The Origins of the Derby City Norsemen - 1994 to present

Growing up in Louisville KY in the mid-seventies I had many options of Super Bowl Champions teams to follow - Steelers, Cowboys, Raiders, Dolphins. No shortage of Packer or Browns fans in the area, and let's not forget that Louisville used to be considered a Bengals town. But the team I chose to follow was the Minnesota Vikings. It is hard to believe that a decision that was made when I was six or seven would have such a profound impact on the rest of my life, but it did.

Since the Louisville area was not a pro football market we were subjected to the whims of local programmers and regional coverage applied. From what I recall of this era, Sundays in the fall typically consisted of the Bengals on the AFC channel, either the Bears or the Cowboys on the NFC channel, and raking a lot of leaves - no leaf blowers then. I am sure this sounds almost barbaric to those of you that have never watched television without 900 channels, DVR, and a remote with more buttons than my Atari 2600. But to actually get to watch a Vikings game was a rarity. Then there was the two paragraph coverage the Courier Journal would dedicate to the game recaps on Mondays. There was no internet or ESPN - it is a wonder we survived at all.  

The years passed and Vikings suffered through four Super Bowl losses, bad trades, multiple players and never getting another shot at Super Bowl glory since 1977. But one thing that did not change was my loyalty to the team.

Then in the late eighties the Vikings got hot again and made a run in the 1987 strike shortened season eventually losing to the Redskins in the NFC Championship. Things were on the rebound with the Vikings, but more importantly there was a technological break-through that would forever change the way football fans followed their teams - the satellite dish.

 Access to Vikings games in Louisville KY was now a possibility. My good friend and now brother-in-law Mike Schultz and I started going to Players Sports Bar and Grill on Bardstown Road. At the time it was unbelievable, they could show up to six games at one time - can you believe it - six. The two local games, and wait four - yes - four satellite games. A technological master piece of engineering.  It was at this time I met other Louisville area Viking fans and learned that I was not alone. There were others that had suffered the same plight as myself. I even discovered the Viking Update and Purple Hooters - which were mandatory for Viking fans at Players on Sunday.

After a year or two of vying for one of the four satellite games at Players I got the idea if we banded together and formed a group we could ensure the Vikings game would be televised every week. The Derby City Norsemen were born in 1994. With a modest beginning of 25 members (20% being related to me - that is why they won all the raffles) we set course for fame and fortune not unlike Rudolf, Hermie and Yukon Cornelius.

Part of the Derby City Norsemen original charter was to be a charitable organization. Over the years we have donated money to many well deserved organizations. Kosair Children's Hospital, The Arthritis Foundation, The Vikings Children Fund, Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and many others.

A few of the club highlights over the years have been:

• Hosting Chuck Foreman to Louisville for his charity
• Bus trip to Minneapolis - Vikings lost to the Buccaneers - one long weekend
• The Legendary Viking Breakfast
• The purple and yellow siren - blasting after a Viking score
• Hosting NFL Hall of Famer Carl Eller to Louisville for a charity fund raiser
• Raffled off a 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix - Viking Car - Winner was from Minnesota
• 1998 Inception of the DCN - Norseman of the Year Award
• The Grant-Lombardy Trophy - awarded to the winning bar of the Vikings Packers game
• Featured article in the Courier Journal
• Post-game cranking the Rolling Stones celebrating another Viking win.
• Numerous road trips and general mayhem all in the name of the Purple - most of which cannot be mentioned in a public forum

Sixteen years later, five different viewing locations, three children (all boys and all Viking fans-my poor wife), the Derby City Norsemen are still around. Like any organization the club has changed over the years, just as all of the members. When my family relocated to Dallas TX for five years, Scott Middleton and Mike Summers ran the club for a few years, since then Dan McGowan has carried the torch. 

Over the years we have had the pleasure to meet many great Viking fans, and have developed many friendships that will last a life time. One of the first people I met at Players - Todd Parker played at my wedding 15 years ago and our children play together now.  We have suffered soul crushing losses and experienced unbelievable highs, and we continue to soldier on hoping one day the Vikings can reach the promised land and hoist the Super Bowl trophy in victory.

Today's technology has changed how we keep up with the Vikings. The NFL Ticket, internet access, ebay, stub-hub, e-mail, Facebook, have all changed how we get our Viking information. The Derby City Norsemen still meet at Gerstle's Place in St. Matthew's.  There is a group that has formed that is committed to restoring some of the old traditions and creating new ones as we keeping the club going forward.

The Derby City Norsemen are now on Facebook - check it out and join. Also visit us at http://www.dcnorsemen.net/. As we move forward we plan to use the website as a primary resource to keep everyone up to date with what is happening with the DCN, along with an occasional newsletter - I want to make sure Kenny Wilson has something to deliver besides Victoria Secrets catalogs!

There are now numerous locations in Louisville to view every snap in the NFL. But there is only one that is the home of the Derby City Norsemen and dedicated to the Minnesota Vikings - Gerstle's Place. We believe that is a tradition worth keeping. It is nice to know there is a place in Louisville you can stop in on any given Sunday in the fall and find the purple faithful cheering on the Vikes.

Whether you are like me, with children and a hectic schedule on the weekends.  Or you may have the Sunday Ticket. But I hope you continue to support the DCN with your membership dues (one dollar of all memberships still donated to the Vikings Children Fund) and an occasional visit to Gerstle's to join in the Sunday festivities.

 The DCN have become more than just a Viking Fan Club, but a Louisville tradition. We believe that is something worth keeping. Besides, where else can you get a custom tricked out Viking t-shirt for $20-$25.

Our goal is to re-connect all DCN Club Members, utilizing today's technology. Keep everyone informed through the web site, face book, and e-mails. You have received this information as we have collected your address/e-mail over the years. Please take a few minutes and confirm or update your contact information either via e-mail or snail mail.

We will be sending out more information in the near future and updating the web site.

Respectfully,

Johnny Chawk

Dan McGowan

Scott Middleton

Mike Schultz

Mike Summers

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