The two heroes | Dorktown

[@Tytoalba777]

Finally, the 90s. The Cowboys and Falcons can't hurt us here

[@ronaldreagan9408]

Thanks for making me shoot my drink out of my nose.

[@geoffkannenberg6167]

😂

[@gordybishop2375]

Now that’s comedy

[@snakesupreme]

Oh no 😅😅😅

[@diabang4440]

For the win

[@Edgemaster72]

Not even a Vikings fan but that recap of the 1998 NFC title game was so painful despite knowing the outcome in advance

[@tommcdonald5958]

I watched it live as a 10-year old. This episode is my first time watching the Anderson miss since 1998. It still hurts, but I had forgotten so many other plays from that game.

[@plippert]

I was 16, still hurts, I forgot about the Griffith near picks.

[@geoffsteichen3126]

I was 4 years old. One of my earliest memories of my life is the agony from my family watching this game. Just remember the sadness

[@yeahyeahbutnah]

​@geoffsteichen3126 yeah and I was a fresh newborn out of the oven and i said yo pops put everything ya got on the mf vikings... I grew up in a dumpster after that bet pops took

[@crazenate]

I’m a Bears fan and still feel pain for them

[@12packersfan]

Wow what a silly mistake to throw across your body over the middle in a playoff game. I’m sure the Vikings will make sure that doesn’t happen again

[@SoonerView]

Oof

[@thedude3065]

"But why do you even ponder passing? I mean you can take a knee, and try a 56 yard Field Goal! This is not Detroit man, this is the Super Bowl!"

[@100poundhamster8]

@@thedude3065This segues into “Ponder passing”

[@countof3everybodyOD]

That SB should be given to Minny. Stupid bountygate Saints

[@PFBM86]

Idunno, I think if they had a legendary quarterback like Brett Favre then they might be able to run that play successfully in a clutch situation like possibly the final minute of regulation in a tie game.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

Love the "that's Scorigami!" on the "Revenge of Moss" game in 1998. It's always nice to see a Scorigami.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

Chip Myers is a name I remember (before his tragic early passing) from an old Lou Saban video where Saban was miked up for a Broncos game and he kept calling Myers name to get his attention 'Chip! Chip! Chip!'...

[@JWex-jy7sk]

The fact they played the EXACT same song from the Falcons documentary leading up to the Gary Anderson missed kick is just so perfect yet so painful at the same time!

[@ForelliBoy]

Someone is probably already making the "combined" 1998 NFCCG Dorktown video

[@juneguts]

really making me root for both sides

[@cybercrasherstv]

In the end, the greatest villain is still the Broncos, and most certainly the 49ers and Cowboys for making the NFC into a bully that Elway decided shouldn't pick on him anymore

[@pbpguy86]

And incredibly perfect music at that!

[@nathan22974]

Its funny from the falcons documentary as something weird that happened while the vikings documentary shows it as something absolutely horrible

[@rafaelhg7772]

I propose we call the 98 NFC championship game “The Dorktown Bowl”

[@agoo7581]

Done, and there will be no objections.

[@ForelliBoy]

Co-signed and also someone needs to make the "crossover" episode which combines the two series at this game

[@qfmarsh64]

Fifthed.

[@purplepainforums]

What '98 NFCCG? Never happened.

[@dfp_01]

​@@ForelliBoyI really wish I had the time and energy to pull something like this off, but unfortunately I don't. I'll leave it to one of the many great video editors out there

[@NotForLongNFL]

my dad and John Randle are buddies, and they often smoke cigars together at a local Minnesota spot. My favorite anecdote so far is that after the draft this year, Randle and my dad were smoking when someone comes up and asks him "Hey John, what'd you think of the draft this year?" Randle smiles, counts down from three, and the whole place bellows out "Three Hundred And Five!" He was the 305th person to ask John what he'd thought of the draft. He does it every year.

[@That_Emi_]

That's an incredible story. Here's hoping it keeps on giving c:

[@JoshStern23]

Bro that's so dope

[@DoctorCyan]

And that dad's name? Pitbull.

[@andysorensen1737]

Every John Randle story I’ve heard paints him as an awesome human. This thankfully continues that streak.

[@squillz8310]

@@DoctorCyan lmfaooooooo

[@evrbody]

D - Demonstrate Value 23:28 E - Engage Physically 25:30 N - Nurture Dependence 49:30 N - Neglect Emotionally 59:41 I - Inspire Hope 1:10:10 S - Separate Entirely 1:15:17

[@jmood88]

This is incredible

[@PpP-dr1od]

Why'd I have to scroll so long for this? This should be the highlighted comment

[@BrothaGoneBased]

Classic comment 💀 Well done

[@slapshot6ful]

This is a comment masterpiece. I'm giving the comment sections of the world a month long moment of silence.🍻

[@CharlieKellyEsq]

I have a really good friend that came up with this system actually

[@nathanmcguire932]

Can’t wait for them to talk about Gary Andersen’s legendary 1998 season and how it definitely ended with him kicking the Vikings to a Super Bowl!

[@brettripley6129]

Somewhere in the multiverse this is exactly what happened

[@assrammington7961]

@@brettripley6129it happened in every single version of every single universe except the one we live in. :(

[@fortynights1513]

The 1998 Vikings were a phenomenal team, and played one of the great statistical regular seasons. At least statistically, you could say they were as good offensively as the 1969 team from the end of Part 1 is defensively (one never scored less than 24 points in a game, the other never allowed more than 24 points in a game). All told, the Vikings went 15-1 with their only regular season loss by three points, scored the most points up through 1998, and had an above average to very good defense (though I do have some questions about how they were against the run given that Atlanta is who they lost to). Minnesota also had nine players named first or second team all pro by the Associated Press, one of four post merger teams to do so (along with Washington in 1991, New England in 2007, and San Fran in 2012). Before which point, the AFL and NFL teams had separate all pro teams, and thus it was easier for teams to have more such selections (Green Bay in 1962 who had 14 AP all pro selections is the most I’ve found among any team regardless of year).

