Viking tells stadium co-author to “Sit down n shut up” on Twitter

The big talk at the State Capitol this year is whether or not Governor Dayton will call lawmakers back for a special session to address a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.

Things aren't going too well on the public relations front for the Vikings. The team is winless after four games. The Ramsey County Charter Commission also got an earful from angry constituents who urged the commission to approve a move that would require voter approval of a countywide sales tax that would pay for the stadium (a move that some lawmakers say would sink the Vikings chances). There are also reports that the Vikings could pull up stakes and move the team to Los Angeles.

Vikings Wide Receiver Bernard Berrian isn't helping the team's efforts.

Berrian criticized Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove, on Twitter for questioning Berrian's characterization of today's game.

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"If you want to follow a hilarious twitter account, try @B_Twice (Bernard Berrian) who says that he's open a lot and should get the ball more," Kriesel wrote on Twitter.

Berrian quickly took issue with Kriesel.

"Anytime u wanna watch the film with me. Not just one game but all of them," Berrian wrote to Kriesel. "and if not sit down n shut up!!" Berrian wrote in another tweet.

Kriesel, who lost both of his legs while serving in Iraq, is one of a handful of state lawmakers who have publicly advocated for a new stadium for the Vikings. He is also a co-author to the Vikings stadium bill. The Vikings have also posted an interview with Kriesel discussing the stadium efforts on the team's homepage.

Kriesel, who is active on Twitter, took the exchange in stride. In one tweet, he said he was amused by the criticism and said he deserved it for ripping him. In another, Kriesel, a vocal fan of the Vikings, may have also questioned Berrian's playmaking ability.

"I don't expect Berrian to care if I'm a stadium supporter or not. He won't be in the NFL when the stadium opens," Kriesel wrote.