It’s been almost exactly 20 years since the last time diehard Vikings fan Bob Repin missed a game.

He wasn’t in attendance on Christmas Day 2005 when the Vikings suffered a 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on the road. He was in attendance the following week when the Vikings earned a 34-10 win over the Chicago Bears at home.

As unbelievable as it might sound, Repin has attended every single game the Vikings have played since. His streak sits at 323 straight games heading into the matchup between the Vikings and the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

“This is my hobby,” said Repin, who actually lives in the suburbs of Chicago. “This is what I like to do.”

He isn’t alone. The man affectionately known as Viking Bob by his peers serves as the ringleader of the Century Club, a group of Vikings fans who never miss a game, regardless of where it’s being played.

The members include Repin, 55, Bryan Obeidzinski, 62, Mark Pietig, 66, and Rich Young, 46 — all with streaks in the triple digits — as well as Rick Fredin, 55, in line to reach that milestone sometime next year.

Viking fans Rick Fredin, Bob Repin, Rich Young and Bryan Obeidzinski tailgate before the Vikings game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Though nobody in the Century Club will ever catch Repin as long as he has anything to say about it, Obeidzinski has been to 273 straight games, Pietig has been to 238 straight, Young has been to 188 straight, and Fredin has been to 83 straight.

They all agree that Repin is the heartbeat.

He’s had Vikings season tickets since 1992 and has only missed a couple of home games in that span. He’s been a fixture in the stands at the Metrodome, TCF Bank Stadium and U.S. Bank Stadium, and has found way to make sure some of his closest friends have also been in attendance.

“It’s like a drug,” said Obeidzinski, who lives in Naples, Fla. “I call Viking Bob the dope dealer because he’s the guy who convinced us all to try this and got us all addicted.”

As something of the founding members, Repin and Obeidzinski can trace their friendship back to at a random bar on the Florida Gulf Coast. They met in 1999 before the Vikings played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. They stayed in touch over the next decade or so until Repin eventually convinced Obeidzinski to run the table.

That’s the terminology the Century Club uses for anybody that goes to every single game in a season.

“I ran the table for the first time in 1999,” Repin said. “I thought after the Vikings lost in the the NFC Championship Game that they were going to come back and run through the rest of the league. You get hooked pretty fast. It’s easy to do.”

Ask anybody in the Century Club. They all started out by going to a handful of games here and there. That served as the gateway to what has slowly but surely become a borderline obsession.

“I went to maybe 10 to 12 games a season for a while there,” Obeidzinski said. “Then I broke up with my girlfriend and started running the table.”

The camaraderie is what keeps the Century Club connected. They know they can count on seeing each other at least once a week during the season, whether it’s meeting up to tailgate before every home game or getting together for a steak dinner before every road game. They all come from different walks of life and have forged a bond that none of them take for granted.

“It’s all because of Viking Bob,” said Pietig, who as a Bloomington resident is the only member of the Century Club who actually lives in Minnesota. “He’s the guy who pulls it all together.”

The travel doesn’t deter anybody in the Century Club from keeping the streak rolling. No matter the distance. They have all racked up their fair share of Delta miles and Marriott points while traveling the world in the name of their fandom.

“It’s a priority,” Pietig said. “I don’t give a flying (leap) about anything else.”

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been some near misses along the way. It seems like everybody in the Century Club has a horror story about how their streak almost came to an end.

Like the time Repin drove through a blizzard during the infamous snowstorm that caused the Metrodome to collapse. He managed to evade state troopers in rural Wisconsin who were closing the highway only to have the game be relocated.

Or the time Pietig missed a flight at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this year because he literally fell asleep at his gate. He paid for his mistake by having to drive more than 10 hours to see the Vikings play the Detroit Lions.

“I had to leave a wedding in the Bahamas a little early to make it to a game,” said Young, who lives in Miami. “That was during the pandemic. They were doing COVID checks before we left the hotel. I was nervous because I knew if I tested positive, my streak was screwed.”

Though some cynics would argue that the Century Club should have had to reset their streaks after the pandemic, Repin, Obeidzinski, Pietig and Young have a reasonable rebuttal. They still have been to every game that has allowed fans. They paid a pretty penny to watch the Vikings play the Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints, all of which allowed fans in a limited capacity during the pandemic.

