Boom! Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel has just gone to the house from 63 yards and Paul Allen is off to the races.
On the ninth floor of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Allen is calling his 434th Minnesota Vikings game. The Vikings have taken a 10-0 first-quarter lead against the New York Jets and the fist pumps are flying. Careful, silent, but purposeful fist pumps.
“Three receivers right, one left. And they pay for it. Picked off by Van Ginkel, near side to the 50 on the sideline. 40. And he’s loose! Touchdown. Andrew Van Ginkel has put Aaron Rodgers on the fifth pick-six of his career. It’s a 63-yard return and the Minnesota Vikings have taken a 9-0 lead.”
Allen honed his rising crescendos and high-energy, heart-on-sleeve style on the racetracks of San Francisco and Minnesota’s Canterbury Park. He has been the Voice of the Vikings since 2002, with many of his calls woven into the franchise’s tortured tapestry.
He does not script them, but his delivery, vocabulary, wit, catchphrases and timbre are complemented by a knack for summarising a moment, good and bad.
The Vikings celebrate on Sunday (Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
“No. No. The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs.” “How can you ponder passing? I mean, you can take a knee. This is not Detroit, man. This is the Super Bowl.” “The season can’t end like that.” “It’s a Minneapolis miracle!”
Allen’s commentary of 2022’s victory in Buffalo saw his notifications explode after LeBron James called him a national treasure on Twitter. “That was something that nobody could ever expect. And quite honestly, I was so embarrassed by it, I didn’t even know what to say,” he says.
Allen does not usually struggle for words. He talks. A lot. Alongside his work for the Vikings and at Canterbury Park, he hosts a three-hour talk radio show five days a week on Minneapolis sports radio station KFAN. With such a precious asset, how does he look after his voice?
“I’m learning I have to start paying more attention to that. So I’m drinking less coffee during games, more water and warm water with honey, and that’s about all I do for it.”
Wearing chequered trousers, a purple Vikings sweater and sneakers, Allen clutches his trusty 10×70 field binoculars in his right hand as he tells the story of another undulating afternoon through chugs of still water and sips of black coffee.
Allen is stage left alongside statistician and spotter David Koob — with analyst and former Vikings linebacker Pete Bercich completing the front row. Road game producer/country music artist Chris Hawkey and broadcast engineer Jared Wells are behind, ever-ready to chip in on-air or assist with technical matters.
When fullback CJ Ham puts Minnesota further ahead with a two-yard rushing score, it looks like a straightforward afternoon for Allen and the crew, known as the Love Covenant.
“CJ Ham. Up the middle. Touchdown! A two-yard touchdown by CJ Ham. It’s his first rushing touchdown since 2020 and the Vikings lead 16-0.”
But it’s seldom plain sailing with the Vikings.
Allen has kicked off the afternoon with a trademark yell. “Boom! It’s time for some bangers and mash on A-Rodg and the Jets!” The quarterback was injured in his last game against the Denver Broncos and is clearly struggling early on.
“It’s the worst we’ve seen Aaron Rodgers play. Something is off-kilter for A-Rodg,” Allen says early of the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Everything changes with the loss of Vikings running back Aaron Jones to a right hip injury in the second quarter. Without an effective ground game, their offense has ground to a halt. The aggressive cornerback duo of Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed are frustrating superstar receiver Justin Jefferson and quarterback Sam Darnold’s completion rate is falling fast.
Rodgers struggled on Sunday (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
And after Rodgers connects with Allen Lazard for an 18-yard score before the half, the Jets have life. “We have a humdinger here in London,” Allen says.
The pattern continues after the break. “And guess what?! Sauce Gardner fouled him again. That’s three penalties on the Jets DBs simply covering 18,” Allen fumes.
Rodgers somehow shakes off a nasty-looking injury (“The A-topic is that Aaron Rodgers is hit and he is yet to get up,” says a hushed Allen after the hit by Jihad Ward) to return to connect with his star receiver during another scoring drive.“Caught. Cold-blooded. It’s a nine-yard reception for Garrett Wilson,” Allen says matter-of-factly. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein hits a 32-yarder and it’s a one-score game.
Two hours before kick-off, Allen does a hit for KFAN and remains on the Vikings sideline.
He speaks with co-owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, grabs a selfie with Woody Harrelson and says prayers with several players. Allen has also taken chapel twice before games.
WOODY HARRELSON THO! #KFANWoody pic.twitter.com/8fROMOwJdQ
— Paul Allen (@PAOnTheMic) October 6, 2024
“I pray with a certain amount of players and coaches before the game. I got in seven or eight today. The prayer is basically, ‘God did not have to choose that we are here, but he did. So please guide, say, CJ Ham with confidence and clarity and charisma’.
“This is a violent game. It requires a lot of adrenaline that you don’t normally use during the week. So they find it to be calming before games. I’m just honoured to be part of it.”
This is Allen’s fourth trip to London with the team and his second time calling at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I like the stadium a lot. It reminds me of Ford Field because there’s not a bad seat in the house. It’s an enclosed booth here. I’m not a big fan of calling games from enclosed booths, but our sound guy Jared does a really good job of piping sound in.
