Former Vikings Player Says ‘Minnesota Nice’ Reason For Lack Of Championships
A former Minnesota Vikings linebacker stirred up a bee's nest recently when he suggested his former team won't be winning any championships anytime soon, at least as long as they take on the persona of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Erin Henderson, who played linebacker for the Vikings from 2008 through 2013, has been very active on Twitter recently, talking a lot about his former team.
Henderson kicked off the conversation on April 12, tweeting that while people won't want to hear it, " as the Vikes locker room is filled with nice guys they ain't gonna win". Henderson continued to explain that attitude reflects leadership, and the players are taking on the nice guy personality of their head coach. Erin says this is not a recipe to win.
Henderson expanded on this in a response to one of his followers on X, saying it all starts with a team's head coach, who sets the tone for the team. The fan pointed to defensive coordinator Brian Flores and a couple of defensive players, who they suggest "have that attitude".
Henderson pointed to head coach Kevin O'Connell (initially not by name), saying that's where it all starts.
In contrast to O'Connell, people asked Henderson about other previous Vikings head coaches. One such example was Mike Zimmer, who a fan brought up as someone the fanbase wanted gone. Erin's response was...interesting.
Another fan asked about Brad Childress, who Erin said "had his moments" as a good coach.
What is the attitude Erin is looking for in his former team? One of his followers on X argued against Henderson's point, saying people can be nice guys off the field, but still play hard on the field. Erin responded that playing hard is one thing, but attitude is another, explaining what it means to have a "dawg" attitude.
So, what kind of coach does Henderson think can make players "dawgs" with the aggressive attitude they need to win? He pointed to Dan Campbell with the Detroit Lions as an example of a coach who can bring that attitude out in players.
While very few players and team staff members in high positions are from Minnesota originally, Henderson seems to think that "Minnesota Nice" attitude permeates the team.
If that's the case, is it also the reason for all of the disappointment with our Minnesota sports teams over the years? All of Minnesota's professional sports teams will go on lengthy streaks of successful regular seasons, but when the playoffs roll around, it is all too common to crumble when it counts most.
Is it because of Minnesota nice?
I don't personally think so. But, maybe Erin is onto something. Looking immediately ahead, the Wild are not in the playoffs, but hopefully the Timberwolves leave the "Minnesota Nice" off the court as they get into the postseason.