That means the streaks are still intact, at least in their eyes.

“I have age on my side,” Young said. “The next youngest guy is 10 years older than me. I always give them a hard time about when they kick the bucket. I just have to stay healthy and keep it going and I’ll eventually catch them.”

All jokes aside, Young said he couldn’t imagine his life without the Century Club, and takes pride in the fact that they all share the same passion.

“It’s a great group of guys,” Young said. “It’s a tradition that we’re going to keep going for as long as we possibly can.”

How long will that be?

“We always say we’ll stop going to games when we’re dead,” Young said. “They could play a game on the moon and we’d be there.”

All part of being in the Century Club.

“I tell every fan they should run the table at least once,” Repin said. “Just try it and see what happens.”

LET’S GO STREAKING!

Bob Repin

Age: 55
Current Streak: 323
Streak Start: Jan. 1, 2006, vs. Chicago Bears

Bryan Obeidzinski

Age: 62
Current Streak: 273
Streak Start: Jan. 4, 2009, vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Mark Pietig

Age: 66
Current Streak: 238
Streak Start: Sept. 11, 2011, at San Diego Chargers

Rich Young

Age: 46
Current Streak: 188
Streak Start: Sept. 14, 2014, vs. New England Patriots

Rick Fredin

Age: 55
Current Streak: 83
Streak Start: Sept. 19, 2021, at Arizona Cardinals

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A relatively mundane middle-aged rite of passage — shingles vaccination — might offer an added benefit: protection against, or even the slowing of the progression of, dementia.

Over the past several years, a growing body of research has suggested that immunization against shingles may reduce the risk of dementia by up to 20%. Now, a new study adds a tantalizing twist: The vaccine may also have a therapeutic effect in those who already have the condition. This wasn’t a modest effect, either — the shot appeared to lower the risk of death associated with dementia over the course of almost a decade by nearly 30%.

The findings are yet another reminder of the remarkable and often unexpected ways that vaccines can protect us well beyond their intended role of preventing infection. And if the findings hold up in more rigorous studies, the results could point to a relatively inexpensive and widely available tool with the potential to meaningfully improve population health. That would be an astounding development.

Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of shingles, characterized by a painful, blistering rash. That’s because the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox hibernates in our nervous system until it re-emerges later in life.

What, then, could a vaccine against shingles possibly have to do with dementia?

Researchers have two plausible theories. The first focuses on the virus itself. If the chickenpox virus is repeatedly activated and then suppressed by the immune system, it could cause brain inflammation that contributes to dementia, says Pascal Geldsetzer, a Stanford University population health scientist who led the vaccine study.

That theory aligns with what we know about the sneaky ways viruses can wreak havoc long after we’ve recovered from an infection.

Increasing evidence has also linked the Epstein-Barr virus — a member of the same herpesvirus family — to multiple sclerosis. The theory is that the virus features a protein that resembles one found in the brain and spinal cord, so when the immune system mounts an attack, it mistakenly chips away at the protective coating on nerve cells. (Several groups are working to develop a vaccine against Epstein-Barr in the hope that it might protect against multiple sclerosis, too.)

The other hypothesis rests on some vaccines’ ability to offer broader health benefits — benefits that come not from targeting the virus, but from triggering the immune system to be on the hunt for bad actors.

For example, researchers recently found that mRNA-based COVID vaccines might extend the lives of certain cancer patients. This effect appears to result from enhancing the immune system at precisely the right time, enabling it to eliminate tumors more effectively. A large body of work indicates that a tuberculosis vaccine offers protection against other infections and, notably, has reduced the infant mortality rate in some countries. More recent research suggests that this Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine may also reduce the risk of dementia.

Researchers, meanwhile, also need to address two big caveats about these findings.

The first is that the connection is based on studies that looked back at people who did or did not receive the shingles vaccine, rather than on randomized, placebo-controlled trials that can definitively establish an effect. To be fair, these were unusually robust observational studies that compared people born within weeks of each other in the UK, either before or after a strict age cutoff for vaccination.

The second has perhaps greater real-world implications: The studies all rely on data collected when people were receiving the older shingles vaccine, Zostavax, which is no longer used in the U.S. or Europe. That shot was made from a weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus, whereas the current vaccine, Shingrix, exposes the immune system to only a portion of the virus.

