Tim Walz talks to Rich Eisen about the Vikings fan base

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is a pretty busy man, with less than a month left until Election Day. But on Friday, he took some time to talk about his love for all things Vikings football.

Some may not know that Walz actually has a background in football and as defensive coordinator coached Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minnesota to a Class 4A state championship in 1999.

As governor of Minnesota and potential vice president of the United States, Walz now has completely different responsibilities. But in one appearance The Rich Eisen ShowWalz detailed how he tried to find time to watch the Vikings during their 5-0 start to the season despite campaigning alongside Kamala Harris.

“Well, I'll try. My 18-year-old said, “Dad, you just have to talk about old football because you're not up to date right now.” Look, I watch as much as I can. I was listening to the Jets-Vikings game you had scheduled in London,” Walz told Eisen. “The offense wasn’t a great success that day, but we won. Look, we have the big game this weekend, it’s exciting.”

Although Walz is a loyal Vikings fan, he told Eisen that he recently saw Lambeau Field for the first time, an experience he remembered fondly.

“I was in Lambeau on Monday,” Walz added. “For the first time ever. We were in Green Bay for events and I had some extra time and said there was no way I was going there. You know, when you walk in the door, they have the big Lombardi trophy. You said our states have a lot in common. This is not one of them. We don't have one of them.

“It was pretty tough. My team was worried. They said, 'Don't go to Lambeau and talk all sorts of nonsense.' I said, 'Don't go to church and swear.' I'm not going to Lambeau and talk around.' It is a religious pilgrimage. It was incredible.”

💻 @Tim_Walz

It's really cool to have the governor of Minnesota join us to talk about the big thing #NFC Northern battle between the @Lions + @Vikings and his football fan base:#NFL #OnePride #SKOL pic.twitter.com/A4uVBKcZXz

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) October 18, 2024

As for Sunday's game against the Lions, Walz made it a point to praise Lions head coach Dan Campbell for his coaching approach, as he is a former coach himself.

“Who wouldn’t want to be on this guy’s staff? Or be in this building? First, it's wearing your feelings on your sleeve. But you never question whether he's with his boys. I just love this passion. And I love defensive football. I watched the guy and saw him turn the team around like that. It is also culture. It's the X's and O's, it's a challenging game. All the GM work and stuff. But I still think a guy like that gets overlooked.”

Eisen missed the opportunity to ask Walz about his choice for the game. But we know full well where his loyalties lie for the Lions-Vikings NFC North game.

(Rich Eisen Show on Twitter)