Don't get your hopes up. Or should we?

This is going to be an especially good post. Everything has come together for me tonight. Not only did I just figure out the Genius button on Itunes, so I'm listening to a fantastic playlist, but I have returned to the Caribou Coffee where this blog was birthed. You're in for a treat.

The Vikings are 5-0 and we as a fan base have been on the joyride of having a team that is relevant and that we consider to “Have a chance.” Here's the deal, we have a REALLY easy schedule. So far, we have played three games on the road. It is widely known that those three times, Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis, order obscenely large amounts of Estrogen to distribute to their players. Thus, they kind of suck, at least under the scope of being compared to other teams in the NFL. All three are doing wonderfully in their scrimmages with the local police and fire departments.

The two decent teams we've played, Green Bay and San Francisco, have both come at home. Our advantageous schedule continues for the rest of the year. The three toughest games left in our schedule, the Ravens, Bengals, and Giants, are all in the Metrodome.

It's tempting to get caught up in the potential of our 5-0 start. It was anyway, until I read some statistics about past promising Vikings starts that ended badly.

In 2003 the Vikings started out 6-0. I was shocked when I read that. “We were not that good back then!” I thought to myself. We then went on to lose the next four games, eventually losing our season finale on a last second catch against Arizona that brought our record to 9-7 for the season, and forced us out of the playoffs. If the team could collectively have a nightmare on the night of the win that put as at 6-0, the rest of the season would be the real world version of that nightmare.

In 2000 we started 7-0, eventually getting to 11-2. At that point, we screwed things up and lost our last three regular season games. We then killed New Orleans in our divisional playoff game, 34-16, which I have no recollection of. Then we had to go to New York to play the Giants and we got beaten down 41-0. I remember that one. Watching that game, it came to a point where anyone who cared or remotely rooted for the Vikings was bitter and resented all the players, coaches, and staff associated with that performance. It was just too much to get beat by, especially in the playoffs. As a fan you can maybe mentally prepare yourself that it is plausible your team could lose badly, but NOT 41-0 badly.

Then, in 2008, the season that broke the heart of any Vikings fan, but especially the young, unhardened ones of those in my age demographic, who were roughly 13 at the time. We started out 7-0, going 15-1 for the season, and lost in the NFC championship game because Gary Anderson missed a THIRTY-EIGHT yard field goal. THIRTY-EIGHT YARDS. He hadn't missed ANYTHING all year. He made all 35 of his field goal attempts and all 59 of his extra points. That's right, 59 extra points. We scored on teams that year like we were Tim Riggins surrounded by rally girls with slightly below average morals. I had a friend at that game who left with his dad when Gary Anderson lined up for that kick. People had that much confidence in him. I also have at least two friends who admitted to crying after that game.

I would bet that most any Vikings fan would list the 1998 season as the last time our team was good, because we “had a chance” that year. Neither of those other two years ever felt like we had a chance, even with our good records. And I'm saying, at 5-0 in 2009, it feels like we have a chance.

We should finally get a good gage for this year's team this weekend when we play Baltimore at home. Two weeks ago the Ravens were regarded as the best team in the NFL by ESPN.com Power Rankings. Now, coming in off two straight losses, they should be ready to prove something. Get ready Vikings fans! This weekend we will get some questions answered as to how tough we really are. I have faith though. We are going to bring it.