Does the effect hold up with the current shot, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the preferred choice in 2018? We just don’t know. If the benefits come from shutting down the virus, they may be as good or even better with the newer vaccine, which is far more effective and longer-lasting than the old one. But if the way the vaccine triggers the immune system’s response is what matters, then the newer shot might not help.

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It is also worth exploring whether a booster could extend those benefits. And what does all of this mean for younger generations who have grown up with the chickenpox vaccine? While many Gen Xers and older Millennials have visceral memories (and maybe a few scars) from their days of itchy misery from chickenpox, a vaccine against varicella was added to the routine childhood immunization schedule in 1996. It will be decades before we determine whether lifelong protection from chickenpox affects brain health.

All of these questions need to be explored in the lab and in clinical trials. Geldsetzer has been trying to raise money to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the older vaccine to conclusively determine its effectiveness in preventing or treating dementia. Getting that off the ground has been a slog. He told me about his plans to run the trial two years ago, and yet the funding still hasn’t materialized.

Let’s hope that changes as evidence of these potentially significant additional benefits of vaccination mounts. Ideally, such a trial would also examine the current shingles vaccine, too. After all, if the effect holds up, it could mean the world would have a relatively inexpensive, one-time intervention to lower the risk of dementia, or even slow it down. That’s something everyone surely would be clamoring to get.

Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News.

Playoff Ant made a mid-December appearance Friday night at Target Center, and it extended well beyond his phenomenal finish.

He’s every bit as good as you remember.

You can’t say enough about the tough step-back triple he made over a perfectly positioned Casson Wallace to put Minnesota up one with 38 seconds to play. Anthony Edwards then put the game on ice with a pair of dominant defensive plays – a block of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on one possession, then a steal on the reigning MVP the next to secure Minnesota’s 112-107 victory.

That was two-way, superstar domination.

The entire evening was, frankly. Even on a night when Edwards had to shake off the rust following a three-game absence to rest a sore foot, the all-star guard impacted the game in a variety of ways. He had three steals, two blocks and a season-high 12 boards, three more than his previous best rebounding total, all to go with an efficient 26 points.

Wolves assistant coach Micah Nori – who filled in for head coach Chris Finch after Finch was ejected just minutes into Friday’s affair – noted Finch held a film session Thursday in which he challenged guys to affect the game outside of their scoring. That’s something Edwards has struggled with at times this season.

“Obviously Ant makes plays for others, but just talking about going in, getting rebounds,” Nori said. “We always are on our smalls going in to rebound. And the one thing, Ant sometimes struggles to box out. If you don’t box out, go get the ball. And tonight he went and got 12 of them.”

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, celebrates his three-point basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Edwards was also sharp defensively and never fought the game offensively. Yes, he tried to take over the game late with his shot – an ultimately successful mission – but that came on the heels of 36-plus minutes of proper decision making.

“Playing the right way, playing fast, playing quick-decision basketball for three and a half quarters, and then put the ball in his hands and he brings you home,” Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo said. “That’s a perfect recipe for us, because everybody else (on the opposing defense), they can’t react, they can’t, overload on him, and he made the right play the entire game.

“He’s an MVP candidate for a reason. At the end of the day we’re putting the ball in his hands, asking him to bring us home. That’s exactly what he did.”

Whatever was required to win. We’ve all seen it before. It’s the mode Edwards consistently shifts to in April and May, when numbers go to the wayside and stakes heighten.

You’ll always find Edwards’ best basketball in the thick of the fight. High-consequence competition is what he craves, and ultimately drives him to achieve.

To Edwards, the regular season is akin to a multi-hour session of playing a Call of Duty video game with friends. An hour in, he might spend a couple games running around with a suboptimal weapon just to see how many kills he can with it. After that, he may even crouch his character in a corner while he goes to the bathroom and grabs a snack.

Because camping out and with a sniper again and again and again – while always effective – can get a little boring.

But when things get serious, rest assured knowing you can count on him to return to his tower with his best weapon in tow to oversee and control the game from above and help his team achieve victory.

He wants to win when winning means the most. He wants to do what many believe can’t be done.

His interest is piqued by the seemingly impossible.

