{"id":33276,"date":"2015-10-21T05:00:06","date_gmt":"2015-10-21T09:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/?p=33276"},"modified":"2015-10-21T07:40:04","modified_gmt":"2015-10-21T11:40:04","slug":"the-first-rule-of-donut-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quotulatiousness.ca\/blog\/2015\/10\/21\/the-first-rule-of-donut-club\/","title":{"rendered":"The first rule of Donut Club"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"I’ve been following the Minnesota Vikings Donut Club for a few years on Twitter, but as far as I know, this is the first coverage of the secretive organization in the mainstream media<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just like to see commitment from guys. We need to see proof that you want to be a part of this club and want to be part of something bigger than yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

That quote isn\u2019t just another clich\u00e9 being spewed by an NFL player about next week\u2019s game. It\u2019s a passionate explanation from veteran linebacker Chad Greenway about a different kind of club that meets early on Saturday mornings and follows a rule book that\u2019s nearly as detailed as the league\u2019s: The Minnesota Vikings\u2019 Donut Club.<\/p>\n

By even acknowledging its existence, Greenway has already broken the first rule of Donut Club. \u201cI\u2019m now getting yelled at for talking about it,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s like Fight Club<\/em>. You\u2019re going to get me in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donut Club has its roots in the 2008 season, when starting quarterback Gus Frerotte brought a few dozen donuts into the training room one Saturday morning. They were devoured in a matter of minutes, and it became a regular thing. \u201cI just kept bringing donuts in because it\u2019s a great thing to see when a guy sees fresh, big-ass donuts and they want to eat them,” says Frerotte, who retired after that \u201908 season, his 15th in the NFL. If he returned to the Vikings\u2019 training room now, he wouldn\u2019t recognize the cult-like institution that grew from his humble act of generosity. <\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe athletic trainer never pays for the donuts,\u201d Sugarman says. When Frerotte first brought in donuts, it was a nod of appreciation for the trainers and equipment staff, so players rotate paying for three dozen donuts on a weekly basis in the regular season. YoYo owner Chris Moquist, a lifelong Vikings fan, remembers when the Vikings first started ordering from his shop: \u201cA guy came in to pick up an order and we went, \u2018Wow, that guy\u2019s neck is way too big to be a normal person. That\u2019s Chad Greenway. That\u2019s awesome!\u2019 \u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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DonutClub @JetMckinnon1<\/a> @Crichton253<\/a> @Justin_Trattou<\/a> @JayPrice04<\/a> @EversonGriffen<\/a> @Jay_wright4<\/a> @Brian_Robison<\/a> @Vikings<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zHew2FnKn3<\/a><\/p>\n

— Eric Sugarman (@EricSugarATC) October 3, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n