The Shattering of the Minnesota Vikings’ Gjallarhorn
The Shattering of the Minnesota Vikings’ Gjallarhorn
In Norse mythology, the Gjallarhorn is the sounding horn Heimdallr keeps around in case he needs to warn the gods of Asgard of the impending Ragnarok apocalypse. It now resides at TFC Bank Stadium to announce the beginning of all Minnesota Vikings home games, or at least it used to before it shattered from the plummeting temps yesterday.
After the ominous horn shattering, someone went and dug in the basement for a replacement, producing a retired horn last used during the 2009 playoffs. Unfortunately, the replacement wasn’t enough to please the gods who had been angered by Gjallarhorn’s mistreatment.
The shattered Gjallarhorn
During the tense wildcard match-up between the Seattle Seahawks and the Vikes, temperatures dropped down to -6°F, about the same temp as your freezer. If it looked cold on TV, it felt four times as cold to the 52,090 fans who stayed until the bitter, frigid end of the ultimately devastating season. This was the third coldest game in NFL history, and the coldest ever for the Vikings.
The ultimate loss of the game can really only be chalked up to fate. Blair Walsh, a kicker who didn’t miss any other recent kicks despite equally trying conditions, missed the game-winning field goal in the final dramatic seconds of the game.
The Vikings, who should have outperformed Seattle in the bitter cold (and did, for the most part, aside from that ill-fated miss) really should have come out on top. This leaves us with only one question: if they had kept Gjallarhorn warmer, would they have won?
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