The First Touchdown at the New Vikings Stadium Was a Surprise Tribute to Prince
This is actually pretty amazing.
If Prince was still living, the longtime Minnesota Vikings fan would have almost certainly been in the crowd for the team’s first game at its new stadium Sunday night. But even in death, the Minneapolis native’s presence was felt.
The first nod to the music legend was an easy one to miss becuase it was unintended. Nine minutes in to the first quarter, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with receiver Jordy Nelson for a one-yard touchdown pass. It was the first score in the Vikings new stadium and even though the hated Packers were responsible for it, the touchdown ended up honoring Prince.
How? Because Prince’s full name was Prince Rogers Nelson and this touchdown was thrown by Rodgers to Nelson. Coincidence? Yes, of course, but a remarkable one on a night when Prince was on the minds of many Minnesotans.
Rodgers ➡️ @JordyRNelson. TOUCHDOWN!! #GBvsMIN https://t.co/hLCgHT2L86
— NFL (@NFL) September 19, 2016
The second, and more obvious tribute to Prince came at halftime when the Minnesota Orchestra played “Purple Rain” with the help of a gospel group.
What a #Prince tribute at halftime. Nothing better than #PurpleRain 💜 pic.twitter.com/kTaLPwEaVK
— Kaitlin Sharkey (@KRoseSharkey) September 19, 2016
Even with all of this, the part of Sunday’s game that Prince would have appreciated most is that the Vikings won. Even after losing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the preseason, the Vikes are off to a 2-0 start. Prince would be p
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