Quarterback Kirk Cousins caught the ire of some Vikings fans when he said playing a football game would “be a breath of fresh air,” even if the team had to adjust amid the coronavirus pandemic.
One of those adjustments might be playing without fans, to which Cousins said the Vikings “practice every day in an empty grass area and pump in fake crowd noise for away games.”
“But more often than not, you’re used to it. OTA practices don’t have a lot of pomp and circumstance to them.”
Some fans interpreted Cousins comments as being in favor of not playing in front of a crowd. He walked back his original statement on KFAN, clarifying that was not the point he was trying to make.
“My point was that I love the game of football — any chance to play the game,” he said on KFAN, via CBS Sports. “I would obviously prefer to have fans in the stands, and that electricity, especially with Vikings fans who are some of the best fans in the world.”
It’s good that Cousins clarified his comments, considering he’s so polarizing among the fan base as it is.