The Minnesota Vikings appear to have a pair of unexpected supporters following their miracle victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson.
The former Dallas Cowboys duo authored one of several crushing blows to Vikings fans through the decades with a 50-yard Hail Mary conversion for a touchdown to give Dallas a 17-14 win. The victory propelled the Cowboys to Super Bowl X, where they’d lose 21-17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, both Staubach and Pearson are happy the Vikings have their own standout moment to celebrate.
“I kind of felt good for the Vikings for making up for the Hail Mary,” Staubach said. “If you’re a Vikings player from the old days, it doesn’t make up for it, but if you’re a Vikings fan, you got to feel good about that.”
Both Staubach and Pearson noted they’ve received ire from Vikings fans through the years as a result of the 1975 game. They’re hopeful the Vikings can accomplish something that puts the memories of prior painful failures far behind them.
“I’m still the enemy of the state, and I’ve accepted that,” Pearson said. “But I’m rooting for the Vikings to win the Super Bowl. They’ve been snakebit as a franchise for a long time. And finally, maybe the pendulum is swinging in the right direction for them.”
