Fans of the Minnesota Vikings were surprised when the reports began to break to go abroad for the second consecutive season, this time in Dublin, Ireland, for a “road match” against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After playing in London, England, last season, another international competition generally does not occur (unless you are the Jacksonville jaguars). Thus, when the rumors that the Vikings of the MN could play, not only one, but consecutive games through the pond transformed reality … The heads really turned.
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There are opinions on both sides – as to whether or not two international games are a good thing for the Vikings, which will play the week four in Dublin and the week five in London, before obtaining week 6 as Bye – but the more we get the way this double head abroad was born, the more we realize that it was just as focused on the Vikings that it was focused on the league.
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How did the Vikings du Minnesota end up with consecutive international games?
This week, the NFL Mike North calendar manufacturer went to the Podcast Ross Tucker where he withdrew the curtain on the way it all happened. It was Roger Goodell who first tackled the idea to North. He didn’t think there was a chance that the Vikings were interested, but he still asked.
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To his surprise, however, the leaders of the Vikings have gone from what North described as “open -minded, arranged, in a way impatient” towards the opportunity. Thus, the Vikings of Minnesota and the League have developed the details together and did it.
“When we entered international matches, I essentially contacted all the teams and I said:” Hey Vikings, you see the calendar. You know that Pittsburgh is organizing a game in Dublin. You know that you are an opponent of the road for the Steelers this year. There is a chance that you can be chosen to go to Ireland.
Subsequent telephone call: “Hey Vikings, you know you play Browns this year. They organize a game in London. You know that you are a possible opponent to play Browns in London this year. And it was actually Commissioner Goodell who said, “Do you think they would like to do both?”, And I said “absolutely not, no chance.
But I called them and I told them and they went from open -mindedness to arranged a little. And so we have sort of associated with them, found a way to innovate, to try something new here, and they worked with our OPS team … And they will spend the week there and it will be a good test for us. »»
NFL – Mike North planning on the Podcast Ross Tucker
So there you have it. The Vikings of Minnesota led the bus on their double head abroad, after Goodell launched the idea to North, who (to his surprise) took the idea and ran with it. But who, in the organization of Vikings, directs the international effort?
Why Kevin O’Connell invites these games abroad
According to the star gallery Ben Goessling And Andrew Krammeron the last episode of Podcast Access VikingsHe is head coach Kevin O’Connell leading Minnesota abroad bus plane. And there are a few reasons – some football related, and others not.
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First of all, Krammer points to something that O’Connell told international journalists when they spoke to them following the announcement of the League last week. KOC likes the idea that McCarthy’s recruit weeks of recruit four and five are played within the more friendly limits of Croke Park (IE) and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (United Kingdom), instead of Heinz Field (Pittsburgh) and Huntington Bank Field (Cleveland).
“O’Connell went so far as to say that Europe is a better backdrop for JJ McCarthy, that Pittsburgh or Cleveland. He said that these environments can be hostile environments, on the way to AFC North for a young quarter-Arrière, depending on the moment when these matches could fall.”
This does not necessarily seem to be the aspect of the competitive balance – whether they are crowds of more neutral roads for their recruit quarter or any other advantage with two roads of roads abroad – was the greatest driver of the Establishment of Minnesota, however.
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According to Goessling, this is Kevin O’Connell’s ability to see the situation as a whole, beyond the simple football match played on the field. Koc seems to understand how important international games will be for the Vikings of Minnesota, especially after playing in London two of the last three seasons, even before 2025.
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“I think that’s something you heard them kiss and I think Kevin O’Connell.
It does not hurt to have a head coach who, I think, is quite open and understands enough the commercial side of this, and the marketing side of that to say: “Yes, we can do this work”. I don’t think it’s an accident that has taken over. Because the rhythm of this resumed, with Kevin O’Connell as a coach. It is three times in four years now that he is the head coach they have been in the United Kingdom and four games in four years internationally.
Mike Zimmer did it once and you could say that he was not a big fan of this one … So the fact that it happened once in the eight years of Mike Zimmer and that it happened three times, four games in the four years of Kevin O’Connell, I don’t think it is an accident. I think the head coach who is there is an important factor here.
If you listen to the rest of the Podcast Access Vikings downloaded Friday, you will start planning your annual preparations for the Vikings du Minnesota around at least one international game. Because with Koc bought the idea of expanding the MN Vikings brand, it seems that going abroad could become a very regular thing in the future.
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