[@diggsfather]

@@fortynights1513 i'm pretty sure the 98 vikings had 0 4th quarter comebacks the entire season, so when they needed to come up clutch vs the falcons in a tight game, they didn't have that experience of having been there before to help them

[@fortynights1513]

@@diggsfatherI guess that’s what can happen when you are rarely trailing. I wouldn’t be surprised if in most of their wins they scored first. I find it impressive that the 69 team never allowed more than 24 points and that the 98 team also never scored less than 24 points. So if you hypothetically put the better defense and offense together, you’d get an undefeated regular season.

[@samsee_ca]

1:05:29 the fact that we’ve now watched jon & alex do TWO deep dives on the same game, one from each team’s perspective, feels so, so special

[@alexrubenstein3876]

i definitely stole a couple lines verbatim from falcons doc hahah, hopefully we dont sue ourselves

[@baxterbrown8088]

@@alexrubenstein3876 Yooooo it's the legend himself!

[@kazarinonatsu]

​@@alexrubenstein3876I knew for a fact that you used some of the same lines, but delivered it differently. It's a beautiful and poetic way to tell the story of that game from the two perspectives. It reminds me of those videos where people show the same play from each teams' broadcasts, and both say something like "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!", but clearly in different tones. Exuberant for one, demoralized for the other.

[@knockers21]

And reusing some of the music too that creates a sinking feeling about the end of the game. I was hoping for that and it didn't disappoint.

[@patrickroddy7313]

Any chance you have the link and time stamp on the video for those of us struggling to find it >.>

[@ronaldreagan9408]

Everyone is using dark humor and sarcasm as coping mechanisms. And here I sit just excited to see John Randle again.

[@rushguy1]

Six footers for life!

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

I don't think it's gonna be brought up in the video, but one of the craziest things of the 1990s for the Vikings, by far, was when they signed a kicker during the 1990 preseason, and never revealed who his name was. Seriously. General manager Mike Lynn said that he was a mystery, no one knew his name, and he was listed on the depth chart as Rich Karlis (as in, the usual kicker who was holding out). Gonna be tough to top that.

[@justin40315]

How do you always manage to find the most random niche stories that are simultaneously interesting as all hell lmao

[@LaslowF1997]

"An undertaking of great advantage, but nobody to know what it is..."

[@j.a.greene3523]

Ironically enough, it was a Rich Karlis' kick that he *almost* missed that sent the 1986 Broncos to the playoffs after John Elway completed "The Drive" in Cleveland. In other random kicking connections, after Scott Norwood went wide right in SB XXV, Bills got a kicker named Steve Christy who kicked the GW FG to complete the greatest comeback in postseason history 2 years later. Also also, Morten Anderson missed a FG in Week 17 in 1996 against the Jaguars, allowing the Jaguars to make the playoffs as a wild card. They then proceeded to beat the Bills in Orchard Park (first time in the 90's Bills lost a home playoff game) AND beat the Broncos in Mile High, which the Oilers failed to do in back-to-back years in 1991 and 1992, despite having big leads in both games. And then, of course, Jason Elam, the Broncos kicker, was the first to tie Tom Dempsey's record of a made 63-yard FG. Fun facts for the day.

[@imightbebiased9311]

@@j.a.greene3523 You spelled Morten Andersen's name wrong. But, my favorite Morten Andersen factoid, is that back when everyone was fellating Brett Favre for attempting to get rubbed and tugged in New York, Brett beat his old team, and became the first player to beat all 32 teams... Except he wasn't. Morten Andersen had already done it. Not only did Morten hang an L on every team in the league, but, if one of the teams that Morten beat tried to move or change their name in order to claim that they'd never been beaten by him, HE WENT AND BEAT THEM ALL AGAIN.

[@j.a.greene3523]

@@imightbebiased9311 My bad.

[@route2070]

I swear, as a 6 year old Bears fan, i cannot believe Cunningham's heyday as a Viking was only 1 season. He seems so much larger and like he kicked the ass of my team as a superhuman star for longer then that. Time really is a lot slower when you are a young kid.

[@murseglen]

Damn. You've got a long memory for a 6 year old

[@christophermanley3602]

@@murseglen😆

[@Braylon1997]

Cunningham spent a majority of his career on some crappy years as an Eagles quarterback

[@broncos435]

@@Braylon1997 if only randall had gotten to play on the bears

[@dt35591]

1:01:27 what a nice heartwarming story about Chip, out fishing on a random lake which will surely not come up again in this series

[@PurpleWolferine]

Fred Smoot is waiting!!

[@thepassingstatic6268]

What? People like lakes.........and boats. Just good clean family fun......on boats....in lakes

[@thedude3065]

it's Minnesota there WILL be more lakes

[@ethandixon0812]

I was waiting for a joke about boats

[@kylebrown2903]

One thing that isn't widely mentioned is Tom Clancy's book "The Sum of all Fears" In the book the Vikings are mentioned tearing it up all season as juggernauts. The climax of the book is the Vikings being the overwhelming favorites in the Super Bowl when terrorists detonate a Nuclear Bomb at the Super Bowl killing all attending. Even in fiction, the Vikings will never win a Super Bowl. Also odd that Tom Clancy wrote it and then tried to buy the team.

[@stuartdollar9912]

And then he wrote Executive Orders, because he was really pissed to learn that he owed too much in taxes to be able to afford the Vikings, and wrote a tedious, 1000 page love letter to Steve Forbes' Flat Tax.

