Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.

-Benjamin Disraeli

Edit: debate is underway, but with over 50 amendments set to be introduced, it's going to take awhile. Keep it here, and comment at will. It's going to be a nail biter. We'll be back later to join in--Ted

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time is upon us. What will take place in the Minnesota House of Representatives this afternoon, this evening, and quite possibly into the early hours of Tuesday morning will be the most important event in the history of the Minnesota Vikings' franchise.

This bill has been dead and resurrected more times than any of us care to remember. But for the first time in this decade-long saga, the Minnesota Vikings will finally have a piece of legislation heard by the full gathering of the Minnesota legislature. If the bill passes the House today, it will be on to the Senate tomorrow. If the Senate should pass it, the bill will go into a committee where both houses will hammer out the differences in the two laws and bring one final bill back to be voted on by both houses once again.

All of the phone calls have been made. . .all of the e-mails have been written. . .all of the pleas have been made. Everything starts with this vote.

Today will either be a new beginning. . .or the beginning of the end. Either way, we've got the whole thing here for you to watch and discuss with your fellow Minnesota Vikings fans.

The debate, from everything I can gather, is set to start at 3 PM Central, which is an hour from now. It may start before that, it may start after that (the latter is far more likely, from everything we've seen so far).

Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!