"Always optimistic" Vikings faithful ready to rock during historic season
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings have amassed 10 wins in their first 12 games for only the fifth time since 1970.
How are we feeling, Vikings fans?
"You know what, we are always optimistic. Always," said longtime superfan Dawn Schelhaas. "We never get pessimistic. That's the way it is."
Schelhaas was among the many shoppers on Monday at Vikings Locker Room store at Mall of America.
"It's good to be 10-2," she said. "And you know what, they're playing hard, so the people have to cheer hard. That's how we have to look at it."
Brothers Paul and Luke Modzelewski echoed the excitement, especially after the surprise Christmas gift of attending the game with their dad. All three traveled to Minneapolis from the East Coast.
"There are things when you watch the game every Sunday you don't pick up on until you're in the stadium," Luke Modzelewski said. "Like the [player introduction] was absolutely insane, running through the ship and then the snow falling. The whole show was incredible."
As for their outlook on the Vikings pursuit of a championship?
"Little bit worried about the defense, but I think they're a bend-but-don't-break team and the record speaks for itself," Paul Modzelewski said.
Tickets available but pricey
Of the five remaining games this season, the Vikings will play only two at home: Dec. 17 vs Indianapolis and Dec. 24 vs. the New York Giants.
Michael Nowakowski with TicketKing said fans looking ahead to playoffs may give some opportunities to fans to attend one of those games without breaking the bank - too much.
"The prices are probably where they're going to end up," Nowakowski said. "You know there's no opportunity for the bottom to fall out of the market just because there's so little time and so few games left."
As of Monday, the cheapest seats on TicketKing for the game against the Colts were $117 each, plus fees.
If and when the Vikings host a playoff game, that's when the prices could increase exponentially - but so could the supply.
"The interesting thing is as the season ticket holders start to see that their tickets are worth more, well then all of a sudden season ticket holders are more willing to sell their tickets to capitalize on, you know, the winning record."
Nowakowski warned that as tickets get more expensive, the risk of getting scammed grows as thieves try to entice buyers with attractive deals that seem too good to be true.
"It's definitely a buyer beware situation," he said. "If a deal seems too good to be true, it is too good to be true, and you're not going to get in."
