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Forgotten stars: Minnesota's first NFL team wasn't the Vikings

When the pro football teams from Green Bay and Minneapolis first met, Babe Ruth had just broken baseball's career home run record of 137, a brand-new Ford Model T cost $325, and the Star Tribune's very own legendary Sid Hartman was a toddler of 19 months.

The date was Oct. 23, 1921 and …

Wait, what?

Can't be. The Vikings weren't born until 1961. Right?

Correct. But here's the kicker: The Vikings aren't Minneapolis' first NFL team. They aren't even No. 2 in the state. They were predated by a Minneapolis team called the Marines (1921-24) and Redjackets (1929-30); and a Duluth team called the Kelleys (1923-25) and Eskimos (1926-27).