Vikings want to change the name of Chicago Ave. outside new stadium

Rivalries run deep in the NFL, so much so that the Minnesota Vikings don't want to see any mention of their NFC North competitors near their new $1 billion stadium.

The team applied to the City of Minneapolis to rename a stretch of Chicago Avenue that runs alongside U.S. Bank Stadium to "Vikings Way."

The reason? Chicago Avenue is a nod to rivals the Chicago Bears.

The Vikings application was reported last month by the Star Tribune, with the city's planning commission set to make its decision on the name change this coming Monday.

"The Minnesota Vikings strongly object to having the street running in front of the stadium named after one of its opponents and neighboring rival," it says in the application.

Chicago Avenue stretches from downtown Minneapolis to the Minnesota River in Bloomington, with the Star Tribune noting it was named in the 19th Century after what was then and still is one of the largest cities in the country.

The stretch of street in question, between South 3rd Street and South 6th Street already has two names. It's not only known as Chicago Avenue but also Kirby Puckett Place, commemorating the Minnesota Twins legend at the site of the former Metrodome.

The Vikings say a precedent for a name change has already been set in that area as a result. A section of 3rd Avenue North near to Target Field was also renamed "Twins Way" after Target Field opened in 2010.