Wilf said he was unsure if any Vikings players would kneel during the national anthem on SundayGETTY IMAGES
Vikings co-Owners Mark and Zygi Wilf are heading into their 16th season owning the team, and Mark Wilf said the franchise feels "really good" about the football operations that are in place, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Wilf said, "Our goal is to get to the playoffs, achieve sustained success and keep knocking at the door, and eventually that door will come down. I think we've proven over these past few years that our football success has improved, but again, we know what our ultimate goal is. But you can't get to that goal unless you're consistently strong, consistently in the playoffs, consistently winning divisions, and those are our goals to leap off and eventually get to the championship." Wilf said that U.S. Bank Stadium was "offered to the Secretary of State's office as a polling place for the 2020 election, but locations had already been determined by that point." Wilf said that he was "unsure if any Vikings players would kneel during the national anthem on Sunday." But he added, "We've been consistent in supporting our players’ right to peacefully bring awareness to issues that are important to them" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/8).
DOING THEIR PART: ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin notes the Vikings' social justice committee today announced nearly $1M toward the "launch and expansion of multiple initiatives throughout the Twin Cities," three months after ownership pledged $5M for "social justice causes" throughout the U.S. The Vikings created the George Floyd Legacy Scholarship with a $125,000 endowment to "benefit Black graduating seniors in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area." The team also partnered with the Minnesota Secretary of State's office and Rock the Vote to "encourage fan voter registration." They are donating $20,000 in "personal protective equipment for local polling workers and have launched a PSA campaign called 'Be The Change,' focused on voter education" (ESPN.com, 9/8).
