Editing Minnesota Vikings (section)

===Mascots===
After several failed attempts at developing an official team-owned [[mascot]], the Vikings finally introduced Viktor the Viking during the 2007 Vikings' season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Viktor |url=http://www.vikings.com/fans/viktor/index.html |work=vikings.com |publisher=Minnesota Vikings Football |access-date=December 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427071044/http://www.vikings.com/fans/viktor/index.html |archive-date=April 27, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Team officials had long indicated that they were after a mascot concept that would primarily appeal to the team's younger fan base.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cutler |first=Bob |date=September 19, 2007 |title=OP firm develops NFL's Vikings mascot |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2007/09/17/daily28.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130024319/http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2007/09/17/daily28.html |archive-date=November 30, 2011 |access-date=December 30, 2012 |work=Kansas City Business Journal |publisher=American City Business Journals}}</ref> Viktor the Viking, a muscle-bound, blond-haired and mustachioed character, wears a Vikings' #1 jersey and an oversized Vikings helmet with protruding horns and a small yellow nose guard.

From 1970 to 1992, truck driver Hub Meeds dressed as a Viking and served as the team mascot.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 21, 1971 |title=Truck driver dons regalia, stirs up Vikings partisans |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JdszAAAAIBAJ&pg=4670%2C5652277 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424173514/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JdszAAAAIBAJ&pg=4670%2C5652277 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |access-date=February 15, 2021 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |page=3D |agency=Associated Press|via=Google News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Happy 50th Anniversary Hub Meeds |url=http://www.purplepride.org/f2/happy-50th-anniversary-hub-meeds-313825/ |publisher=Purplepride.org |date=February 10, 2006 |access-date=September 3, 2012 |archive-date=January 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101105603/http://www.purplepride.org/f2/happy-50th-anniversary-hub-meeds-313825 |url-status=live }}</ref> Meeds asked to become the mascot after being accidentally let onto the field by security during [[Super Bowl IV]] in New Orleans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19761224&id=FqsuAAAAIBAJ&pg=7135,7058456 |work=Lakeland Ledger |location=(Florida) |agency=Associated Press |title=Former gate crasher now Minnesota Vikings mascot |date=December 24, 1976 |page=3B |access-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424173514/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19761224&id=FqsuAAAAIBAJ&pg=7135%2C7058456 |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 1994 to 2015, the team mascot was Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch) and was based on the legendary Viking [[Ragnar Lodbrok]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ragnartheviking.com/ |title=Minnesota Vikings – Minnesota Vikings Pictures |publisher=Ragnar The Viking |access-date=September 3, 2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021125021003/http://www.ragnartheviking.com/ |archive-date=November 25, 2002 }}</ref> Juranitch admits to being somewhat of an [[eccentricity (behavior)|eccentric]]—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a beard with an axe,<ref name="motorcyclenews.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/archive/84618/85012/85013/85020/ |title=Football mascot leads teams out on a bike – &#124; Motorbike reviews &#124; Latest Bike Videos &#124; MCN |publisher=Motorcyclenews.com |date=May 1, 2003 |access-date=September 3, 2012 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424173525/https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2003/may/football-mascot-leads-teams-out-on-a-bike/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but hasn't shaved his beard since he won the Ragnar job among 3,000 applicants.<ref name="startribune.com">{{cite news |last=Craig |first=Mark |url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/11244946.html |title=Even Ragnar has soft spot for Favre |newspaper=Star Tribune |date=September 29, 2007 |access-date=December 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113195340/http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/11244946.html |archive-date=November 13, 2013 }}</ref> Ragnar drove onto the field at the beginning of a game dressed in Viking garb, on a motorcycle,<ref name="motorcyclenews.com"/><ref name="startribune.com"/> while a cheerleader used to ride a snowmobile. Although never one to shy away from confrontations with opposing players, notably [[Chad Johnson|Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson]],<ref name="n686">{{cite web | title=Ochocinco and Ragnar meet | website=Star Tribune | date=December 13, 2009 | url=https://www.startribune.com/ochocinco-and-ragnar-meet/79163467 | access-date=August 29, 2024}}</ref><ref name="g266">{{cite web |last=Rosenthal |first=Gregg |title=Ochocinco scores, Ragnar's horn remains silent |website=NBC Sports |date=December 13, 2009 |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/ochocinco-scores-ragnars-horn-remains-silent |access-date=August 6, 2024}}</ref> he had a soft spot for [[Brett Favre]] while the quarterback started for the rival [[Green Bay Packers]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-09-27-2758011671_x.htm |work=USA Today |first=Dave |last=Campbell |title=Fittingly, Favre approaches TD and INT records at the Metrodome |date=September 27, 2007 |access-date=September 5, 2017 |archive-date=March 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314035402/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-09-27-2758011671_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, the Vikings announced that they were not able to reach a new contract agreement with Juranitch which he wanted $20,000 per game,<ref>{{cite news|last=Goessling|first=Ben|title=Ragnar's ride as Vikings mascot ends with bold play|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/15455/ragnars-ride-with-the-vikings-ends-with-bold-play|publisher=ESPN|date=September 23, 2015|access-date=December 26, 2016|archive-date=September 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917160815/http://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/15455/ragnars-ride-with-the-vikings-ends-with-bold-play|url-status=live}}</ref> and released him.<ref>{{cite web |last=Krawczynski |first=Jon |url=https://news.yahoo.com/ragnar-no-longer-vikings-mascot-contract-dispute-010251775--spt.html |title=Ragnar no longer Vikings mascot after contract dispute |publisher=Yahoo! |date=September 22, 2015 |access-date=September 22, 2015 |archive-date=September 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925031024/http://news.yahoo.com/ragnar-no-longer-vikings-mascot-contract-dispute-010251775--spt.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Goot|first=Alex|title=Ragnar isn't the only greedy party in Vikings' contract negotiations|url=https://www.si.com/cauldron/2015/09/29/vikings-mascot-ragnar-contract-negotiations-zygi-wilf|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=September 29, 2015|access-date=December 26, 2016|archive-date=October 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010062519/http://www.si.com/cauldron/2015/09/29/vikings-mascot-ragnar-contract-negotiations-zygi-wilf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another mascot associated with the Vikings was "Vikadontis Rex", a purple foam dinosaur.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/7/16/17580312/brief-history-minnesota-vikings-mascots|title=A brief history of Minnesota Vikings mascots|last=Gates|first=Christopher|date=July 16, 2018|website=Daily Norseman|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-date=January 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117065951/https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/7/16/17580312/brief-history-minnesota-vikings-mascots|url-status=live}}</ref> Vikadontis was the official mascot of the Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund and took part in the 1995 Celebrity Mascot Olympics. Vikadontis was retired starting with the 2000 season. The team also had an NFL Huddles mascot in the mid-1980s (somewhat similar to Viktor the Viking). [[Krazy George Henderson]] was also employed as a cheerleader from 1982 to 1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.krazygeorge.com/myteams.html |title=My Teams<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=September 18, 2011 |archive-date=October 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010183128/http://www.krazygeorge.com/myteams.html |url-status=live }}</ref>