>> MARY: MINNESOTA SPORTS FANS ARE USED TO JOY THAT OFTEN TURNS TO DESPAIR.

WE MUST BE TALKING ABOUT THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS.

WE'RE ON ANOTHER ROLLER COASTER.

WE ALL KNOW THEY'VE NEVER WON A SUPER BOWL BUT THEY HAVEN'T EVEN APPEARED IN ONE SINCE BEFORE "ALMANAC" WENT ON THE AIR.

AND LARRY FITZGERALD HAS ALSO BEEN ON OUR SHOW SINCE 1997.

LARRY, ARE WE ALLOWED TO HAVE HOPE THIS YEAR?

>> YEAH, YOU HAVE TO, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE IT, YOU HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT AROUND GET BEHIND THEM AND I GUESS YOU CAN BLAME ME.

I GOT HERE IN '79 AND THE VIKINGS HAVEN'T BEEN NEAR A SUPER BOWL SINCE AND I'VE COVERED -- >> Mary: MAYBE YOU NEEDED LARRY, JR., ON THE SQUAD.

>> THEY HAD HIM AND SHOULD HAVE KEPT HIM.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

>> Mary: MAYBE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE KEY TO GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL.

I LIKE THAT.

QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY, WE'RE SEEING OUR OLD QUARTERBACK THIS WEEKEND.

HOW IS THAT GOING TO GO DOWN?

>> I THINK AT THE BEGINNING THEY'LL GIVE HIM A REAL STRONG WELCOME, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO KILL HIM BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE -- >> Mary: FIGURE LaACTIVELY, NOT LITERALLY.

>> WELL, I MEAN, IN THIS POSITION, YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE QUARTERBACK AND SOMETIMES YOU HURT GUY BUT KIRK DID GREAT THINGS HERE.

UNFORTUNATELY ONLY ONE PLAY-OFF WIN IN ALL THOSE MILLIONS THAT THEY PAID HIM BUT HE'LL BE BACK HERE SUNDAY WITH ATLANTA TRYING TO GET THE 7th WIN.

THE VIKINGS HAVE WON FIVE IN A ROW, IF THEY CAN GET THEIR 6th, THEY'LL KEEP PACE WITH DETROIT AND REMEMBER THEY PLAY THE LYONS THE FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON.

KEVIN O'CONNELL HAS BEEN SPECIAL.

THIS WILL BE HIS 30th WIN IF HE CAN GET IT SUNDAY AND IN 24 OF THOSE WINS, THEY'VE BEEN BY ONE POSSESSION.

THAT'S EIGHT POINTS OR LESS AND SO I LIKE WHAT HE'S DOING.

HE'S GOT A TEAM THAT'S -- >> Mary: THEY'VE BEEN CLOSE, THAT SHOULD BODE WELL FOR PLAYOFFS AND BEYOND, PERHAPS?

>> I THINK THEY'RE A PLAYOFF TEAM, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE PACKERS LOST A BIG ONE LAST NIGHT, THAT COULD HAVE HELPED THEIR CAUSE, BUT THE VIKINGS ONLY LOST SIMILARLY THE WAY THE PACKERS LOST LAST NIGHT.

LAST PLAY OF THE GAME, THEY JUST GOT TO GET AHEAD OF THE LIONS AND HAVE THEM CHANCING THEM.

IT'S DIFFERENT, LIONS CAN'T FIND FOOD IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS.

[Laughter] >> Mary: DO WE DARE SEE THE WORD SUPER BOWL?

10 AND 2 FEELS PRETTY GOOD.

>> IT DOES BUT THERE ARE TWO 11-1 TEAMS AHEAD OF THEM AND ONE OF THEM HAS WON A COUPLE OF SUPER BOWLS BACK TO BACK SO THE VIKINGS ARE IN POSITION.

THEY CAN PLAY WITH ANYBODY SO ENJOY THIS.

THIS IS SOMETHING SPECIAL BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN THE VIKINGS HAD THAT 16-1 YEAR WITH DENNIS GREEN, EVERYBODY THOUGHT IT WAS A GIVEN SITUATION THAT THEY WERE GOING TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL AND OF COURSE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, SOME GUY MISSED A KICK ND THINGS CHANGED BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE IN IT AND I LIKE THE KIND OF TEAM THEY HAVE.

>> Mary: LARRY FITZGERALD, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US HOPE