Page "Minnesota Vikings" Paragraph 4

The team was officially named the Minnesota Vikings on September 27, 1960 ; the name is partly meant to reflect Minnesota's place as a center of Scandinavian American culture.

From the start, the Vikings embraced an energetic marketing program that produced first-year season ticket sales of nearly 26, 000 and an average home attendance of 34, 586, about 85 percent of the capacity of 40, 800 for Metropolitan Stadium.

Eventually Met Stadium capacity was increased to 47, 900.

The search for the first head coach had the team court then-Northwestern University head coach Ara Parseghian, who according to Minneapolis Star writer Jim Klobuchar — the Vikings ' first beat reporter for that newspaper — visited team management in the Twin Cities under the condition that his visit was to be kept secret from his current employer.

His cover was blown by local columnist Sid Hartman who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials.

Philadelphia Eagles assistant Nick Skorich and a man with Minnesota ties who was working in the CFL, Bud Grant, were also candidates until a different Eagle, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, was hired on January 18, 1961.

Van Brocklin had just finished his career as a player on a high note, having defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship Game.