Sunday, March 31st will be my last day at Vikings Wire.
It’s been a fantastic ride over the last two-and-a-half years with the last year and a half being the managing editor. Being able to cover the Minnesota Vikings as a born-and-bred Minnesotan feels like a dream come true, and I’m thrilled to have been able to do it for USA Today.
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been in love with this football team. Warren Moon was my first (and still is) favorite football player, and the 1998 season changed my fandom forever. If you have ever watched one of my YouTube shows on Vikings 1st & SKOL, you’ve seen my two framed Warren Moon jerseys in the background. I’ve lived through the pain of 1998, 2000, 2009, 2017 and everything in between. If you’ve read my work over the years, you’d know my favorite Vikings player not named Warren Moon is Daunte Culpepper. Those days felt special in real time even if those teams didn’t really accomplish anything.
I started this journey in sports media relatively late. I was about to turn 30 years old when I started writing and podcasting, which is a major anomaly for the industry. Many are classically trained journalists. Myself, I took some classes in high school but didn’t graduate college. I spent a decade managing restaurants and a liquor store. Through that process, I nearly died.
I suffered a twice-ruptured appendix that turned gangrene in February 2019, and needed emergency surgery that left a 10″ scar up my abdomen. That experience formatted the rest of my life. I was gifted a visit from the radio voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio during my weeklong hospital stay and decided to make a real run at a career in sports media.
It took me a couple of years to grind it out and hone my craft before getting an opportunity with Vikings Wire. I took over the site as managing editor on August 15th, 2022 and it’s been an extremely fun ride.
We not only had fun and turned Vikings Wire into the go-to site for all Vikings-centric NFL draft content, but we also took a look at the game differently than everyone else in the industry that covers the team. From film reviews to in-depth breakdowns of special team players and investigating potential contract extensions and trades based on historical precedent, I truly believe that we were the best out there in terms of Vikings coverage.
I am so appreciative of everyone who ever clicked on one of our articles and tried to have a conversation about the team. Thank you also to my incredible wife, Caitlin who tolerated a lot of 16-18 hour days and countless late nights. Jack White and Neal Coolong for giving me the opportunity to get Vikings Wire to the next level. My editors and mentors Nick Schwartz, Alyssa Barbieri, Zach Kruse, Cam DaSilva and Doug Farrar. Lastly, the awesome list of contributors who wrote for me including Judd Zulgad, Kevin Fielder, Saivion Mixson, Chris Spooner and Matt Anderson.
I need to thank all of my close family and friends who supported me during this journey which wasn’t always easy and saw me working the last two Christmas’.
Lastly, I want to thank you the reader. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to live out a lifelong dream covering the team that I love. My appreciation and gratitude will forever be boundless.
I won’t be going far, but Vikings Wire will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ll see you down the line.
God bless and SKOL Vikings,
Tyler Forness.