REPORT: Vikings Ragnar Seeking Raise In New Contract

As I mentioned yesterday in a blog, social media was buzzing Sunday and early Monday with Vikings fans wondering what happened to Ragnar. The bearded barbarian mascot of the Vikings, who has been on the field revving up crowds with the purple since 1994, was noticeably absent during the Vikings' win over division rival Detroit.

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Apparently we finally have an answer as to why that is: It appears contract talks got hung up when Ragnar was looking for a raise! (Isn't it ALWAYS about the money?)

A source says the Vikings decided to part company with Ragnar (Joe Juranitch) when the mascot demanded $20K ($18,500) per game over 10 years time. That would break down to $1.6 million for eight regular season home games per season over that 10-year period. In comparison to last season, Ragnar made $1,500 per game so the $18,500 pay increase was a bit too steep for the team to accept.

For a MASCOT. Shoot, I'll do it for FREE! Although I might have trouble growing the beard.

On Sunday he posted a photo on his Ragnar Facebook page that wrote, “It doesn’t feel right sitting at home. 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.”

So if this report is indeed true, it's appearing more and more that this really IS his decision more than anything. Who would have thought that on the heels of the Vikings first win of the 2015 season, the biggest story that would be that of a contractual dispute between the team and a bearded mascot?

Welcome to the life of a Vikings fan. #SKOL

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