Border Battle Vikings-Packers games take new meaning for divided households

By Marielle Mohs

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    MAPLE GROVE, Minnesota (WCCO) — The first of two “Border Battles” of the NFL season took place on Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The Vikings defeated the Packers 31–29.

These matchups are always extra intense for those unique “divided households.”

“We are happy home 363 days of the year you could say,” said Matt Meunier, who is a die-hard Vikings fan, originally from Osseo, Minnesota. He’s married to Robyn Meunier, who is a loyal Packers fan, originally from Racine, Wisconsin.

Now they’re a proud divided home in Maple Grove.

“It’s gotten more and more contentious and heated quite honestly,” said Matt Meunier. “We’ve discovered that we can no longer watch Vikings-Packers games together, in the same room.”

Matt and Robyn Meunier have three kids. Their oldest chose “Team Dad” and the way of the purple. Their middle went with mom and she’s a cheesehead. The tiebreaker will be their 1-year-old, who has yet to decide.

“He’s still up for grabs, so I think it’s an all-out blitz to win the baby’s attention and love,” said Matt Meunier.

“Mama gets him dressed most days, so I get to decide what he wears,” said Robyn Meunier, who put her youngest son in a Green Bay Aaron Rogers jersey.

Fan HQ at Ridgedale Mall in Minnetonka may be a dedicated Minnesota sports team store, but there is some inventory for those “divided households.”

“We branch out to our frenemies to the east a little bit, to our Packer fans,” said Shaun Hagglund, store owner.

Hagglund says the purple and gold jerseys remain prominent throughout the store with the Vikings off to a perfect start to their season: 4-0.

“People coming in looking for new jerseys, and people are cautiously optimistic,” said Hagglund.

Matt Meunier recently went out and purchased his new Vikings jersey for the season, and was intentional with his choice, an Aaron Jones jersey. Jones was picked up by the Vikings in free-agency this year, after the Packers released him.

“That’s not easy to see,” said Robyn Meunier while laughing. “When he said he was getting a Jones jersey…it was knife to the heart.”

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