56 pounds of beer | Dorktown

In the early years, the Minnesota Vikings were like many new franchises of the time: dysfunctional, bad at football, and often intoxicated. And then a former NBA champion came back home to Minnesota and changed the identity of this franchise forever.

This is the first episode of Dorktown’s seven-part docuseries, The History of the Minnesota Vikings.

Release schedule:
Episode 2 (1970-1974) – Tuesday, August 8th
Episode 3 (1974-1979) – Tuesday, August 15th
Episode 4 (1980s) – Tuesday, August 22nd
Episode 5 (1990s) – Tuesday, August 29th
Episode 6 (2000s) – Tuesday, September 5th
Episode 7 (2010s-2020s) – Friday, September 8th

Written and directed by Jon Bois
Written and produced by Alex Rubenstein
Rights specialist Lindley Sico
Secret Base executive producers Will Buikema and Jon Bois

Known goofs:

• During the 1968 playoff game vs. the Colts, the Joe Kapp fumble and resulting scoop and score is plotted about 20 yards off from where it actually was.

[SecretBaseSBN]

Excited to see y'all next week. In case you didn't click the description and were curious, here's the release schedule. The first one will be a premiere (as you can tell) then from there we'll upload them as normal, but maybe swing another premiere for the finale if you're feeling it.

Episode 1 (1960s) – Tuesday, August 1st
Episode 2 (1970-1974) – Tuesday, August 8th
Episode 3 (1974-1979) – Tuesday, August 15th
Episode 4 (1980s) – Tuesday, August 22nd
Episode 5 (1990s) – Tuesday, August 29th
Episode 6 (2000s) – Tuesday, September 5th
Episode 7 (2010s-2020s) – Friday, September 8th

[neoneyes]

As a Vikings fan, I am so excited to relive 60 years of heartbreak

[krinndnz]

I looked Alan Page up because of this video and found that in addition to the gridiron feats Jon and Alex describe, in the dwindling years of his football career, Page went to law school — yes, while still a professional football player — and eventually became a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice as well as spending decades of his life backing campaigns to support childhood literacy. There goes a man who has not just worked incredibly hard, but made far-wiser-than-average choices about the goals which get the benefit of his work.

[nathanlalande]

There is something so fascinating with Jon’s direction. From Captain Ahab, The Bob Emergency, to the Seattle Mariners. The fragile emotion and pain that Jon and Alex convey is immersive. I’ve been filled with joy and pain because of this videos. I wanna be a sportwriter because of these guys, kudos gentleman!

[sighduck]

A Insurmountable Matt Ryan blown lead and Norm Van Brocklin coached team, a perfect sequel

[Taylose]

I’m embarrassingly excited for this. Jon and the fellas could make a four part series about Donovan McNabb’s bowel movements and I’d be sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time.

[Just.Kidding]

"The Vikings couldn't stop shooting themselves in the foot when it mattered the most."
Get ready for that to be something of a recurring theme.

[brickwallblitz]

This was beautiful. The part where Bud Grant got him and his friend to safety at the beginning made me shed a tear a bit. Incredible work!

[MoonlightArchitect]

35:40 - 36:25 That little presentation showing pictures of Bud with the almost ethereal music playing gave me the feeling of someone looking at a long lost family member. An unexplainable warmth and bittersweet emotion that this is a great man who I am glad existed but one I never met nor will ever be able to meet. A pillar of humanity.

[billnye]

The Bud Grant connection with the train horn and the Viking horn is SO FUCKING COOL

[DaSpartanProductinos]

I'm a gigantic Detroit Lions fan, but my grandpa was a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan. Whenever they would play each other we would always watch the game at his house with our whole family. It was the highlight of the season, tons of food and smack talk alike😂. He passed away last year after a battle with Alzheimers and Colon cancer. He was one of my best friends. I have a small piece of my heart that is purple now💜 I'm so glad I get to watch this and think of him, he would have loved it.


Thanks John and Alex for making brilliant stuff, and making me think of great memories with my grandpa

[Bleesotron]

Hey, I wonder why the win-loss line is getting taller...
"The Z axis is how long the team has gone without a Super Bowl win."
Oh no, it's a surprise tool that will help us later.

[jackmiller-johnston]

I knew George Halas was one of the Packers' biggest supporters, practically keeping them alive at one stage before the Lombardi era began. Had no idea that he lobbied for the Vikes, too. What a legend. On another note, that Bud Grant intro was perfection. I was in tears, at that point.

[jacefairis]

as an Falcons fan who has rewatched the Falcons series about 5 times, the reveal of Norm Van Brocklin at 28:58 had me absolutely *cackling*

[TheMILVSCR]

I knew Tarkenton was a badass and way ahead of his time, but I didn't know how much he made HOF lineman look like kids on the field. I have developed a huge respect for the man after that sequence where he bought 12 extra seconds...straight monster

[A-small-amount-of-peas]

I'm a Welsh Rugby fan who was always mesmerised by the NFL when I first got exposed to it in the 80's but never really became a full fledged fan until I thought I need to pick a team to root for but unfortunately I had no geographical or family links to any area so decided to base my decision on a few things :
1) a lack of silverware
2) a location that is generally undesirable
3) Fanatical fans
That narrowed it down a little but what made the Vikings stand out was when I realised that Mystery Science Theater 3000 started there and it's where Prince comes from.
The first season i became a Vikings fan was the Minneapolis miracle Diggs catch so I took it as a good sign even though we got blown out the next game.
Having this video series is such a boost for us fans who didn't grow up in the USA so many thanks for all the work put into this

[eskipotato]

Fun fact about Joe Kapp, after his NFL career he became the head coach at Cal, and his first season as head coach ended with the famous "Stanford Band" play

[jaakko]

I am a European who doesn't really care about the NFL but somehow I can't stop watching the stuff that Jon puts out. Really good stuff as always.

[notpsicoh]

I just realized that this is an hour long video about the 1960s vikings, and there was not one mention of a fumble recovery made by Jim Marshall against the 49ers in 1964. Thank you all, so much.

[theenglishman]

Unofficial Table of Contents
0:00 Two Origin Stories
6:11 Opening Titles
7:08 The Comeback
16:01 The Prehistoric Era
21:49 The Legend of Fran Tarkenton
25:02 56 Pounds of Beer and a Yard of Martini
28:56 Norm the Man, Norm the Bully
36:25 It Seemed Like the Thing to Do
43:11 The Bud Grant Experience ft. Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, and more!
50:41 No Heaters Allowed
53:20 El Cid
56:22 Super Bowl IV
1:00:19 Most Valuable Viking