RIP Mike Lynn

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mike Lynn, the longtime Minnesota Vikings executive who made the ill-fated trade with Dallas for Herschel Walker, has died. He was 76.
The Vikings confirmed Lynn's death Saturday with a statement on the team website. Lynn served as the team's general manager from 1975 to 1990.
He is best remembered for one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history. The Vikings sent five players and seven draft picks to the Cowboys in 1989 for Walker, the running back Lynn considered the missing link to a Super Bowl run.
Walker never panned out in Minnesota and Dallas used the riches of players and picks to lay the groundwork for three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s.
The Vikings did not cite a cause of death, but Lynn was reportedly in failing health for several years.
Known as a hard-nosed negotiator and one of the more colorful executives in Twin Cities sports history, Lynn rose through the Vikings' ranks under former owner Max Winter.
Lynn helped organize a front office that turned the Vikings into a consistent playoff contender that drafted and developed three Hall of Famers — Randall McDaniel, Chris Doleman and John Randle, an undrafted rookie free agent. Lynn also played a big role in drafting several future Pro Bowlers, including Joey Browner and Keith Millard, and claiming Cris Carter, a troublemaker in Philadelphia who blossomed into one of the best receivers of his era in Minnesota, off waivers.

 

It has to really suck for his loved ones that the Herschel Walker trade is the lead of his obit.

 

And the lead of Herschel's obit won't include Mike Lynn.

 

That depends. Was "Mike Lynn" one of Herschel's personalities?

 

Here's a good piece from last month on Lynn, who was obviously much more than the Herschel deal (and come on, that first game! Running without his shoe! Dominating Green Bay!).

http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_20917947/vikings-stadium-end-dome-means-end-suite-deal

Dude was no dummy:

 

Actually, being known for the Herschel Walker deal might be better for Lynn than being known for how he got control of the Vikings, which was to figuratively stab longtime owner Max Winter in the back, even though Winter was the guy who'd plucked him from running movie theaters in Memphis and gave Lynn the break that led to his being GM.

There were also the yearly all-out wars with his star players over contracts in the late 80s which had numerous key players missing training camp every year, and pretty much his entire team hating him with a passion. To the point that Joey Browner publicly speculated as to whether Lynn had racist tendencies (although to be fair Browner was something of a crackpot, and I think it was eventually revealed that all the players were going on was the fact that Lynn lived in an antebellum mansion outside Memphis).

 

Interesting stuff, mateen.

 

Sorry he died of a horrible illness.
He was still a dick.

 

He also maneuvered in the Metrodome deal where the Twins are covering the funeral expenses this week.

 

I think that sums it up quite well.

 

I was always kind of surprised at how Lynn didn't get as much personal abuse in the Twin Cities media as he might have. Sure, he's been roasted for two decades for the Walker trade and the Metrodome suite deal, but he never really got the vitriolic treatment I would have expected about the way he treated Max Winter, and his general dickishness. Mostly he was viewed as a colorful character, which he no doubt was.

If you read this Reusse column (http://www.startribune.com/sports/163308026.html?refer=y), you get a sense that Lynn knew that playing nice with reporters would make things a lot easier for him.