Vikes mascot Ragnar caput

[Lee Borgersen]

Vikings mascot Ragnar appears to be out
 
 Sep 21, 2015


 MINNEAPOLIS — Ragnar, the horn-helmed, fur-donning Vikings mascot who's roamed the home turf for more than two decades, appears to be on the outs with the team.

 


 

  more.........
In a Facebook post Sunday, Joe Juranitch — the real name of the Ely, Minn., native under all the warrior trappings — shared a picture of himself in costume, watching the game on TV at home, holding a battle ax and looking forlorn.

"It doesn't feel right sitting at home. This is not by my choice ... I don't make those decisions ... At this point it was made for me," he wrote "I miss all my fans and your support ... let's all stay positive as we move forward."


A number of fans noted his absence when he wasn't working the crowd during Sunday's home opener. The team hasn't made an official announcement and didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Juranitch hasn't elaborated on what happened.

The 54-year-old has been with the team since winning a tryout in 1994. He's known for his Vikings-themed Harley Davidson and a shaggy beard he once shaved with an ax.

A number of fans replied to his Facebook post — which has more than 180 comments so far — distraught.

"Not right. This makes me so sad," wrote one. "FREE RAGNAR!" said another.

Wrote another: "Even as a Packers fan, we know there are certain traditions that you do not mess with."


A Change.org petition asking for his reinstatement garnered more than 1,100 supporters in a few hours Monday.

sign the petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/zygi-wilf-reinstate-ragnar-as-the-minnesota-vikings-mascot


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[deadeye]

Follow the $$$  As with a lot of things just follow the money to see the real story.  He wants something like $1.2 million over the next 10 years to be the mascot and the Vikings are not willing to pay that amount. 

[Lee Borgersen]

Follow the $$$  As with a lot of things just follow the money to see the real story.  He wants something like $1.2 million over the next 10 years to be the mascot and the Vikings are not willing to pay that amount.

WOW! Does he belong to the mascot union? Thanks for "The Rest Of The Story"

[glenn57]

Follow the $$$  As with a lot of things just follow the money to see the real story.  He wants something like $1.2 million over the next 10 years to be the mascot and the Vikings are not willing to pay that amount.

story on channel 4 said he was getting 1200 per game. and now wants 20,000 per game????? also heard this morning he was the ONLY  human mascot in major sports!!!!!!!

[glenn57]

Follow the $$$  As with a lot of things just follow the money to see the real story.  He wants something like $1.2 million over the next 10 years to be the mascot and the Vikings are not willing to pay that amount.

WOW! Does he belong to the mascot union? Thanks for "The Rest Of The Story"

NO........... he was a private contractor.

[The General]

Follow the $$$  As with a lot of things just follow the money to see the real story.  He wants something like $1.2 million over the next 10 years to be the mascot and the Vikings are not willing to pay that amount.

WOW! Does he belong to the mascot union? Thanks for "The Rest Of The Story"

NO........... he was a private contractor.

No but I bet his real job is has a union employee.  Only that thinking could make someone think they should get paid 20k for 3 hours of work that literally anyone could do.  Hmm..... :scratch:I get to have front row seats the the Vikings game and get paid to watch (however sometimes they are so bad I think I should be paid to watch).  Have fun sitting at home.

[glenn57]

and what facts do you have to assume he is a union member??????????? more B.S.!!!!!!

[Lee Borgersen]

and what facts do you have to assume he is a union member??????????? more B.S.!!!!!!

I believe he may have been a member of the teachers union at one time.
No 

Pardon me for asking Glenn but, when your time comes are you going to  have on your tombstone:

Union Member
Once proud Union Member
            or
Still proud Union Member

just sayin

[glenn57]

Buried face down. Stone says kiss my butt, Scotty!!! also will say proud to be union and ultimate hunter and fisherman.

[Bobby Bass]

Rumor has it that Da Bears were looking at picking him up on the wavier wire but backed down when they saw he would be the highest paid Bear!   

[Lee Borgersen]

Rumor has it that Da Bears were looking at picking him up on the wavier wire but backed down when they saw he would be the highest paid Bear!   

False The Bears already traded Cutler for him. Both parties were very pleased about the deal as you can see.

