So, you're a Vikings fan and there's a big playoff game coming up. Good! You're in the right place. You've probably seen this movie before, but it's a good thing to review ahead of time. Also, for any newbies out there, here's what you have to look forward to:
1. Pre-Conceived Notions
So there's a big game tomorrow. The experienced Vikings fan is probably somewhere between uneasy and hopeless. There are always a precious few who really believe the team is going to pull it off, but they are definitely in the minority. So we're going to operate under the assumption that many of us expect the Vikings to lose tomorrow.
2. Emotional Investment
While you've most likely already resigned yourself to the fact that the Vikings will likely lose tomorrow, there will come a point in the game where they give you just enough reason to believe that they can really pull it off. This is the cruelest step, as it's really what gives the punch to the eventual loss. A corollary to this step is that sometimes the emotional investment may come from a previous game, such as the Minneapolis Miracle game in 2017, which was followed by a blowout loss.
3. Glimmer of Hope
As far as the steps go, this one is common but not a guarantee, such as the others. If it does happen to occur tomorrow, you'll find yourself watching the Vikings with a lead in the second half. You'll likely still be uneasy, but by all appearances it will look like the Vikings may not blow a big playoff game after all. "Maybe they'll finally pull it off", you may find yourself thinking.
4. Crushing Defeat or Ecstatic Victory
While normally a crushing defeat is the final thing that you should expect, ecstatic victory has been known to happen, especially against the New Orleans Saints in the past few years. Either way, the Vikings will make it look like they're going to completely blow the second-half lead that they will probably have earned. It will be agonizing. Your heart will beat fast and hard, you'll sit on the edge of your seat, and you'll cling to your beer like it's the last thing you'll ever hold [it almost certainly will not be the last beer you hold that night]. This will all end with a bucketful of sorrow or a whole lot of jumping and screaming (and possibly both).
...and then we'd have to repeat all this to the tenth power with (possibly) the Packers next week
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