the podcast gave this account:
"More than anything it was a publicity stunt because they were floating out there that the Vikings were up for sale and Vince floated it out there that he was interested in it. I dare say that if the price would have been right he might have bought the damn thing for publicity purposes to make it -- okay the WWF just bought the Minnesota Vikings and Vince McMahon is now entering the football arena." -Something To Talk About, Bruce Prichard - Host
This isn't the first time the WWE and the Vikings have been connected, former University of Minnesota wrestler and WWE talent Brock Lesnar tried out for Vikings in 2004. One thing that would have been interesting if Vince had put together a bid and bought the team, HBO would have been all over the Vikings for Hard Knocks. Vince calling in players or coaches and using his trademark "YOUR FIRED" would have made for compelling viewing.