Joe Juranitch, known for portraying Ragnar the Viking at Minnesota Vikings games, will no longer portray Ragnar the Viking at Minnesota Vikings games.
The Vikings predictably dropped their motorcycle-driving, bearded employee after Juranitch reportedly asked for $20,000 per game during contract negotiations with the team. Who knew that growing a beard and riding a bike weren’t such highly coveted skills in the Vikings organization?
Juranitch reportedly asked for $20,000 per game for 10 years, a massive raise over the approximately $1,500 per game he received last year to wear fur and ride a motorcycle at football games. This would come to a total of $160,000 for eight home games per season, or $200,000 if preseason matchups were included.
Juranitch had played the part of Ragnar for the past 21 years. The Vikings released a statement thanking him for his years of service while making no mention of the contract situation. They still plan on honoring his 21 years of service during a home game this year.
“The Vikings greatly appreciate what Ragnar has meant to the organization and to the fans over the last two decades,” the team said. “We intend to honor his 21 seasons on the field during a 2015 Vikings home game and we will welcome him to future ceremonial events. We will always consider Ragnar an important part of Vikings history.”
However, it appears that the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement.
The Vikings announced on Monday that they have not been able to reach a new contract agreement with Joe Juranitch, the man who played Ragnar for the last 21 years and was looking for quite a raise to pillage the team’s home games and strike fear into the hearts of their opponents while growling at them atop his purple motorcycle.
Big, burly, bearded dudes who can ride motorcycles may want to hit up the Vikings. Just remember, asking for $20,000 a game is probably a non-starter.
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