After some heavy allegations of using a bounty system, the Minnesota Vikings and its players are making sure to let fans know their side of the story.
Denial seems to be an important theme today. Not only did Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer refute that he personally destroyed a bunch of stuffed animals, but another big issue in recent history has players and team officials left wondering what is going on.
The incident in question comes from a passage in the book “Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre” shared by Deadspin which has former Vikings offensive lineman Artis Hicks stating the team used to have a bounty program.
Hicks even gave an example, recalling a team meeting where a sum of money was placed on the line to injure Packers defensive back Nick Barnett, who had previously injured Adrian Peterson.
Of course these allegations have not sit well with the Minnesota Vikings and its players. Former linebacker Ben Leber was quick to announce that he had no knowledge of such a plan on his Twitter account. Former punter Chris Kluwe also said on Twitter that he had no recollection of a bounty program either. The two agreed on the social media site that it if it did happen, it was likely in an offensive meeting, where neither of them would have been on hand to hear it.
In an article on the Pioneer Press website, a statement was shared by the Vikings saying “There is no truth to the story”. Current defensive end Brian Robison chimed in, wondering if this was a statement to draw attention to Hicks or the book.
"“I haven’t heard of any bounty program since I’ve been here,” said Robison, a 10-year veteran with the Vikings. “I’m very unaware of a bounty program. … If Artis wants to say stuff like that, obviously he’s trying to bring attention on him. … I really have no clue what he’s talking about.”"
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No matter what, these allegations are hard to swallow for a team trying so hard to improve its image over the years. The reason for this statement coming from Hicks now may never be known, but it sure paints a picture that will now forever be in the back of many fans and players’ minds.