“I think the Vikings are going to win today. Aaron Rodgers is H-o-F. He’s phenomenal. He’s other-worldly. But he’s not the same Aaron Rodgers we remember from Green Bay,” Allen says as he makes his way up to the booth.
He is following in the footsteps of his heroes.
“In the middle-ish to late 70s, growing up in Washington, DC, there weren’t many channels available. So when Monday Night Football would come on ABC and I would hear Howard Cosell, I immediately became smitten with the way he did things,” Allen says.
After his parents’ divorce, Allen and his mom moved to Southern California in 1979.
“I’m laying in bed listening to iconic United States voices like Chick Hearn, the long-time voice of the LA Lakers, and Vin Scully was calling Dodger games. I just kind of got bit by the fact that, ‘Wow, you know, this would be really, really fun’. These guys are dynamic and colorful the way they do it. I love watching sports. So, fortunately, it worked out.”
While attending classes at Pasadena City College, Allen had a radio show and was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Work on the copy desk at the Pasadena Star News and USA Today followed.
“I learned in my 20s how to take 20-word sentences and make them eight and instead of ‘opposite of’, how about ‘antithetical’?” Allen says. “Well, that bolstered my vocabulary and appreciation for the English language at a very young age.
Allen praying pre-match with CJ Ham and David Koob (Peter Carline/The Athletic)
“After that, I auditioned to become a racetrack announcer in San Francisco in 1993 and through the grace of God, I won, and that just kind of jump-started everything.”
Now in the fourth quarter, the unease is spreading. After four consecutive punts, Vikings rookie kicker Will Reichard soothes nerves with another clutch kick, this time from 53 yards.
“This kid kicks it so well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tottenham Hotspur Football Club didn’t approach him,” Allen quips.
But it’s still not clicking. “Your Vikings offense is emulating the London weather, which is quite gloomy,” Allen continues. Things become murkier still after Jets cornerback Brandin Echols intercepts Darnold. It prompts another touchdown drive from Rodgers.“He’s going to throw left. And it’s a touchdown, New York Jets,” a low-key Allen says after Wilson reels in a one-yard pass.
The Vikings manage to get Jefferson involved on their following possession (“They had to blow the cobwebs off him. That’s the first time we’ve seen him for like two hours”) and Reichard’s perfect season continues with a 47-yarder to put the Vikings 23-17 up.
With 2min 57sec remaining. Minnesota stand on the brink of 5-0. Few Vikings teams have reached that mark — the last time it happened, the Paper Tigers of 2016 fell to 8-8. Of all of the seasons Allen has known and loved, he looks back fondly on two teams.
“In 2009 when the Minnesota Vikings buses would roll up to a road hotel, off the bus would come Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, Jared Allen, Antoine Winfield, Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, Kevin Williams. It went on and on. Rock stars. It literally reminded me of what it would be like to travel with a big-time band.
“And the 2022 Minnesota Vikings, I can’t say I’ve ever had that much fun calling games in my life because of the way the games shook out. The game at Buffalo was crazy. You’re down 33-0 to Indianapolis. You win the Christmas Eve game against the Giants. Unbelievable. The playoff game, they lose, but it was unbelievable.
“There was a game at Miami that was unbelievable. Dalvin Cook did some things that were great at FedEx Field. He made one of the greatest one-handed catches by a running back I’ve ever seen, back left of the end zone. So 2022, for its charm, is right up there. Professionally, 2009 is something I never will forget for the rest of my life.”
Perhaps the current crop will join them, but they need to put the Jets to bed first. Bercich mentions a tweet from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “Jets are 0-96 the past 96 times they have trailed in a game by 17 or more points, per ESPN research. Last win in that situation: 2001,” it reads.
Yikes. Sideways glances are shared.
With 58 seconds on the clock, the ball is in Rodgers’ hands deep in Minnesota territory.
First and 10 on Minnesota’s 26. Rodgers throws incomplete to former Viking tight end Tyler Conklin.
“Jihad Ward, well done,” Allen says.
Second down.
“He’s back to pass. He’s hit, he’s incomplete. Ooooo what a wonderful rush from Jonathan Greenard,” Allen says.
Third down. 54 seconds left.
“The Jets. Five of 16 on third down. Rodgers, back to pass, fades right…”
“INTERCEPTED!” Bercich yells.
“It’s intercepted! Did Gilmore pick it off? Come on! Yes! Vikings ball. I believe it was Stephon Gilmore. He’s being mugged by his teammates. And why wouldn’t he? The Minnesota Vikings are going to improve to 5-0.
“Stephon Gilmore with his first interception wearing the colours has sent the Vikings into the bye week with an interception of Aaron Rodgers in what will be their fifth straight victory. Well done, young man!”
After another round of fist-bumps in the booth — this time not so silent — Allen turns and says: “Hoo! You caught a good one. FIVE WINS.” There is a skip in his step and a glint in his eye as he gallops toward the locker room to find Van Ginkel and members of the team to revel in their latest victory.
(Top photo: Getty Images and Peter Carline/The Athletic)
