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Vikings mascot released after contract dispute

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Can't really blame Goodell on this one.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have faced plenty of worthy adversaries in contract negotiations over the years. It should come as no surprise that Ragnar the Viking was one of the most ferocious.

The Vikings announced on Monday that they have not been able to reach a new contract agreement with Joe Juranitch, the man who played Ragnar for the last 21 years and was looking for quite a raise to pillage the team's home games and strike fear into the hearts of their opponents while growling at them atop his purple motorcycle.

Ragnar was asking for $20,000 per game over the next 10 years, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press. That would be $1.6 million for eight regular season home games per season, and $2 million if preseason games were included. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team does not publicly discuss contract negotiations.

A fan favorite since 1994, the burly, bearded Ragnar led the Vikings out of the tunnel on his motorcycle during pregame introductions, wearing a horned helmet and furs. But when the Vikings hosted the Detroit Lions on Sunday in their home opener, Ragnar was nowhere to be found.

He posted a message on his Facebook page that had a picture of him in full Ragnar garb while watching the game on television.

"It doesn't feel right sitting at home," the message read. "This is not by my choice.I don't make those decisions..At this point it was made for me. I miss all my fans and your support .let's all stay positive as we move forward."

Ragnar was an independent contractor and not an official member of the organization. Since 2007 he has shared the spotlight in Minnesota with Viktor, the team's official mascot. Ragnar made about $1,500 a game last season.

Fans started an online petition to have him reinstated and flooded his Facebook page with words of encouragement.

The Vikings responded to numerous requests from fans and media on Monday with a statement that said they have had "multiple conversations" with Juranitch but were unable to reach a new agreement.

"The Vikings greatly appreciate what Ragnar has meant to the organization and to the fans over the last two decades," the team said. "We intend to honor his 21 seasons on the field during a 2015 Vikings home game and we will welcome him to future ceremonial events. We will always consider Ragnar an important part of Vikings history."

A message was left for the marauder on his Facebook page.
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Classic case of knowing when to pick your battles.
 
Branduil said:
The Vikings can't afford to pay one guy what amounts to a fraction of one minimum-salary player?
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Holy shit. What is the minimum Vikings salary? :O


Anyway, 1,6 million for riding a motorcycle dressed as a caricature of a Viking seems a bit steep.
 
Tence said:
Holy shit. What is the minimum Vikings salary? :O


Anyway, 1,6 million for riding a motorcycle dressed as a caricature of a Viking seems a bit steep.
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It's 1.6 million over 10 years. 160,000 per year doesn't seem especially outrageous to me, especially if he's responsible for maintaining his bike, outfit, etc. Which wouldn't surprise me if he's an independent contractor.
 
Branduil said:
It's 1.6 million over 10 years. 160,000 per year doesn't seem especially outrageous to me, especially if he's responsible for maintaining his bike, outfit, etc. Which wouldn't surprise me if he's an independent contractor.
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$160k to do this 8 times a year?
 
Branduil said:
It's 1.6 million over 10 years. 160,000 per year doesn't seem especially outrageous to me, especially if he's responsible for maintaining his bike, outfit, etc. Which wouldn't surprise me if he's an independent contractor.
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Ah I misread that. I thought 1,6 million a year. But even 160k for 8 days of works seems a lot.
 
It would really depend on if he did public appearances like other mascots, basically being a full time job.

If he just goes to the game then that seems excessive.
 
I wonder what their counter offer was? He's a moron for asking for that much.

$1500 a game seems steep to me for what he was doing.
 
He got too greedy.

Looking like a Viking isn't some crazy unique skill that no one else can replicate.

But I hope they at least gave him a chance to think about a lower offer before firing him.
 
WedgeX said:
For a team worth one billion dollars it's hardly a lot.
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It might not be a lot for the team, it is a lot for the service provided.

For instance 200,000 dollar for a hand job is a lot of money, even though the one paying is a multi miljonair.
 
My mom won a contest when I was about 10 years old and Ragnar + Two cheerleaders came to my place to hang out the morning of a game. Got there around 8AM and hung out until about 1 or 2 before leaving for the Sunday Night Game. My parents also got really, really good tickets.

He's a cool guy. I have a few pictures with him.
 
Seems pretty reasonable in the ludicrous world we live in where you can get millions of dollars a year to catch a ball, to be honest.
 
TxdoHawk said:
Seems pretty reasonable in the ludicrous world we live in where you can get millions of dollars a year to catch a ball, to be honest.
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Those players get millions of dollars because the general public is willing to fork over the money to watch them play.
 
It doesn't matter what the team is worth or what the players get payed. He's basically just a stadium employee that can be easily replaced.
He got greedy, so bye.
There will probably be a new Ragnar at a fraction of his ridiculous asking price.
 
Overplayed his hand but NFL teams pay everybody shit, can't hate a guy for wanting a slice of a pie that's never stopped growing.

Are people real with singling out a mascot in the NFL as 'greedy?' Do they even realize the league they're talking about?
 
Gentleman Jack said:
Overplayed his hand but NFL teams pay everybody shit, can't hate a guy for wanting a slice of a pie that's never stopped growing.

Are people real with singling out a mascot in the NFL as 'greedy?' Do they even realize the league they're talking about?
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That's true, but let's keep this in perspective here; the guy rides a bike for a couple grand every Sunday. I'm sure he does outside appearances as well, but he's still making 1,000+ a week to dress as a viking. That's pretty good money already.
 
Help Wanted.
Hairy dude needed to work 8 times per year as a viking mascot. Must own a motorcycle. Costume provided.
Paying $1500 per game and sideline admission to Vikings games.
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I bet an ad like that gets hundreds of applicants.
 
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