[@Pranaynaynay]

As angry as Alex Rubenstein is even capable of getting angry, i love how angry he gets about the end of the 98 NFC Championship game

[@johnselwitz5362]

I’m not even a Vikings fan and that game makes me mad as well, especially when it’s implied that Gary Anderson’s missed field goal is the main reason why they lost. It’s not. Yes he should have made it but Minnesota still had a decent chance to win. Rest in peace Dennis Green, but it was his ultra conservative, borderline chickenshit coaching at the end of regulation that ultimately cost the Vikings a win. He was trying not to lose rather than trying to win. Also, the field goal attempt wasn’t to take the lead or tie the game, they still had a 7 point lead with not much time remaining. Everyone knew that the Falcons were gonna be passing, thus taking away their best weapon, Jamal Anderson. The Minnesota defense just had to keep CHRIS CHANDLER out of the end zone. It’s not like they were trying to stop Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, just keep Chris f***in Chandler and a slightly above average receiving corp from getting a touchdown, and they couldn’t do it.

[@ImARedeemedBird]

"The Atlanta Falcons are known for jokes, cruel jokes. This is all they are ever good for." Couldn't have been more accurate

[@thegaz-man]

As an Aussie, hearing the Wide World of Sports cricket theme accompanying 1998 Randy Moss was surreal

[@nicholasleahy1474]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this!

[@Raddlesnakes000]

yeah lets get a 10 hour cricket episode

[@MeltingPotOfSplicing]

@@Raddlesnakes000 mitchell johnson miniseries on dorktown would go hard

[@shaneclapham1676]

Couldn’t believe it when I heard it. I was like ‘does Jon know what cricket is and how iconic this tune is?’

[@thegaz-man]

@@MeltingPotOfSplicing thatd be elite! Would no joke love to see a Kepler Wessels Dorktown

[@dfp_01]

I don't know what it is about the 1990s, but it seems to bring out the best and weirdest aspects in every part of history. I believe in the Mariners doc Jon describes the era as a time when a good portion of America collectively went insane, and that's a pretty apt description.

[@agoo7581]

That was actually The Bob Emergency Doc :)

[@dfp_01]

@@agoo7581 Yeah, you're right. Jon's put out so much good content that sometimes I forget what came from where

[@Adamdidit]

As someone who loved it in real time I can assure that it was wierd.

[@tidigimon]

It was the lead poisoning

[@mtchcrtrmm9299]

@@dfp_01 Mariners went a little insane in the 90s too so I don't blame you for thinking it came from that lol

[@hudy323]

Aww, thanks Jon. I wouldn't have ever had the big nuts to say "who needs a super bowl, we did something more special that year" lol I'll roll with that from now on

[@timfortune9]

I mean, I did nod and agree. But then I immediately said "I'd still rather have the Lombardi". ("Eternal happiness for one dollar? I think I'd be happier with the dollar")

[@hudy323]

@@timfortune9 yes but 20 dollars can buy many peanuts. If we get this "Lombardi", whatever tf that is, then we'll also still have the year of Randall, Randall, Randle, and Randy, which is harder to replicate :)

[@timfortune9]

I know exactly how it ends (painfully), but every time I watch something on the 98 team, I just think "Maybe this time will be different." My dad literally describes the 1998 NFC championship as "just supposed to be a formality". I was too young to remember, but apparently my mom and cousin say that he and my uncle were just left speechless on the couch after that game.

[@arcadeshift5071]

If you were old enough to witness the '09 NFCCG, you understand about 70% of the anguish that we felt after '98. '98 was worse because they were a better team than in '09. The '98 Vikings were the most dominant Minnesota men's pro team in our state's history (not counting any Minneapolis Lakers teams, can't speak on that).

[@raphaelcurley]

I avoided 1998 highlights since, I forgot how bad it was. 2009 completely broke me. Giants & Eagles were easy bc it was completely over well before halftime. I don't remember the Skins in the 80s. 1998 Thanksgiving might be the high water mark of my fandom, it was better than Diggs' *walk-off.

[@jobaecker9752]

Yes - being at that game, we made the mistake of just thinking it was going to be 60 minutes of a large cat toying with a helpless mouse. Me and a friend had breakfast at a downtown bar/restaurant before the game, and took the fan bus to the game--I can still remember how absolutely certain we all were about the outcome. It still hurts.

[@timfortune9]

@@raphaelcurley The story of the last NFC Championships: in it until we weren't (1998 and 2009) or never in it to begin with (2000 and 2017). The 2017 Divisional Round had the family cheering and shouting afterwards. The exact same people sat in the living room the next week completely silent. Although a funny thing about the 2019 Wild Card, me and my dad were cheering about beating the Saints again and suddenly from the garage, we hear a guitar playing "When the Saints Go Marching In". My brother (who doesn't care about football and didn't even know there was a game then, let alone who was playing) was just practicing. I poke my head in to ask if he could play that a little more sarcastically.

[@robertselph4722]

These days I take conference championships for granted way too much being a Chiefs fan.

[@jeffjames_elheff]

Now I want you guys to create a monstrous mash-up of the 1998 NFC Championship Game that is 99% already edited and recorded from your Atlanta and Vikings Dorktown series, but with a number of sequences side by side and sometimes even one on top of the other... some kind of mutant horror stepchild not created because anybody asked for it... but because we need it.

[@ForelliBoy]

I know there's at least one sentence that's said word for word in both, not just the same background music

[@BruceBoyde]

Jesus guys. I'm a Seahawks fan from Washington and was devastated by the Vikings losing an NFC championship 25 years ago because of this video. I cannot overstate the level of storytelling excellence you achieve.

[@jamesf456]

As a reminder from the Falcons videos, Jesus of Nazareth was undrafted

[@davidfalterman8713]

Can’t believe Jon didn’t include Moss’s legendary final stat line to that 1998 Thanksgiving Day game: 3 REC 163 YDS 3 TD Absolutely iconic 🔥

[@wendell_stamps]

I'm surprised they didn't show *that* picture. It was so freaking baller.

[@KD555]

BTW, that's not the yards record for a 3 catch game. That belongs to Torry Holt, who went for 189 (24, 80T, 85T) against the Falcons in 2000. But he "only" had two TDs.

