A lone purple Minnesota Vikings tent on an otherwise vacant surface parking lot near U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday sheltered an impressive party of two.
A pickup powered a flat screen, tunes and a heater. Cider warmed on the stove. The beer was icy cold. Food was plentiful.
"This is our way of trying to be normal," said Rob Sande of Lakeville, the chief cook for the game-day gathering just a couple of blocks from where the Vikings played the final home game of the season.
The Vikings lost to the Chicago Bears 33-27 in a stadium devoid of paying fans, who have not been allowed in the building because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Even in rocky seasons like this one, the Vikings have been able to rely on fans filling their big stadium with energy and an unflagging belief that maybe this would be the year they would return to the Super Bowl.
But this year, they couldn't even fall back on the fans. There was noise, but no roar. There were fireworks, but no fire. There was music, but no dancing. And now, once again, there's mostly just hope for next year, and not just for the team on the field, but a chance to get together, celebrate, lament and shake the joint with the thundering Skol chant.
Vikings director of entertainment Greg Bostrom had the unenviable task of trying to make the building come alive despite the absence of 66,000 fans. He had to work within NFL-imposed decibel limits and COVID-related rules. A single fan was allowed in Sunday to blow the pregame Gjallarhorn from the platform above the western end zone, but the national anthem could not be performed live in the building.
Puffs of smoke spouted for player introductions, but the dragon on the Viking ship was not allowed to breath fire. Prince's "Controversy" and "Let's Go Crazy" were piped in at appropriate moments, but there would be no roar of approval or signal of derision from masses in the purple seats.