I hope you guys are ready for a lot of Laterals this month. I got a backup of topics now and outside Fitz/Gore retiring (next week’s business).

Anyway, I saw this one suggested a few times, but it’s also not as well-known a blunder as you’d expect it to be. In 2003 the Vikings were on the clock at #7. They tried to get a trade with Baltimore done, but it didn’t become official, and then the clock ran out. The Vikings missed it. Pretty sure it’s the only time in modern history this has happened. From the sound of things, Baltimore didn’t commit to the trade in time, and when the Vikings realized the trade wasn’t official, it was too late and they didn’t have a backup plan to pick somebody.

Sadly, this did not result in the Vikings simply being denied a pick as the rules of “You Snooze You Lose” clearly state. The Vikings were told they could make their first-round pick at any time now. Clearly flustered, it took the Vikings dropping two more picks to finally make their own pick at #9. They picked DT Kevin Williams, which thankfully ended up being a good choice. If the pick had busted, this blunder would probably be more well remembered. It is a small but funny moment in draft history.

It also belongs on the incredible “Minnesota Vikings Franchise Blunders” hall of fame wall. I think a lot of laterals are going to be about the Vikings. I’ve already made two about Vikings stuff prior to this, the Randy Moss Moon and Sex Boat. Other highlights include 41-donut, the Gary Anderson Miss, losing 4 super bowls, Favre throwing across his body, the stadium roof collapse, Blair Walsh shank (technically also had a comic), the Wrong Way Run, The Hershell Walker trade, 4th and 24 against the Cardinals, Josh Freeman, and probably more I’m forgetting. Not every moment in Vikings history is laughably bitter sadness, but you’d have to do some work to find the few teams with more famous bloopers.

Also, apropos of nothing, Mike Tice is absolutely the kinda guy who would take a 40-minute dump and then proudly strut out of the bathroom and tell everyone about it.