Candid fans call out the man calling the shots

The most ardent followers of the Vikings put on a fabulous display of enthusiasm Sunday afternoon. They found parking spots in snowy lots and walked blocks through a sub-zero wind chill to fill the Metrodome to its Teflon sky.

The 60,000-plus hung tough through a first half in which the Vikings treated the footballs as if they were chunks of ice kicked up by a Minneapolis snowplow.

Bernard Berrian, Adrian Peterson and Tarvaris Jackson all lost fumbles in the first half. Berrian's came in wimpy style on a punt return and provided Atlanta a short field for a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.

The Vikings responded with an impressive drive in which quarterback Jackson made some tremendous plays, before Peterson coughed up the ball inside Atlanta's 20.

Later, there was a bad exchange between Jackson and Peterson. A questionable statistical ruling gave the fumble to Jackson -- perhaps to keep another lost fumble off the résumé of Peterson, the hometown candidate to be the NFL's MVP.

There was a scattering of boos as the Vikings departed at halftime, but mostly the customers seemed grateful to be thawed out and that the deficit was a manageable 17-7.

That mood started to change in the second half. Again, the Vikings were moving in sprightly fashion, when Jackson had the football knocked from his right hand. The oversized ice cube went shooting back 20 yards, where it was recovered by Atlanta's Chauncey Davis.

That changed on the next possession when Jackson let a snap go past him. It went 22 yards backward before he fell on the fumble (No. 5 of seven for the home team).

Here came the boos, finally, and they continued until the relationship between coach Brad Childress and the Purple Faithful had regained its tenuous status.

The Vikings were down 24-10 and starting at their 44 with less than 10 minutes left. Jackson had a throwaway on first down. Boo. He threw short to Naufahu Tahi for a 1-yard loss on second down. Boo! He threw to Bobby Wade 5 yards short of the stick on third down. BOO!

The hoots were stopped short when Childress ordered the Vikings to go on fourth-and-5. They failed. Hundreds hooted one last time and headed for the revolving doors.

Out in the corridor, a man was standing near a wall and shouting, "Fire him," to anyone willing to listen.

Coach Chilly, we presume?

Jason Hasselman, 32, the fan from Woodbury, nodded and said: "Childress is the worst coach in the NFL. He's supposed to be an offensive genius. Then, what's he doing running around the sideline 30 yards away from everyone when the game's on the line?

"I have season tickets in the second row behind the bench. I see what's going on with the coaches. This guy's the worst."

Hasselman paused, swayed slightly and said: "Well, there is one coach just as bad -- Jacques Lemaire -- but that's hockey. Childress is the worst in the NFL."

Another pause, another slight sway and Hasselman resumed his battle cry: "Fire him."

Another defensive stop and the Vikings had the ball with 2:14 left, 67 yards to travel and a timeout remaining. The Vikings gave up the ice chunk on downs.

It was a 24-17 loss that mirrored a 32-21 loss to Washington a year earlier -- Game 15, at home and a missed playoff clinch.

As the diehards headed away, an unhappy gent in his 50s shouted toward the press box: "You better blame Childress. Throw the ball down the field!"

You can blame him. What's the name?

"John Aquilina," he said.

What do you say, Chilly? Let's give a slap on the back to Sunday's disgruntled attendees for not cloaking their opinions in anonymity.