Pretty Slow Weekend

This was an unusually slow weekend in the NFL for my purposes. Aside from my fantasy football team (which is enjoying unprecedented success this season) there are some things that make my NFL weekends worthwhile. In order they are:
#49ers winning (and how sweet it is)
#Patriots losing (the bigger the loss, the better--Belichek is a cheating ass)
#Cowboys losing (just, ugh)
#Colts winning (liked them since they got Eric Dickerson, loved them for drafting Peyton)
#Vikings losing (biggest bandwagon in sports)
#Bengals winning (like them since Cris Collinsworth played for them)

It is a rare week that my top 2 joys are not even possible, but that is what happened this past week as both the 49ers and Patriots were on bye. I didn't realize it until this morning, but I feel a little empty for not having either game in the same week.

Of the remaining joys in my NFL following I was thrilled to see that Dallas lost, Minnesota lost (though to a 49ers division rival) and the Colts winning. Only the Bengals could not pull through for me this weekend.

Back off Viking Fans

I was wearing my 49ers jersey this past weekend. As many know, my favorite NFL teams are the 49ers and the Colts. The 49ers have been my #1 team since Los Angeles lost my hometown Rams before the 1995 season and the Colts my #2 team since they drafted Peyton Manning before the 1998 season. I liked the Vikings before I moved to Minnesota...watched Ahmad Rashad's 'Miracle Catch' in 1980. I moved to Minnesota and still like the Vikings...until I witnessed the bandwagon hopping worse than I have seen anywhere else. Since then I have not been a supporter of the purple.

So when Vikings fans start to ride me for wearing my 49ers jersey (like many have this past week) I feel I have more ground to respond.

This Season
The 49ers (5-5) beat their division leading Seahawks (6-4) yesterday. The Vikings (4-6) lost to the Dolphins (4-6). The 49ers are in their longest winning streak (3 games) since weeks 8-10 in 2002. With the win yesterday the 49ers will have their best record since the 2003 season when. If (and this is a big IF) they split their remaining schedule the 49ers will avoid being under .500 for the first time since 2002. Even more importantly for the sake of the franchise, if they can pull off a .500+ record this season they will end the run of 3 consecutive losing seasons...and avoid matching the franchise's longest run of 4 season (which was from 1977-1980).

The 49ers this week are 1 game ahead of the Vikings. Last season the 49ers were a game ahead of the Vikings for only the first two weeks. To go later than week 2 and find the 49ers ahead of the Vikes you have to go back to 2002.

2005...Week 2 (SF 1-1, Min 0-2)
2002...Entire Season (SF 10-6, Min 6-10)

Clearly the 49ers have been on a downtick. But that seems to have turned around when compared to the team of my antagonists (the Vikings). And keep in mind also that the 49ers beat the Vikings this year!!!

Franchise
All I have to say here is
1. San Francisco vs Minnesota all time head-to-head: 20-19-1
2. Championships...San Francisco is 5-0 in the Super Bowl and the Vikings are 0-4.

So, when I wear my jersey...BACK OFF.

:)