National Football League

Wisconsin governor's 'Go Packers' message erased from new Vikings stadium

Published Nov. 4, 2014 12:42 p.m. ET

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If you're a politician heading into a tightly contested, harshly contentious election, what better way to earn some last-minute electoral goodwill in the Cheesehead state than by defacing your rival's stadium with a proclamation of your allegiance to the Green and Gold?

Just don't expect the Vikings to be cool with it.

It was reported that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, while campaigning for re-election Friday in Schofield, Wis., bragged about having scrawled "Go Packers" on a steel beam that was bound for Minnesota and the Vikings' currently-under-construction stadium. Walker said he'd climbed atop the beam during a recent tour of River Steel in West Salem, Wis., and inscribed the trash talk on the structural crosspiece. Walker's tale of immortalizing his Packers fandom, according to The New York Times, elicited plenty of cheers from the likely pro-Walker, undoubtedly pro-Packers, campaign-stop audience.

But the desecration didn't last long, as the news quickly made its way across the border to Mortenson Construction, which is building the new stadium. According to multiple reports, a spokesman for the company confirmed that Walker had indeed written the message and signed his name, but said it had been "removed from the piece of steel while still at the fabrication shop."

So all's well that ends well in the midst of the political and football season. Walker got the attention of the adoring Packers faithful, and the Vikings get a stadium barren any blasphemous markings.

The Packers, who routed the Vikings 42-10 early last month in Green Bay, play at Minnesota on Nov. 23, when Walker will undoubtedly be watching, though not likely as an invited guest of the home team.

Follow James Carlton on Twitter

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