MINNEAPOLIS _ Coach Mike Zimmer says there is "no damn curse" against the Vikings, but devoted fans know this franchise has a long track record of losing at crunch time _ even when they are favored to win.
It's understandable, then, why there are mixed emotions _ a cocktail of enthusiasm and dread _ as the Vikings enter Sunday's NFC divisional playoff against the New Orleans Saints as a postseason favorite for the first time since 2008 (and yes, they lost that game).
From the dynamic 1998 team that lost to Atlanta in the NFC Championship to their four upset losses in the Super Bowl, heartbreak is part of the Vikings' story.
But have they suffered more than any other team? We wondered: Are the Vikings truly as tragic they seem?
