Vikings Season Ended Too Soon for Owatonna Fan

A promising season came to crashing conclusion on Sunday at US Bank Stadium. Fortunately the pipeline protesters didn't have the same end result.

Those watching on TV weren't aware of the protest going on during the Vikings game against the Bears on Sunday, at least those not paying attention on social media. Owatonna's Todd Walkingstick, on the other hand, found it to be a big distraction during an otherwise non-critical game with no playoff implications. Minnesota had been eliminated from the post season the previous week.

Walkingstick spoke with KRFO radio about the Vikings' season, which began with optimism for him coming out of training camp and elevated through the team's 5-0 start. The injuries caught up to the team as the season progressed with a decimated offensive line and an erratic running game.

Still, he likes to look at the positives as well. Kyle Rudolph set a Vikings tight end receiving record. Sam Bradford set an NFL completion percentage record. Receiver Adam Thielen had a breakout year, coming up just short of 1,000 yards. Walkingstick will be first in line in Mankato for training camp, wearing his purple and ready to cheer for the Vikes.

Todd hosts the local sports interview program Beyond the Game through the Owatonnalive.com website. This Thursday, interviews with NRHEG girls basketball coach Onika Peterson, Blooming Prairie's Bria Baldwin and Owatonna graduate Sydney Kasper will debut. You can find previous week's interviews as well.