Paul Allen's "No!" call the greatest of all time, says NFL.com [VIDEO]

Clearly, whoever came up with this list isn't a Vikings fan.

December 28, 2003. The Vikings were playing in Arizona against the lowly Cardinals, needing a victory to cap off a 10-6 season and an NFC North championship.

The Vikes were up 17-6 with less than two minutes to play. Then the Cardinals scored a seemingly meaningless touchdown to cut the lead to 17-12 (a two-point conversion failed). After a successful onside kick gave the Cardinals possession with a chance to win the game, Vikings fans began to feel their snake-bite scars aching again... and we all know what happened next.

Paul Allen, calling the game for local radio, perfectly captured the anguished disbelief Purple fans felt after Josh McCown's no-time-on-the-clock touchdown pass to Nathan Poole knocked the Vikes out of the playoffs. In fact, Allen captured those emotions so well that his call of the play and its aftermath was named the greatest call of all time by NFL.com.

Referring to Allen's infamous "No! No!" call, NFL.com's Adam Rank writes:

The desperation in Allen's voice is so evident when the clip first starts (along with the color commentator imploring the Vikings defenders to get back into the end zone). Seriously, when this clip arrived in-house, you could hear people playing it over and over again. It's that good. A truly painstaking moment for the Vikings (and a true delight for Packers fans). Noooooooooooo!

For the entire top six list, click here. And if you're in the mood to relive one of the most painful moments in Purple history, check out the video below, complete with Allen's call.



That night, I remember riding home from my family's Christmas celebration in stunned, depressed silence along with my brothers and parents, the sound of P.A.'s "No!" swirling through my head. Ah, to be a lifelong Vikings fan -- what great memories!