We’ll watch the game in the Twin Cities just after 7 p.m. Some in other parts of the world will see it in the afternoon, or the next day.
MINNEAPOLIS — Purple and gold is easy to see across the Twin Cities, as the Vikings prepare to take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.
That game has massive playoff implications, with the winner clinching the NFC North, and the loser falling to the fifth seed in the NFC for the playoffs.
Fans around Minnesota are ready for the game and so are fans of the Vikings in other parts of the country.
Joshua Faulks lives in Upstate New York and has been a Vikings fan for years.
“My parents used to do something called last man standing,” he said. “I won the Vikings, and I’ve loved the journey so far. It’s a great fan base.”
Faulks lives in Bills territory but says he wouldn’t pick anyone else.
“It’s that one thing that can bring a lot of people together, like not just a little football, but love for a specific team,” he said. “And I love that there’s SKOLdiers all over the world. I think it’s cool.”
Viking fans are everywhere, and while we may be seeing frigid temperatures here in Minnesota, some other fans enjoyed warmer weather further south. Drew Tull is from Brainerd but now lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia.
He started SKOL Brewing Company in downtown Atlanta and now hosts the Atlanta Vikings fan club chapter.
“The first game, we had probably 100 people, and we’ve grown it to 150, 200, and then some,” Tull said.
The playoffs come at a perfect time – the brewery fully opens right in time for those games.
“We have snow machines, so every touchdown snow goes everywhere, shots are flying,” he said. “It’s quite fun.”
Some fans live with even nicer weather than in Georgia. Matt Slade and Anne Sumangil are part of 808 Vikings Fans, based out of Hawai’i.
“We’re sending good vibes, we’re sending blessings from Hawai’i!” Slade said.
“I actually became a Vikings cheerleader in 2002 and 2003, so kind of a dream come true for me to be on the field and watch some amazing football during that time,” Sumangil said.
Their meetups have grown from 15 to 20 people to more than 60. Sumangil says it may just be the teams winning record this season – or a deeper love for the purple and gold.
“We get really involved with the games, there’s a lot of like, first down yelling, and we sing Skol Vikings every time they score a touchdown,” Sumangil said. “So it’s just a really fun event.”
Slade says he’s excited but nervous to watch the game against Detroit on Sunday.
“I’m thinking it’s gonna be close,” he said. “Of course, our boys are going to pull it off, but I want to say 35 to 30.”
They’ll watch the game in Hawai’i around 3 p.m. local time. For others, that time gets shifted all the way to Monday.
Richard Dawson is the co-president of the U.K. and Ireland Minnesota Vikings fan club.
“I’ll be in bed at nine, and then up at one, and then back to bed at 4 a.m. after the game finishes,” he said.
Dawson is part of an ever-growing chapter of NFL fans in Europe, especially those cheering for the Vikings.
“I’m nervously optimistic,” he said, talking about Sunday’s matchup with Detroit. “I think on our day, if all phases of the game come together, we can beat anyone anywhere.”
Sunday’s Battle for the North will kick off at 7:20 CST, and you can watch right here on KARE 11.