Best-selling author Tom Clancy, whose novels The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games,and Clear and Present Danger were adapted into hit Hollywood films, died in a Baltimore hospital Wednesday at age 66.

Clancy almost added NFL owner to a resume that included novels, films, video games and even a minority investment in the Baltimore Orioles as part of Peter Angelos’ ownership group in 1993. Clancy submitted the winning bid to purchase the Minnesota Vikings in 1998 for a reported $200 million, but the deal ended up falling through after his divorce proceedings caused concern that he wouldn’t be able to provide his share of the purchase price.

There were also concerns that Clancy’s proposed ownership group, which included current Houston Rockets owner Les Alexander, would possibly move the team to Houston, which had just lost the Oilers to Nashville.

“I’m not moving the Vikings to Texas. It has the worst climate in America. My name is not Irsay, it’s Clancy,” Clancy told the Baltimore Sun in May 1998. “This is another case of reporter fiction. It’s published and all of a sudden, there’s a controversy.”

The team ended up being purchased by Texas businessman Red McCombs for $250 million in July 1998, who sold the team to current owner Zygi Wilf in 2005.