[@randomkyle3]

and 1 hate crime on a white kid

[@Mighty_Atheismo]

Straight cash homie

[@bpnation37]

The conflict of secretly hoping the Vikes get the win against the Falcons while knowing they didn’t and also knowing if they did I wouldn’t even be watching this masterpiece. That team was something else. Amazing work by you guys as always.

[@alexconrad2904]

I love that throwback to the Larry Walters: Pretty Good episode. "To put something into the world that had not been there before"

[@maurerdebarros]

Didn't catch that at first. Thank you.

[@tohrazul]

I miss Pretty Good. I know there are more of those stories out there, and they really need to be told. I hope Jon has the desire to make another season at some point.

[@brettvandekerckhove2299]

or at least one or two more eps @@tohrazul

[@4QIcehole]

@@tohrazul I've got some Pretty Good news for you then!

[@CzBMusic]

The '98 thanksgiving game is the first NFL game I can remember watching. I was 9, first time at duck camp with my dad and a few other family members. Good memories. Dad was killed a year and four days ago. The grieving mind finds anything it can to hold on to, so it means a lot to see that game make it into this season of dorktown. Thanks for all that y'all do.

[@qfmarsh64]

I just got stuck on the two words "was killed." It sucks to lose your dad (I know), but it must be so much worse to see him cut down before his time. My sincerest condolences.

[@CzBMusic]

@@qfmarsh64 Thank you for the kind words. The murder trial hasn't started yet, but should commence in early 2024. A kid was driving high on cocaine at 120mph and hit my parents at 11am on a thursday. My parents' truck rolled for over 250 feet. Both mom and dad had their seat belts on, but dad's seat belt broke on the first impact with the ground. He and their chocolate lab were both ejected. Mom rode it out but had 14 broken bones including 2 vertebra in her neck and back that required 6 months of a body brace and continued physical therapy to regain her mobility. Anyway, if anyone has read this far please know that in 2021, 1 out of 93 deaths in the US was due to a completely preventable vehicle wreck, source: National Safety Council. Don't speed. It isn't worth putting another family through what mine and hundreds others every day have to deal with. *edit was to add year and source for the vehicle wreck statistics

[@WolfDB]

I'm not a Vikings fan at all, and yet seeing Dennis Green completely mess up that 1998 NFC Championship Game infuriates me.

[@dondajulah4168]

A true all-time buffoon

[@qfmarsh64]

He was who we thought he was.

[@raphaelcurley]

I haven't watched anything on it since, I forgot a lot, maybe I should have kept it that way. Oh well next week is the 09 season with 0-41 thrown in for shits and giggles.

[@millhousemillard2140]

He cost NFL fans one of the greatest super bowls ever

[@supasmits]

He's ordered to throw the game for the Dan reeves/ Elway storyline in Elway final game

[@bradhorowitz2765]

Watching the 3rd quarter section of the 1998 NFC championship and hearing Journey to the moon play at the exact time the falcons begins the March to victory in the history of the falcons series….really good dorktown.

[@underscorecliff]

as a vikings fan this episode was inexplicably good (and inexplicably painful)

[@rusheranimations7936]

nah, it was very explicably painful for vikings fans

[@MasterPancakes]

When they get to the 2000s, then we would have truly entered Hell. God damn it, I still feel so bad for Daunte Culpepper. He was special before his injury.

[@bigbearkat2010]

I'd argue Randy Moss made him that way. Even before his injury once Moss left Minnesota he was playing like shit.

[@LoganLS0]

He was nothing without Moss.

[@mrguitarguygates]

​@LoganLS0 Moss was all banged up in 04 and Burleson was our top receiver. Culpepper's best year. Try again.

[@LoganLS0]

@@mrguitarguygates in 2005 Culpepper sucked and Brad Johnson (the guy who should've had the job the whole time) outplayed him.

[@RaiderRich2001]

Wait until Teddy Bridgewater's injury

[@lastsinnersa8002]

49:46 - My brain almost exploded when I heard the Channel 9 Cricket theme. This was the 80s and 90s for so many Australians - and you somehow wove it seamlessly into Randy Moss smashing the Cowboys. Jon and Alex are just magic.

[@paulframe85]

It’s another Brian Bennett KPM piece. Recorded in 1974

[@PurpleWolferine]

The 98 NFC championship game ruined hope for me as a Vikings fan. If that team couldn't do it, then it's like, who can? Any time I watch them play I will forever be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[@someperson3883]

The 1969, 1973, 1974, and 1976 teams. But could win that game, but the next one. We forget about it

[@MJKeenan30]

Just be glad that you didn't have to watch them lose to Denver in the Super Bowl, which is what would have happened if they had won.

[@paysonfox88]

It's good to know that you didn't get your hopes up in 2009. That year the Vikings were just good. 4,000-yard passer and Brett favre, and Adrian Peterson on the ground offensively. I expected them to choke, I just didn't expect it to be a interception in overtime on the outskirts of field-goal range.

[@adeptgopnik]

@@paysonfox88 or have 6 turnovers (maybe 7) and still barely lose.

[@countof3everybodyOD]

@@MJKeenan30a couple plays and Denver wasn’t there either. Don’t act like they were a dynasty

[@RyanKlapperich]

As thrilling and heartbreaking as it was to relive that 1998 season again, it was fascinating to hear the tale of the '98 NCF Championship game told now from both team's perspectives. In a way, it's fitting that both teams fought this epic match that defined both their seasons, and both teams ended their season with a loss. Thank you, Jon and Alex, for bringing me to tears once again.

[@fortynights1513]

If either team won it all, then their entire history is probably not being talked about in a Dorktown doc.

[@notasurfer]

The ‘Dennis Greene let ‘em off the hook’ bit was hilarious 😂

[@Jdog7117]

I could not stop laughing at that

[@fletch6183]

49:48 think all 13 other Australians watching this video jumped out of their seat after hearing this song play lmao

[@dyalander]

As incredible as Moss’ rookie thanksgiving performance was, the channel 9 cricket theme meant I couldn’t see any of it through the memories of a lifetime of summers of cricket.