A chance to slay kings of the game such as LeBron, Luka and Jokic in the postseason? Edwards will be there with bells on.

An opportunity to hand the 25-2 defending NBA champions who are pursuing the NBA’s all-time best regular season a third loss? You knew there was no way he was missing this game.

“I was playing,” Edwards said. “I was playing.”

And he wasn’t going to squander his shot. There was no reckless pursuit of 50 points on Friday, nor a lackadaisical effort appearing to lack all urgency.

It was 41 minutes of determination and discipline, with his singular focus centered on the task at hand: Beat the Thunder.

Minnesota did just that, and Edwards was largely to thank.

“I loved his defense, his competitiveness. I thought he did a great job on the boards, too,” Wolves center Rudy Gobert said. “And I thought he did the right play. It didn’t feel like he forced anything, and we won the game.”

They usually do when Edwards plays to that standard, which is why Minnesota wants him to hit it more frequently. Gobert said the Wolves put the necessary effort in when they know it’s required.

“You know what type of team we are,” Edwards said. “Sometimes we don’t always play to our level.”

But Gobert noted the Wolves need to understand if they want to advance far enough into the Western Conference playoffs to earn another seven-game series with the Thunder, “we’ve got to bring it every night.”

“It’s really important for us to realize that it’s almost like we face that team every night,” Gobert said, “because we know where we want to go.”

It starts and ends with Edwards, the almost elevator of a franchise. He’s proven he has the ability to flip the switch to “on” when he deems the stage and opponent worthy of his best.

But it’s also worth noting the value in more consistently producing such efforts during the regular season. As awesome as Edwards has been in recent postseasons, he has also appeared to run out of gas by Round 3.

Now is the time to continue to build up reserve fuel tanks for when his primary stock is burned down to empty by the conclusion of the conference semifinals. Another solution is to manipulate the game with your mind versus commandeering it via a physical chokehold.

Even on a night when the team shot poorly, Edwards’ unselfishness Friday resulted in a game in which Minnesota had six players score 13-plus points. That’s not including Gobert, who tallied nine points and 14 boards.

Edwards was able to control the contest while saving enough energy to finish the fight in the final minute. That’s not necessarily something Edwards would have done even prior to his recent absence.

“Credit to him, because when you’re out and you’re watching it – I was out last year. Julius was out last year – We came back and see the game differently,” DiVincenzo said. “I think that’s what happened for him. He just sees it differently and is (still) being aggressive.”

Perhaps this is even an improved Playoff Ant – one with few peers who is capable of making quite a few more appearances between now and the postseason. You know, just to make sure the motor is running well in preparation for League domination.

As of Friday, everything appeared to be in working order when revved up to max revolutions per minute. But there’s no need to immediately park this car back in the garage.

Edwards should take this truly elite version of his game out for another spin or 30 between now and April, just to see how fast it can go, and for how long.

It’s the best way to prepare the star guard for his ultimate challenge — getting the Timberwolves across the finish line in June.

The closer you are to the front near the end, the easier it is to win the race.

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Today is Saturday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2025. There are 11 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 20, 1986, three Black men were attacked by a group of white youths in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York, resulting in the death of one of the men, Michael Griffith.

Also on this date:

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

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In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on a vote of delegates at a secession convention, emboldening other Southern states to follow suit and helping to trigger the American Civil War.

In 1946, the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater in New York City.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Doña Paz (DOHN’-yuh pahz), a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

In 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 from Miami to Cali, Colombia, crashed into a mountain near Buga, Colombia, at night while descending into the Cali area, killing all but four of the 163 passengers and crew aboard.

In 2019, the United States Space Force was established when President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020.

In 2024, a car slammed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, killing six people and injuring more than 200. The suspect, who was arrested, was a doctor originally from Saudi Arabia who had expressed anti-Muslim views and support on social media for a far-right party.

Today’s Birthdays:

Rock drummer Peter Criss (Kiss) is 80.
Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 79.
Musician Alan Parsons is 77.
Author Sandra Cisneros is 71.
Actor Michael Badalucco is 71.
Rock singer Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 59.
Filmmaker Todd Phillips is 55.
Actor Jonah Hill is 42.
Soccer player Kylian Mbappé is 27.