Are the Vikings in need of a new tune?

By Krupka  |   Tuesday, October 17, 2006  |  Comments( 9 )

Minnesota Vikings
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"Aaaaaaaaah ah! Aaaaaaaaah ah!"

The shrieking vocals of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant ring loud from the track "Immigrant Song."

Minnesota Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell sets the football on the tee at the 35-yard line.

"We come from the land of the ice and snow where the midnight sun and the hot springs blow
Hammer of the gods
will drive our ships to new land
to fight the horde
and singin' and cryin'
Valhalla I am coming

On we sweep
with, threshing oar
our only goal will be the western shore"

The song continues to blare out of the Metrodome speakers as the Viking faithful are on their feet.

"Aaaaaaaaah ah! Aaaaaaaaah ah!"

The special teams coverage unit is ready. Longwell leads them into battle sprinting up to the ball and boots the opening kickoff.

It sure beats the heck out of "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses.

Is it time for a new kickoff song for the Vikings?

Longtime fan and Minnesota resident Andy Saur believes so. Saur, 29, of Duluth, Minn., would like to see something the scene depicted above played out. He has launched a campaign in hopes of changing the opening kickoff tune from "Welcome to the Jungle" to "Immigrant Song."

Citing his love for Led Zeppelin and strong Scandinavian heritage, along with his passion for the Minnesota Vikings, it seems like a no-brainer to Saur.

"I have always been a Led Zeppelin fan. I remember hearing the 'Aaaaaaaaah ah!' and the 'We come from the land of ice and snow.....' and thinking that it was a really cool song. It was years later when I delved into reading the "Immigrant Song" lyrics and then it finally clicked that it was about the ancient Vikings. I have been kicking around this idea for using the "Immigrant Song" as the Minnesota Vikings' kickoff song for a couple of years now. It was my latest return from a vacation in Iceland when I finally committed to start this campaign," Saur said.

He added, "Being a lifelong resident of Minnesota, I am certain that there are not any jungles in Minnesota, but there is plenty of ice and snow! Also, this song was written about the Vikings, and would be very appropriate. "Welcome to the Jungle" has been played for years, and it is quite tiresome. In addition, other teams use this as their kickoff song. With the "Immigrant Song" no one else would use it and would be very unique for the Minnesota Vikings."

In his pitch to the Vikings organization, Saur created a work of art titled "Voyage of Norseman" that was accompanied by the "Immigrant Song" and a letter.

Saur says, "The painting that I created for Zygi Wilf and the Minnesota Vikings was intended to show my enthusiasm and message for this campaign. My wife, Angel Sarkela-Saur, and I worked on the concept and she came up with the final sketch for this painting. The painting has bold colors on a dark canvas to show the intensity of the piece. The longships battle the waves and are a metaphor of how the Vikings football team battles its opponents each week. I wanted to create a work of art that would represent the "Immigrant Song" as well as the Vikings. I think that the point gets across and I am happy with the result."

Sounds like a great idea, right? Vikings fans have been quick to support Saur in his endeavor. Unfortunately, the response from the Vikings organization wasn't as good.

"I was very disappointed with the response I received from the Vikings organization. I had placed quite a bit of effort and hard work in making a well-thought-out presentation. I was hoping that it would reach the right people in the organization, but apparently it is frowned upon in sending unsolicited ideas. I am trying to use my talent in a creative manner to bring the fans together and to make this campaign reflect positively on the Minnesota Vikings. With some of their off-the-field distractions, I thought that this would good publicity for them," he added.

Still, he isn't giving up hope. Saur has created a Web site, in which he talks about his campaign, provides pictures of his "Voyage of Norseman" painting and a petition to change the kickoff song among other things, including an opportunity to donate to the Vikings Children's Fund.

"Aaaaaaaaah ah! Aaaaaaaaah ah!"


Let us know what you think about the Vikings kickoff song. RealFootball365 encourages everyone to visit Andy Saur's Web site at www.vikingskickoff.com

Eric Krupka is a senior writer for RealFootball365.com and can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

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CommentsComments: 9  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Dennis		01:20 PM
10/17/2006
Im a big long time Viking fan. Im 41, been going up to Mankato pracices yearly since I was 5. Im from Iowa. Id lik to see the...
No.2
patrick		01:26 PM
10/17/2006
There is also a song by BLACK SABBATH called "VALHALLA" on the "TYR" album that would work nicely as well!!! Oh and PLEASE get...
No.3
Andy Romano		04:15 PM
10/17/2006
I'm originally from Rochester, New York, off the shores of Lake Onterio. It snows allot there. The immigrant song is perfect....
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