New Orleans Notebook: The Kopaceks

Posted at 6:16 PM on January 22, 2010 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)
Filed under: Sports

Unlike invading Vikings of old, Ted and Cindy Kopacek of Maple Grove, entered hostile territory with smiles on their face. I met them while making connections today in the airport in Atlanta.

It's their first road trip with the Vikings. Ted got his tickets on eBay for about $900 apiece. A win is important because at home you can watch a team lose for nothing. "That's why we dressed up like this; we wanted to have the full experience of the weekend," Cindy Kopacek said. They're halfway to the full experience.

I followed them around for a few minutes and learned that on a Friday afternoon, there are a lot of people who once lived in Minnesota.

In that clip you saw a former Minnesotans who's now a dean at one of Tulane University's colleges. And you saw the current drummer for Susan Cowsill, Russ Broussard, who was on his way to Los Angeles for a weekend of making music with Jackson Browne. Some Saints fan.

Despite being booed heartily at the New Orleans airport by passengers waiting to get on the plane, the Kopaceks were treated well. Few things in life are easier than being nice to someone on a Friday before a big game.

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Comments (3)

Thanks Bob, I clearly need to up my game before I descend. All I got is a measly Greenway jersey. Please keep reporting, those of us not coming until Sunday need to know where the nice people are?

And, weather reports, of course. What does the fashionable Viking fan wear, etc.

I sure hope I meet up with the Kopaceks, if you see them again, tell them SKOL! The troops are coming!

Posted by Bonnie | January 22, 2010 7:37 PM

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How do you ever hate your job. Yesterdays story and now this. Great work

Posted by bj | January 22, 2010 8:33 PM

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as long as I'm meeting interesting people, I love my job. When there's nothing to write about, I wait for the call from the boss, like eveyrone else.

Bonnie, send me email to bcollins@mpr.org and let me know where your seats are so I can find you during the game for your expert analysis.

Posted by Bob Collins | January 22, 2010 9:14 PM

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