Vikings veteran mascot out after contract dispute

Vikings mascot is out due to a contract dispute after 21 years with the team.

As if NFL players don't make contract negotiations difficult enough, now a mascot is getting in on the party.

Vikings mascot Joe Juranitch, otherwise known as Ragnar the Viking, is no longer with the team after 21 years of horn-wearing, furry-bearded exploits. 

Juranitch reportedly asked for $20,000 per home game for the next 10 years, which means he would be making six figures per season to pretend to be a Scandinavian seafarer for three hours every two weeks. 

The Vikings weren't buying his proposal, literally, and Ragnar was let go prior to the team's home opener on Sunday.

“It doesn't feel right sitting at home,” Juranitch wrote on Ragnar's Facebook page. “This is not by my choice... I don't make those decisions... At this point it was made for me. I miss all my fans and your support.”

Ragnar's absence clearly didn't hurt the Vikings too much, as they defeated the Lions 26–16 for their first win of the 2015 season.

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- Kayla Lombardo