[@paulframe85]

​@@dyalanderI can just imagine Richie Benaud saying "Good afternoon, Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to Texas Stadium where we have a cracking game for you today. Let's go out to the middle for a pitch report from Tony Greig."

[@brickwallblitz]

I really love that it could’ve been too easy to do an abridged version of the 98 NFCCG for the people that watched the Falcons doc, but that you guys went the extra mile to recapture it all from the Vikings side makes it special.

[@DanStrayer]

21:30 Hilarious and simultaneously painful Favre-shadowing there. Good one, Alex.

[@TheTEN24]

Love this series it’s so well put together as expected and the fact we see our two series intertwined is so cool. Also knowing Tom Clancy tried to buy the Vikings years ago is hilarious

[@stevebusch-h8h]

that last line of the segment was purely, utterly, brilliant.. thank you for putting such words to that defeat. I'm 56 and still will never get over that loss to ATL. your words were really killer. you guys are some very impressive documentarians!

[@citrusstyle85]

The 90s is when i started watching the vikings. 98 was when i fell in love with this team. Been hooked ever since. Truly great docuseries here, great job guys!

[@oeao2841]

I started watching NFL in 1998 as a 10 year old…I saw John Elway win the SB…but I remember more about that Vikings team because they were lighting up the NFL…as an adult Denver vs Minnesota would’ve been the greatest SB ever

[@dgendvil]

Just like the 2000 Blazers in game 7 in the WCF against the Lakers & they lost. These Blazers could've beaten the Pacers in the finals.

[@therealDJG]

In 2008 I was in my second year of the Navy & I was in Guam for work. I stayed at a hotel & I was downstairs in the laundry room, picking up my clothes from the dryer wearing my 1988 Randall Cunningham Eagles throwback. A dude I didn’t know struck a convo with me about Randall and he lets me know he’s a Vikings fan. I saw the life leave this man’s eyes talking about the 98 Vikings. Little did he know the heartbreak he’d feel just a year later.

[@formulahank1250]

There’s one video of John Randle’s footwork and agility that occasionally makes the rounds on social media. Randle’s speed with which he can navigate a drill vs that of a fringe starter is unreal. It’s like watching a college player then a kid in Pop Warner try to do the same thing

[@shannonpincombe8485]

Lads...lads. You're super stars. This series just keeps getting better and better. All of the work you've put in: research, stats, graphs, sound, editing etc....all rolled into a perfect bundle. Top Shelf! I cannot understand how the NFL or one of the major broadcasters/production companies hasn't called yet to enquire about having you produce a whole tonne of sports related content. This stuff is what true sports fans, the punters, want. A deep dive into the heart and soul of a team, their roster, the staff, the stadia, the city and its community. All angles are fascinating IMHO and, in your case, beautifully presented. I'm not the only one who notices. We, your fans/subscribers/patrons, thank you for your service. 😅 Just have to add. Isn't the sight of NFL footballers scrambling after a free/live ball one of the funniest things you've ever seen?! How they manage to fumble simple receptions in these circumstances is ripe for study by psychology departments all over the US college system. What makes these fellas so useless at this simple task at this very moment? Ineptitude appears the norm whilst steady headed movement and sure hands are the exception. But...it's bloody hilarious!!! Akin to seeing these man mountains skipping the length of the field hand in hand in celebration. That always brings a smile to my face. Big kids having fun playing. Cannot argue with their career choices right there.

[@ericemanwu]

Funny, how this documentary will intersect with the history of the falcons at the exact same spot: the Superdome in 1999. And the fall of another promising Viking horde.

[@KevinFinch_]

I just wanted to say I super appreciate the captioning on all of your videos, but I especially love the captioning choice at 13:32

[@haydenanderson2121]

Yeah that’s cool!

[@joshuagrosvenor9837]

I could watch Randy Moss highlights every day and never get tired of them. That man reinvented his position and took it to a level that had not been reached before or since.

[@andypritchard9644]

Hearing about Chip Myers' death at 1:21:54 with the music and all that was heartbreaking enough, but the fact that this guy actually played the vast majority of his career for my Cincinnati Bengals in the 70s made it a little more so. One must think what could've been in 1999 had the man who gave Randall Cunningham the inspiration to play again been given the opportunity to call the plays for him. RIP Chip Myers.

[@grimtea1715]

I didnt expect to hear Tom Clancy get mentioned, and I REALLY didnt expect to hear Saddam Hussein mentioned (Twice). This is such a great series lol

[@joshuapatrick682]

Man the days of Moss and Carter….those were the days. Simply incredible to have witnessed the magic happen.

[@jonahkramer3257]

As a young Vikings fan who but heard the myths of these legendary games, it is at once heartbreaking and cathartic for the myths to be brought to life. Thank you, Jon and Alex.

[@FecklessSpoon]

Thank you for the kind words towards the end Jon.

[@22justin22]

JON AND THE SECRET BASE TEAM IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS VIDEO. IVE GOT MY PS VITA ON THE CHARGER IN ANTICIPATION FOR THE BIG DAY. GONNA BE WATCHING THIS BAD BOY ON MY VITA AFTER A NICE HARD DAY OF LABOUR

[@johnmartyr1600]

49:49 was not expecting to hear the Wide World of Sports theme. Would play before cricket matches here in Australia.

[@taintedtapper]

1:25:31 The way Jon Bois is saying this makes it seem like 2009 is gonna be that deja vu moment for the Vikings LMAOOO

[@assrammington7961]

When he talked about that last second pass across the body that was direct foreshadowing to 2009

[@Pranaynaynay]

the parallels between the 97 Broncos, 98 Vikings and 99 Rams are really strong. The difference being a coach that was willing to be aggressive and trust at the right times I suppose (and probably just bad luck on the Vikings)

[@ericbookmiller297]

Those top 3 points differential teams shown on the chart (98 MIN, 99 STL, 07 NE) account for 1 Super Bowl. 98 Vikings and 07 Pats are arguably the greatest offenses to ever take the field and neither got a ring. Oh and both featured Randy Moss. Poor guy.

