The Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League have one of the most interesting histories in all of sports. They have regularly been a winning team and have played in one of the league’s toughest divisions and have gained a large fan base along the way. However, they have not won a Super Bowl and last won an NFL Championship in 1969. As a result, their fan base is regarded as one of the most tortured fan bases in professional sports.

The seeds were planted for the Minnesota Vikings in 1959 when three Minneapolis businessmen were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League. Five months later, however, they forfeited AFL membership and were awarded the NFL’s 14th franchise with play to begin in 1961. They were officially named the Minnesota Vikings on September 27, 1960, partly to reflect the large number of Scandinavian Americans that lived in the area.

With the first pick in the 1961 NFL Draft, Minnesota selected running back Tommy Mason of Tulane. In the third round, they selected quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who would go on to become an icon for the Minnesota Vikings. Tarkenton was one of the first mobile quarterbacks, and his unconventional style sometimes clashed with head coach Norm Van Brocklin.

The Vikings surprised in their first game by defeating the Chicago Bears 37-13. The bulk of their points were scored after Tarkenton came off the bench, as he threw for four touchdown passes and ran for another. The sweet taste of the win over Chicago was short-lived, however, as Minnesota struggled the rest of the season en route to a 3-11 record.

Tarkenton remained with the team until he was traded to the New York Giants in 1967, and a year later the Vikings won their first Central Division title and made the playoffs for the first time. They were powered by a tough defense known as the Purple People Eaters, led by Alan Page, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, and Jim Marshall.

The Vikings built off of their successful 1968 season by having their most successful season yet in 1969. They posted a 12-2 record which was the best in the NFL and had a 12-game win streak which was the longest single-season win streak in five years. When they defeated the Cleveland Browns 27-7 in the NFL Championship Game, they became the first modern expansion team to win the NFL Championship and they earned a berth into Super Bowl IV against the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite being heavily favored, Minnesota was handily beaten by a score of 23-7.

In 1972, Minnesota brought Tarkenton back to the team via trade and he again made immediate contributions. They returned to the Super Bowl in both the 1973 and 1974 seasons but lost to Miami and Pittsburgh respectively.

In 1975, they got off to a 10-0 start and easily won another division title but ended up losing in the playoffs to the Dallas Cowboys. The game was controversial, as Minnesota lost when Cowboys' quarterback Roger Staubach threw a "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson that ended up deciding the game. The Minnesota fans believed Pearson committed a pass interference, and when no foul was called, they hurled debris to the field with one bottle hitting an official and knocking him unconscious.

Minnesota would return to the Super Bowl the following season. It was the third time in four years Minnesota would play in the Super Bowl. It would also be the third time in four years that Minnesota would lose in the Super Bowl, as the Oakland Raiders walked away with a 32-14 victory.

In more recent years, Minnesota has had some memorable years that unfortunately ended without them achieving the ultimate goal. Notable examples include 1998, when their record-setting offense led them to a 15-1 record but a loss in the NFC Championship game to the Atlanta Falcons, and 2009, when newly acquired quarterback Brett Favre led them to the NFC Championship game only to lose to New Orleans on an overtime field goal.

The acquisition of Brett Favre is a particularly interesting aspect of Minnesota’s history. They star quarterback won three MVP’s and a Super Bowl while a member of the division rival Green Bay Packers. With Favre at quarterback and Adrian Peterson at running back and one of the strongest defenses in the NFL, Minnesota is expected to contend again in 2010 and will look to bring a Super Bowl title home to a fan base that has been hungry for one for decades.