Forget the NFL Draft, organized team activities and rookie minicamps. There has been one event that has officially kicked off the Minnesota Vikings’ new season for years.
Every spring, Vikings fans migrate to 8134 Oakmere Road in Bloomington to browse memorabilia and other assorted items piled up in the driveway of legendary head coach Bud Grant, the coach responsible for four Minnesota Super Bowl appearances, 158 career wins (plus 10 more in the postseason) and one hard-nosed attitude that shaped the franchise’s identity in its first few decades.
A friendly, tall man wearing a lime green security vest stood at the bottom of the driveway on Thursday afternoon.