[@RaiderRich2001]

9:53 "The NCAA being the (string of of expletives that would make Jerry Burns blush)"

[@joshprice7527]

Im 24, and as a kid I was heavily into NFL Network. With that being said my favorite episode of America's Game was the missing ring episode about the 98' Vikings. Watching that episode made me fall in love with that team (I am a diehard Ravens fan) but those 98 Vikings were so cool and when I finsihed that episode and found out HOW they lost it was kind of heartbreaking. And now I have to get heartbroken all over again.

[@FecklessSpoon]

This was when I really started being a Vikings fan (born in '91) it's easily the hardest, but most enjoyable episode so far!

[@crunch507]

Same, born in 91 and 98 is the season I fell in love with the Vikings and with football. Unfortunately I’ve been let down ever since lol

[@asleep909]

By far, my favorite era of this team...getting to meet Carter and Dr. Robert Smith while they were in college was quite the treat. What a great team....but, you knew that. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING DOCUMENTARY SERIES IN THE ENTIRE SPORTS WORLD, and I thank you guys for it!

[@Trypticon1]

I loved the Falcons series, and this series has been phenomenal! Hoping for a Browns retrospective one day.

[@samborgensjr6456]

I think the Bills retrospective would be arguably better. 4 SB losses in a row? C'mon now!

[@Venom3254]

A Jets one, after Super Bowl 3

[@cwashrohawk]

They did a mini one on the browns. I think it was called the browns live in hell.

[@bostonsportsfan5079]

Definitely would love a retrospective for the Cincinnati Bengals Getting to know more about Anthony Munoz, Ickey Woods, Boomer Esiason, and the dynamic 1980s Cincinnati teams would be fun

[@samborgensjr6456]

@@Venom3254 Different sport, but I'll for sure raise you a Blazers retrospective after '77.

[@brandonthesteele]

43:05 "Randall is Obi-Wan Kenobi. A wise old man many years removed from his ancient adventures, long content to fade into the obscurity of the desert planet of Nevada." lmao

[@ScholarlyHiccup]

Love how throughout the series, we get these mini-documentaries on other teams. This Vikings series provides a pretty good summation of the history of the Cowboys, Rams, Falcons, Titans, and Packers. We even get brief bits on the Browns, Bears, Pats, Giants, Saints, 9ers, Steelers, Bucs, Broncos, and Cardinals. Just excellent sports journalism

[@fortynights1513]

Don’t forget the dig on the Jets in part one

[@chrispappa704]

Ugh. I'm going to watch this but I am not going to like re-living the worst day of my life. The day of the 98 NFC Championship game. My Grandfather had died 6 days before and that game was on the day of his funeral. So I went to my Grandfather's funeral at 11 am that day and then had to mourn again later that afternoon after my Vikings lost. It was like getting kicked in the balls after getting sucker punched.

[@joshuapatrick682]

1:26:30 well said man. Thats what sports is to me now, a beautiful example of possibilities and pushing the envelope. Changing the game. Wins, losses, championships and all that are meaningless when you think about it what matters is a player and a fans enjoyment of the game, and no one can take that away.

[@milesaguilar1502]

Another great job on this part of the series. I love your writing style so much.

[@MrMisties]

Literally cried at the end, Carl Eller's words and the absolutely electric description of the 98 Vikings was a great consolation. It still hurts though

[@ChumblesMumbles]

That 98 team was special in so many ways. For me personally, I just felt so good for Randall Cunningham getting a second shot and the credit he was due. He always had great talent but was on teams without a good plan for him or good weapons and he got the short end of so many sticks in Philly. I always thought he deserved better than he got. And getting that 1998 season was something he was due.

[@louiedelk592]

1:12:24 that pan up/zoom out combined with the musical sting gets me every time. This is the legacy moment of this Dorktown: the Vikings don’t need to win to tell football’s greatest stories.

[@JoeyCarb]

It was a rule among our friends when playing Blitz that you couldn't be the Vikings. It just wasn't fair.

[@tewksbob]

It's the little things like, "there's that name again" that get me. I wish Jon the ability to do whatever he pleases in life, but if he ever chooses something that would allow me to hear him speak everyday, I'd probably tune in to that every day.

[@he1pmeiaminhell]

Vikings fan here. I have always told anyone who cares to listen that the Vikings have a resume of postseason failure that is unmatched in professional sports history. This brilliant documentary supports what I’ve been saying this whole time.

[@dfp_01]

If you take basically the same timeline (Super Bowl era, 1966-; NHL expansion era, 1967-), the Toronto Maple Leafs are right up there. Like the Vikings, they've never gone below 0.500 in 3 straight seasons. In those 55 seasons, they've made 34 playoff appearances; they've lost in the first round 19 times, and their overall record in playoff series is 20-34. They haven't so much as played in the conference finals since 2002, making only 5 total appearances in the final four and losing all 5 series by a combined 20 games to 7. In terms of aggregate goal differential in each postseason, they're 9-23-2 since 1967 (meaning they've outscored their opponents in a single postseason 9 times, been outscored 23, and scored the same twice). The main, and fairly obvious, difference between the two franchises is that the Leafs have a long history of winning prior to the 1967 league expansion-so much so that the last of their 13 Stanley Cup victories came in the 1967 postseason that immediately preceded said expansion. They've never been back.

[@assrammington7961]

Awww. The ending made me cry. I’m glad Jon was as happy about the 1998 Vikings being so fun as I was.

[@j.a.greene3523]

The 1998 Vikings is a perfect example of great coaches choking in playoff games.

[@ibn1989]

That wasn't a coach choking, it was a coach being stupid. They didn't lose the game because Anderson missed the kick (yes they probably would've won if he made it), they lost it because Dennis Green took a knee in the 4th Qtr to take the game to OT.

