Vikings legend Jake Reed does his part to get fans hyped before playoff game
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Vikings legend Jake Reed already had plans for how he was going to watch Monday’s playoff game.
He and his wife Vinita had never been to Cosm Dallas — a state-of-the-art sports bar that offers an immersive experience — so they bought tickets for roughly $100 apiece.
Then they got a call from Skol Marketing CEO Ben Theis.
With the playoff game between the Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams being relocated, Theis reached out to Reed to see if he wanted to help lead a tailgate at a local restaurant near State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
“I was like, ‘You know what? We’ve already got plans,’” Reed said. “I talked to my wife and she was like, ‘Nah. Let’s go.’ We decided to do it. We wanted to do our part to make it a home field advantage for the Vikings.”
Less than 72 hours later, Reed was posted up at Salt Tacos y Tequila, getting fans hyped up before the Vikings took on the Rams.
He spent the next few hours shaking hands, signing autographs, and even holding babies.
All the while he proudly repped a “THREE DEEP” shirt with cartoon drawings of Reed alongside fellow Vikings legends Randy Moss and Cris Carter plastered on the front.
“It’s been a lot of fun being out here meeting different people,” Reed said. “I’ve been asking everybody the same couple of questions. Where are they from? How did they become a Vikings fan? The answers are so amazing to me. All different walks of life coming together to cheer for our team.”
Yes, Reed still claims ownership of the Vikings, even if it’s been a couple of decades since he suited up for them. There’s something special about the franchise that keeps Reed and his family coming back.
“We want to continue to show our support,” Vinita said. “It’s always easy to say yes to this type of stuff because we still love the Vikings.”
The fans also still love Reed if his appearance at Salt Tacos y Tequila was any indication.
“They still remember Jake after all these years,” Vinita said. “That’s a blessing. If they call Jake to do something, we’re going to be there. No matter where it is.”
Naturally, as number of skol chants broke out at random inside Salt Tacos y Tequila, and Reed happily joined in with the hundreds of fans in attendance.
The scene was exactly what Theis was hoping for when he started working with Vikings alumni.
“It’s been fun because all of these former players are fans of the team at their core,” Theis said. “They are all cheering for the Vikings and want to win a Super Bowl as much as everybody else.”
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