Packaging the Pack

The Vikings’ single-game ticket sales start on July 9, but a ticket to the Packers game will require the purchase of a preseason game as well.

The Vikings will begin selling single-game tickets July 9, but if you want to see the Packers, you’re still going to have to double-up.

For the last few years, the Vikings have had a policy that in order to buy a ticket for the regular-season game with the Packers, one also has to buy a preseason ticket for the Aug. 8 game against Seattle.

Last year, such a ticket purchase plan included the Chicago Bears. If fans wanted to buy a single-game ticket for the Bears game, they also had to buy a preseason ticket. That portion of the mini-pack ticket plan has been scrapped.

Last year, the Vikings had their decade-long streak of consecutive sellouts threatened and, thanks to the games being spread out against different opponents on different networks, three affiliate stations (representing CBS, NBC and FOX) had to team up with corporate sponsors to buy up the remaining tickets to prevent a television blackout. The Vikings have sold out every game at the Metrodome since the preseason of 1998, which coincided with the arrival of Randy Moss. It is hoped that the energy surrounding the development of Adrian Peterson and the arrival of game-changing free agents Jared Allen, Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams will help continue the sellout streak and not require any future corporate/television station buyouts.

Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 9 at the Metrodome ticket booth located at Gate B outside the dome. Cash or credit cards will be accepted as payment, but not personal checks. One hour after the ticket booth opens, remaining tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster.

WEDNESDAY NOTES

As part of building an appreciation for the storied past of the NFL, rookies from throughout the league have been visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The momentum to have rookies visit the hallowed shrine came from the Hall of Fame induction speech made by wide receiver Michael Irvin, who made an emotional plea to younger players to honor the past. The Vikings rookie class visited the Hall on Monday.

Congress continues to investigate how the NFL treats and takes care of its former players. Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, has asked to have Commissioner Roger Goodwell and Players Association Chairman Gene Upshaw testify in front of the subcommittee. Congress is again using the privileges allowed under anti-trust laws to take over discussion of NFL matters and subpoena some of the top league brass.

At the parade in his honor last weekend in Palestine, Texas, Adrian Peterson didn’t wear his Vikings jersey as his did last year. He wore his Pro Bowl jersey.

Reviews of Madden ’09 list the Vikings RB tandem of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor as the top duo for the new-look and immensely popular video games. The majority of the changes that were implemented to the ’09 version as opposed to the ’08 version are designed to suit Peterson better and his breakaway speed is considerably more attainable on the ’09 version.

Vikings DT Pat Williams is doing a series of community events this week in Monroe, La. The events include taking 50 area children to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo today, reading to kids at the Ouachita Parish Library Thursday, hosting a 7-on-7 passing tournament for local high school teams Friday and hosting the Camp Pat Football Camp Saturday. Williams told The News Star newspaper in Monroe, “I try to use the coaches that helped me when I was growing up.” Williams started the camp after he signed his free agent contract with the Vikings.