[@markusayasse99]

@@ibn1989 Not to be contrary, but isn't that kinda the definition of a coach choking in particular? I mean the only way a coach can affect a football game is with their mind. So losing their mind and being an idiot when they need to understand the game situation and call the right plays and personnel is their version of choking. Or were you disagreeing that it was a choke and pointing out that the coach was just flat out stupid and this was par for the course?

[@j.a.greene3523]

@@ibn1989 ...not sure what you define as "choking" then, because you literally just described choking.

[@gordybishop2375]

Great coach or lucky...hmmm

[@baxatakbaxatak2014]

Letting em off the hook

[@AnthonyWhite-editorinchief101]

1:20:03 That's some great work, Eugene Robinson. I know EXACTLY how we should celebrate. 🎉😏

[@bobbyanastacio7175]

That " you let em off the hook" @1:16:20

[@seanflynn5620]

As a 41 year old Minnesotan I honestly both cannot wait and cannot watch the second half of this. I know I have to, but it is gonna be tough

[@LaslowF1997]

Bro I'm numb to '98 by now, bring it on! I just finished the video and I'm still laughing my ass off at the ending of that '97 game against the Giants. I mean, I knew Denny punted down 9 on 4th and not very long with only about 4 minutes left, but I never really knew how clownish that clock management was (I lived in a fairly remote area at the time and our TV reception got pretty sketchy at times - including the 2nd half of that game - so I missed it).

[@arcadeshift5071]

I can't imagine being a loyal Lions fan. Decades of basically nothing. 1 playoff win. 0-16, bad draft picks, bad QBs, etc. BUT, I still maintain it's tougher being a Vikings fan. I know 99% of Lions fans will disagree, but I stand by that (see paragraph about the Timberwolves below). Being "good" and losing in the most creatively heartbreaking ways (in games that matter) will break your spirit. Having hope, then having it crushed is worse than having little hope and accepting that. example: I'm a Timberwolves fan. They have the worst winning percentage of any Big 4 pro team. They've won two playoff series in 34 years. They're the Lions of the NBA. Their futility is sad, funny, inexcusable, etc. I've never felt 20% of the sadness about their ineptitude as the sadness I've felt over Vikings losses, and I love the Wolves. We just expect the Timberwolves to lose. It's easy to accept. We're not angry. We're annoyed, but we don't know anything else. ps--I never knew Dennis Green thought he had zero timeouts at the end of regulation in the '98 NFCCG. Goddamnit.

[@TexasDragon]

The Atlanta Falcon only knows how to do one thing, make cruel cruel jokes

[@patrickkelley4297]

This would be the greatest series since sliced bread, except for having to relive all the trauma. From a long suffering Vikings fan (I attended the 98 NFC Championship with my dad) Still love it though, keep up the great work!

[@wacopaco2099]

1:15:45 wait wait wait wait. I’ve heard of this game. Over and over and over again I have heard of this game and how Gary Anderson missed that kick. But I’m not a Vikings fan, I’m an Eagles fan. I’ve never seen the game. And you’re telling me, that with RANDALL CUNNINGHAM, CRIS CARTER, RANDY MOSS AND 2 TIMES OUTS WITH 35 SECONDS LEFFT YOU KNEEL?? YOU!!!! KNEEEEEELLLLLLL???????

[@maxbrown4261]

I was born in MN in 1985 and have been i Vikings fan all my life and i cant describe to you the validation as a fan that ive experienced watching this documentary. Thank you so much.

[@wirelessgrapes2242]

The genuine disgust in Jon and Alex's voices during the 98 NFC Championship is so infectious, I'm now furious

[@gordyhowitzer]

I remember this kid in my class who was convinced that Gary Anderson took a bribe to lose the 98 NFC Championship game. It seemed absolutely true when I was 12 or whatever, but in retrospect we never expected the falcons to have a chance. In another universe, the episode of The Simpsons where homer puts the mug in front of his face and says "Atlanta Falcons" he says "Minnesota Vikings" instead, and that's what it means to be a Minnesota sports fan. We definitely would have won that super bowl.

[@LaslowF1997]

Whenever I think of that epic choke, my first thought is legitimately "WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SIMPSONS DAMMIT!" Denver was no pushover - if you recall, the media paid relatively little attention to the Vikings that year because the Broncos started 13-0. Knowing the Vikings, I have to think they would have lost, possibly badly. In some ways, it's almost a blessing that they didn't get a chance to lose their 5th Superbowl.

[@baracksays9401]

@@LaslowF1997 The Broncos were very good that year. Like you mentioned, the 13-0 start had many people openly pondering if they could go undefeated, on top of the fact that Terrell Davis ran for 2000 yards. Couple that with a very good defense and the fact that they were the defending champs, and they would have at the very least been the betting favorite over the Vikes. There's some great footage of the Denver sideline right before the AFC Championship being shocked at seeing the result of the NFC title game however. They very obviously were pleased to face Atlanta.

[@LaslowF1997]

@@baracksays9401 Yeah Atlanta was pretty spent after the NFC Championship game and it showed. "Just happy to be there" described them perfectly in the Superbowl, and the Vikings would not have been just happy to be there. On paper it should have been an all-time classic of unstoppable force vs immovable object, but it would have also been a proven dynasty vs a team with a history of losing big games. idk, Denver was also a choker prior to 1997, so maybe they would have gone back to their choking ways too and we would have had a 2-way chokefest, but I am fairly confident we wouldn't have seen the Vikings team most expected.

[@LaslowF1997]

@@SimuLord idk, they actually met twice as head coaches of the Vikings/Broncos. In 1996, when the Broncos were a juggernaut and the Vikings were their usual mediocre selves, Green actually outcoached Shanahan, and the Broncos only won thanks to an generous spot on 4th and 1 on the final meaningful drive of the game. The rematch came in 1999, when the Broncos were not good, and Vikings came away with a narrow victory. Small sample size, but it seems to suggest that coaching matchup was at best a push for Shanahan. I just think that somehow, some way, in any big game, on the Vikings simply has to do something stupid that costs them bigtime. It's like, woven into the fabric of the universe.

