Take a journey from the infant stages of football in Minnesota up through the Vikings four Super Bowl appearances in Bill Williamson and Eric Thompson’s Tales from the Minnesota Vikings Sideline. For more than fifty years the Vikings have been established as one of the premier teams in all of sports. Perhaps the most successful team to never win a Super Bowl, the Vikings have nevertheless harbored a rich tradition of winning football. Now fans of this Midwest powerhouse will relive all the history, all the passion, and all the tantalizingly close glory of Vikings football within these pages. Remember the bone-chilling days of old Metropolitan Stadium? Or the no-nonsense, in-your-face coaching style of Bud Grant? From Cris Carter to Fran Tarkenton, Randy Moss, and more, this newly revised edition of Tales from the Minnesota Vikings Sideline has it all!

Readers are taken on a journey from the beginning of the Minnesota franchise through the no-nonsense Bud Grantera and the high-flying offensive days of Cris Carter and Randy Moss.

Take a journey from the infant stages of football in Minnesota up through the Vikings’ four Super Bowl appearances in Bill Williamson and Eric Thompson’s Tales from the Minnesota Vikings Sideline. For more than fifty years the Vikings have established themselves as one of the premier teams in the NFL. Perhaps the most successful team to never win a Super Bowl, the Vikings have nevertheless harbored a rich tradition of winning football. Now fans of this Midwest powerhouse will relive all the history, all the passion, and all the tantalizingly glory of Vikings football within these pages. Remember the bone-chilling days of old Metropolitan Stadium? Or the no-nonsense, in-your-face coaching style of Bud Grant? From Cris Carter to Fran Tarkenton, Randy Moss, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater and more, this newly revised edition of Tales from the Minnesota Vikings Sideline has it all!

Who were the greatest Minnesota Vikings to have the played for the team? There are certainly many excellent players to choose from, from Fran Tarkenton to Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson on offense to defensive stalwarts like Alan Page and John Randle. Even the offensive linemen who quietly get the job done deserve ranking among the top 50—think Gary Zimmerman and Ron Yary. The possibilities are endless: players such as Ahmad Rashad, Carl Eller, Chuck Foreman, Daunte Culpepper and many more. In this book Robert Cohen takes on the daunting challenge of ranking the greatest Minnesota Vikings ever from 1-50, with a number of honorable mentions

New and old tales alike bring back special memories and reveal a part of what makes the Green Bay Packers more than just a football team to the many fans of the storied franchise.

Formed in 1967, the NFL's Central Division — the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings — quickly earned the nickname “Black and Blue Division” due to the teams' fierce, physical play. This behind-the-scenes history recalls 40 years of great plays, gritty players, memorable seasons, and crucial games through first-rate photographs and first-hand interviews with players, coaches, and officials. Berghaus’s All-Time Black and Blue team, where nastiness is just as important as greatness, provides plenty of fodder for discussion.

One fall night in TK, Steve Sabol of NFL Films answered the door to see his friend, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Tim “Rosso” Rossovich, standing there literally on fire. After Sabol knocked Rossovich to the ground and put out the fire, Rosso stood up and (without missing a beat) said, “Sorry, I must have the wrong apartment.” Pro football has been filled with players like this—loose cannons, rebels and trash talkers. Some players are more likeable than others, and some might even be certifiably crazy...yet what perfectly sane athlete signs up to get belted around by 300-pound behemoths for three hours every Sunday? Why Dick Butkus claims his reputation for meanness—which includes biting a referee's finger—was blown way out of proportion How dumping Gatorade on a winning coach became a postseason tradition Who “He Hate Me” was, and exactly why “He” hated him. From sideline spats to touchdown celebrations to draft day tales, 300 Pounds of Attitude reveals the true stories of the most entertaining figures that have played the game of professional football. One fall night in TK, Steve Sabol of NFL Films answered the door to see his friend, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Tim “Rosso” Rossovich, standing there literally on fire. After Sabol knocked Rossovich to the ground and put out the fire, Rosso stood up and (without missing a beat) said, “Sorry, I must have the wrong apartment.” Pro football has been filled with players like this—loose cannons, rebels and trash talkers. Some players are more likeable than others, and some might even be certifiably crazy...yet what perfectly sane athlete signs up to get belted around by 300-pound behemoths for three hours every Sunday? In 300 Pounds of Attitude, author Jonathan Rand takes us into the huddle, on the sidelines, and behind the scenes to reveal the most offbeat and hilarious stories from the NFL. Why Dick Butkus claims his reputation for meanness—which includes biting a referee's finger—was blown way out of proportion How dumping Gatorade on a winning coach became a postseason tradition Who “He Hate Me” was, and exactly why “He” hated him. From sideline spats to touchdown celebrations to draft day tales, 300 Pounds of Attitude reveals the true stories of the most entertaining figures that have played the game of professional football.