Sylvie, Safe Yourself

The Vikings are playing the Eagles today in the NFC Championship game, so, of course, many of my friends are texting me to offer support and/or early condolences.  Essentially, I'm a national synonym for a long-suffering Vikings fan.  I'll be watching the game today with my son at Smitty's.  Actually, we'll be there insanely early because he's a Patriots fan so we're required to watch both games.  I think he's showing up mainly to look after me after they break my heart again (always in dramatic fashion).  Even when they do something dramatic on the positive side I miss it.  On the way back from Africa last week I was able to stream the NFL playoff games on the plane, but had to get off just before the wild end of the Vikings/Saints game - and only found out about the Stefon Diggs play when Jack Schultz and Dave Kelley texted me as I waited for my luggage to arrive.  A couple years ago when Blair Walsh infamously missed that 19 yard field goal against the Seahawks I had told my son in advance that he would miss it.  He said, "That was weird.  You were so certain."  I said, "It never occurred to me that he would make it."  Ah, life as a Vikings fan.

Here's a picture that my dear friend Andy Burkhardt sent me from last week's game as he and his new daughter Sylvie watched the excitement.  All I can say is this: Sylvie, save yourself.  It's too late for your father or me, but you can have a great life if you make the correct choices, and one of them is following a better team.