Sports caves, which English speakers affectionately call “man caves,” are becoming more and more popular. Sports fans are ready to do anything to make their basement an anthology room where they can gather to show their love for their favorite team, regardless of the discipline.
The Journal toured a few towns in the province, looking for some hidden treasures and came across some real gems that you will be happy to discover.
SHERBROOKE | There are many Canadiens and NHL enthusiasts in Quebec who make their basements veritable temples of hockey, but for others, it is football that reigns supreme. The proof is that the Minnesota Vikings have their Quebec kingdom somewhere in Sherbrooke.
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The team dressed in purple and yellow has been that of Mathieu Labbé since 1998. It was the best year in the history of the franchise with a record of 15 wins and one loss, which ended with a crushing defeat. heart in the conference final, a hair away from the Super Bowl.
It’s one of many cruel moments that have struck the Vikings over the decades, but there’s nothing to extinguish the flame of a fan eternally sold to their cause.
“Besides [l’ancien gardien de but Jean-François Labbé] was playing major junior and he was wearing a Vikings coat. I fell in love with the logo. I followed them and I have never let go since,” he says, still amazed, during our visit to the Vikings’ lair.
All in purple!
Several important moments in Vikings history are immortalized, including the “Minneapolis Miracle” of January 2018, when the Vikings made an impossible play against the Saints, thanks to receiver Stefon Diggs.
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As soon as Mathieu Labbé opens the door of his refuge to us, we plunge into another world. Everything, everything, everything, but really everything is purple or yellow and decorated with the Vikings logo.
There are of course huge wall photos of his favorites, including the legendary Randy Moss, immortalized when he pretended to pull down his pants in the middle of the enemy stadium at Lambeau Field, when his team overthrew the Green Bay Packers during series in January 2005.
The famous Randy Moss, when he pretended to show his buttocks to the hostile crowd of Green Bay, in his heyday, occupies a place of choice in the Vikings’ man cave.
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We also see Stefon Diggs celebrating the legendary “Miracle in Minneapolis”, in January 2018.
But there is much more. All the details are designed with Vikings in mind.
The billiard table and balls in the colors of your team are essential. Even the traditional blue for wands is purple for this inveterate supporter.
There are obviously every gadget imaginable to remind us of his partisanship, from the color of the video game console controllers to the couch cover. Yes, we swear, even the cat’s ball is in Viking colors! No joke!
To add a touch of madness, imagine that the boundless partisanship extends to the exterior of the residence, since the floral arrangements in front of the house are, obviously, in purple and yellow.
“One day, my girlfriend and I made a road trip in the United States. She didn’t understand the extent of the madness for NFL football. She imagined it like the Canadiens in Montreal and when she saw the transformed vehicles with people dressed up and made up everywhere, she realized how big it is. Cities completely stop living,” he explains.
To each his own follies
It is in an environment entirely dedicated to the Vikings that Mathieu Labbé follows NFL football matches.
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Since then, Mathieu Labbé has seen six games of his Vikings in person even if it is clearly not at the door, and this is only the beginning, since from next season, he will officially be the holder of two Minneapolis season tickets.
“When I saw the call with “Minnesota Vikings” on the screen, I was more stressed than the first time a beautiful girl called you!”, chuckles the cheerful guy.
Coming back to his very own cave, it all started with a simple wall sticker. Then, a brushstroke on the walls, doors and ceiling, with, let’s say it, a few purchases…
The Vikings’ three division rivals, the Lions, Packers and Bears, are represented in a specific location in Mathieu Labbé’s sports cavern.
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“Sometimes, when I have nothing to do, I take my cell phone and I create needs for myself!”, he agrees, laughing.
Over time, some 25 autographed helmets, a little more than 70 jerseys and around thirty caps have appeared in its decor. Clothing is an almost vital need, after all!
“I once came back from a trip to Minnesota with 18 skullcaps! My girlfriend said to me: “Are you sure you’ve had enough?”,” he says, bursting out laughing.
This is just a glimpse of the countless Vikings caps that Mathieu Labbé owns.
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Happy in his cellar
Like most of those who invest in their sports caves, Mathieu Labbé prefers not to count the money spent over time. In his eyes, there is no point in budgeting for the happiness he finds in sitting down to a good football game in his Vikings palace.
“I’m having a blast here. When I go down, it’s like a big football event. There are some who smoke and drink beer in industrial quantities. There are some who go to the South three times a year. Some people like to have five tanks in the yard. It costs them more than me. Everyone has their passions,” he explains.
Make no mistake, purple is king here right up to the ceiling!
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And if you ever want to make fun of the purple of his Vikings, Mathieu Labbé has a ready answer.
“Those who tell me it’s ugly go through one ear and out the other. And I often tell them as a joke that it’s not mauve, it’s purple!”, concludes the most fervent Quebec supporter of the Mauves.
Pardon! Purples…
