MINNEAPOLIS -- For many on the Minnesota Vikings roster, Canterbury Park has been a place for relaxation. The horse racing track is located in Shakopee, Minnesota, just 10 miles southwest of the team's practice facility in Eden Prairie. Vikings play-by-play man Paul Allen has called races at the track longer than he has called Vikings games; he has been a reliable source for a trip to the paddock or a tip on a trifecta bet as players head to Canterbury for an evening of leisure.
Friday night had a decidedly different feel, though, as quarterbacks coach Scott Turner, guard Brandon Fusco and athletic trainer Eric Sugarman watched the fourth race at Canterbury through gritted teeth, while Allen tried his best to call it straight from his booth above the track.