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[Bobby Bass]

Wonder if Ragner really screwed himself here. Buddy of mine says Ragnar also had a booth where he sold Vikings stuff (HORNS) and also had some deal where you stayed at a motel for the weekend and ate like Vikings and had the whole Viking experience. Buddy kid worked for Ragnar and a perk was seeing all the home games for free.

[snow1]

To bad he screwed himself,had a good thing going if all this is true.

[Boar]

I dont know anything about Ragner,  I think your buddy is talking about Stinar the Viking, who owns The Nordic inn and sells hats ans horns and such thing, u can stay at his nordic Inn and participate in viking games and such. Stinar hits the eelpoutfest every year.

[glenn57]

I dont know anything about Ragner,  I think your buddy is talking about Stinar the Viking, who owns The Nordic inn and sells hats ans horns and such thing, u can stay at his nordic Inn and participate in viking games and such. Stinar hits the eelpoutfest every year.

man boar ya need to get outta da sticks once in a while!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bobby Bass]

I dont know anything about Ragner,  I think your buddy is talking about Stinar the Viking, who owns The Nordic inn and sells hats ans horns and such thing, u can stay at his nordic Inn and participate in viking games and such. Stinar hits the eelpoutfest every year.

Could very well be him, In my buddy's defense, once you see a guy in horns they pretty much all look the same.

[Cody Gruchow]

He is a independent contractor, but going from 1500$ a game to 20k is outrageous. They already had problems with him not showing up to events he was suppose to be at according to the report. Never thought he was that entertaining.

[Lee Borgersen]

Ragnar says Vikings planned to phase him out before he asked for higher pay.

9/26/15
 



  .....
The man who has played Ragnar at Vikings games for the past 21 years doesn't dispute he set a high price on his services this season, but Joe Juranitch said Friday the NFL team was planning to phase him out well before they saw his contract demand.

 



Juranitch, who won an audition to become the Vikings' official mascot in 1993, was never sent a contract, or even credentials, for any of the team's home exhibition games or the home opener last Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium.

"I don't care if you're the Pope or Ragnar, if you don't have accreditation, you're not getting on the field," Juranitch said in a phone interview Friday.

"I asked them, 'Should I come to the first preseason game?' 'No.' Then I ask them, 'Should I come to the second preseason game?' 'No.' I asked last Wednesday where was the contract they said they were going to send over to me. They told me to put one together by the end of Friday. 'Should I come on Sunday?' 'No.' "


Juranitch, 54, said he already knew he would be working in a limited role moving forward when he set his price at $20,000 a game, a figure he now regrets using to start what he assumed was an opening salvo in a negotiation.

Instead, he said, the Vikings ended the conversation, and he hasn't heard from them since.

"I'm really hoping they contact me back and say, 'Come on, buddy, let's start all over again.' And this time I'll learn from my mistakes," he said.

If the Vikings are interested, they're keeping it a secret.


Contacted Friday, the team resent a statement released Monday, when the Vikings officially announced the split. In it, the team said Juranitch's contract had expired, and "multiple conversations" failed to bring agreement on a new one.

A team spokesman on Friday said the Vikings wanted only to "reiterate how much we appreciate what Joe has meant to the organization."

Since 1994, Juranitch would arrive on the field riding a purple-and-gold Harley-Davidson and wearing a horned helmet, his long beard flowing over a sheep skin vest. During games, he was part entertainer, part cheerleader -- wielding a replica Viking ax and entreating fans to cheer on the Vikings.

He was paid $1,500 for every home game under a contract written by the team, he said, before the team asked him to come up with a proposal for a new deal.

"They wanted a contract together by (Sept. 21) and it's like, I don't know what to put together," he said. "They kept saying, 'We need it now, we need it now.' Who can I turn to? I turned to a buddy I thought could help me with this thing. Now they say, 'No. We don't have a contract.' "


For years Juranitch worked in education in the Minnetonka and Hopkins school districts, first as a security guard, later as an assistant dean of students. He now works for RazorEdge Systems, a cutting-edge business his father started in Milwaukee before moving it to Ely, Minn. But Juranitch was still making the four-hour drive to perform at Vikings games.

The Vikings play host to the San Diego Chargers at noon Sunday.

"Nobody told me that my day is done,"   Juranitch said. "Nobody has called me from the Vikings and said we've parted ways; I read that in the newspaper. That's why I think there's still hope. I believe I'll be on field this Sunday."