The Minnesota Vikings have sadly excelled in something other than gaining a reputation for powerful play on the field: powerful misconduct off the field! For example, October 6th, 2005 is a day that reigns in infamy for Vikings fans. On that day Lake Minnetonka was the unlikely backdrop to a team party that involved lewd acts perpetrated by several players in front of a host of witnesses. The media loved this fodder and soon dubbed the incident the Love Boat Scandal.

In order to survive the firestorm that descended on the team in the aftermath of this public relations nightmare, team owner Zygi Wilf was quick to institute a 77-page Code of Conduct that all players had to sign off on. It is expected from each player to not only know the content of this Code, but to also abide by its rules and regulations to the very last letter. Unfortunately, this was not the only time that the Vikings made the headlines. On June 30th, 2005 Coach Mike Tice found himself in boiling hot water for scalping his Super Bowl tickets. The same held true for running back coach Dean Dalton and another coach named Rusty Tillman.

Still earlier that year, on April 21st to be exact, running back Onterrio Smith was caught at an airport with a device affectionately termed the Whizzinator. Its claim to fame is the promise to pass any urine test for controlled substances.

It is quite apparent that the Minnesota Vikings have suffered from a downward spiral of morals and discipline. Some anxious fans have been wondering if there is anything the team could do to make a moral turn-around. It appears that Zygi Wilf has had enough of the bad press and the players antics that seem to drag onto the playing field, and his choice of new head coach for the Vikings proves that he means business. The new head coach, Brad Childress, is well-known for his discipline and high moral code. It would appear that with this new man at the helm, the Minnesota Vikings have a good chance to mend their ways and clean up their tarnished reputation.