[@rieldebonk1044]

What do you mean "seemed true when i was 12"?

[@Joshh-uk1ww]

There’s a neat detail I’ve been noticing. When covering the 70’s the song choice would usually be brass horns and jazz style fanfare, but the further we go along it seem like the more electric guitar and synth gets put in.

[@dexterthomas-payne4715]

The best sports series around! Thank you Secret Base!

[@baracksays9401]

Lots of thoughts on this one. From the second it was announced, this is the episode I was waiting for. Having lived through it at age 7, the 1998 team formed a good portion of my early memories. I had no idea the Vikings ownership structure was as chaotic as it was in the early 90s, nor did I know that Mike Lynn had gone as far as to put a group together to buy the team. The sheer idea of a group of 10 people with 10% ownership each is insane. It's a minor miracle we managed to remain as competitive as we did during that time period. A tough but mostly fair assessment of Dennis Green. Yes, Denny was paranoid, understandably so to an extent considering, as Jon touched on, he was just the second black head coach in the history of the modern NFL. I think a part of him took criticism from the Twin Cities media more personally as a result. It didn't help however that he had an acrimonious relationship with them, most notably with Dan Barriero. He accused ownership AND the media of conspiring to fire him in favor of Lou Holtz, Jon mentioned the former but not the latter. Another part of why Denny was as abrasive as the press as he was though was through a desire to protect his players. He'd run through a wall for them. Robert Smith considers him a father figure to this day. When he was ultimately fired in 2001, Orlando Thomas yelled over and over again at the media gathered in the locker room about how they could have pushed for him to be fired when his players still wanted to play for him. "You can't be happy now, can you?" he said. The knee in the NFC title game however? Maybe it just seemed like the thing to do. Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss were supeheroes. If you got to live it as a child, I hope you remember how special it was. If you got to live it as an adult, I hope it brings more happiness than sadness. They did a spectacular job of highlighting what made that team so special. One qualm: when we walked into Lambeau Field that year, the Packers were the kings of the league. They'd appeared in the last two Super Bowls, won one of them, lost another in a colossal upset and there was no reason to believe they wouldn't go there and win again given their future Vikings quarterback was the reigning three time MVP. They hadn't lost at home in 30+ games. A rookie wide receiver walked in there and beat the shit out of them. Wish this had gotten a point of emphasis. There's no reason we shouldn't have won the NFC Championship. We just didn't. The ending was as bittersweet as can be. Despite the result, we really did set the tone for the new millennium of football. The Rams did the same thing we couldn't the next season: win the big one with a lighting fast, devastating offense that played in a dome.

[@lucashenderson2775]

For all of his good/bad as a coach, Dennis Green winning 10+ games and going to the playoffs almost every year with next to no stability at QB is an underrated accomplishment to me.

[@diffman1010]

43:00 to 44:00 gave me goosebumps great writing and awesome way to introduce randy moss

[@JBBGeek]

Everyone’s talking about 1998 and Randy Moss, but I want to see how the three-year Warren Moon stint is addressed. Also, there had better be a “seizing the means of production” reference in here for Randall Cunningham.

[@Officialusername5]

Kirk going to the Falcons is really full cycle Dangit secret base we need some more episodes

[@Hawkmanuno]

And the season has been everything we wanted. The Falcons start 1-2, but the teams they played are all good, so no surprise there. Then they meet the Saints who has a 2-1 start, but their wins are against bottom feeders like the Cowboys. Then the Falcons beat the Saints in a weird game at the last second. Then the Falcons win four of their five next games. Then the Falcons meet the Saints again, who now have lost seven games in a row. Then the miserable Saints beats the hot streak Falcons! And now Falcons is on a losing streak! This is not simply an up and down team. This is poetry in real life unfolding in front of our very eyes. The Computer Generated Normal Pocket Passer thought he had tamed the Chaos Bird, but the bird was just setting him, and everyone else, up for yet another joke. Well played, Chaos Bird. Well played indeed.

[@Hawkmanuno]

1:09:45 I love reading the live chat transcript at this point, when people are starting to notice that "Journey To The Moon" is playing in the background, suddenly making the excellent play-by-play seem a lot scarier.

[@blondeucus8121]

John Randle is from a small town near where I live called Hearne and it’s a super rough place even today it’s honestly amazing he was able to become the player he was considering where he started

[@njstuckey]

Love seeing George Teague highlights. His career at Alabama was impressive too. Chased down Lamar Thomas from 10 yards back and just ripped the ball from him. Thomas was a former track star.

[@thenextsteveblackman]

Cris Carter, Randy Moss, Robert Smith, Jake Reed, Randall McDaniel, John Randle, Chris Doleman, Jack Del Rio, Robert Griffith. It's amazing how much talent the Vikings had in the 90's with no Super Bowl appearances to show for it.

[@MazeDaGr8]

Yeaa that still baffles me, All that talent and nothing to show for it

[@dfp_01]

You could say the same about the Seattle Mariners of the mid-to-late 1990s, the subject of the first long-form masterpiece produced by Jon and Alex. One of the best offenses ever assembled failed to even participate in a title match. Uncanny.

[@sheepdavis]

Randall Cunningham

[@thortheidiot]

I screamed in my apartment when I made out the ATLANTA at 1:05:46. I reached for my throw blanket to muffle NOOOOs of horror as I realized I already knew how this story was going to end. Absolutely incredible filmmaking.

[@TenStars7678]

This has inexplicably become the greatest series of all time

[@liamaldrich2476]

My dad was a 21 year old Minnesotan in 98. I texted him about watching this, his exact words were "Watching that game against Atlanta was like being waterboarded."

[@pantzforhire]

Dude you were setting the Gary Anderson miss up so far ahead in advance. I didn’t even know about the miss and I knew where you were going just from talking about his perfect record lol