From StarTribune.com:
Vikings cruise was allegedly a sex party
Minnesota Vikings players are being investigated in connection with a lake cruise that turned into a wild sex party last week on Lake Minnetonka. The party became so out of control that crew members on the two yachts were offered money for sex and feared for their safety, law enforcement authorities and an attorney for the cruise company said Tuesday.
The excursion Thursday on two yachts owned by Al & Alma's Supper Club and Charter Cruises in Mound was organized by first-year Vikings safety Fred Smoot and possibly two other players, according to Stephen Doyle, the company's attorney.
At least 17 Vikings players have been identified as being on the yachts, he said. It was unclear how many were involved in sex-related activities.
At least 90 people were on the two yachts. The boats were ordered to return to shore just 40 minutes into what had been planned as a 3½-hour cruise after supervisors learned of the alleged behavior.
The crew members, including one who was 18, were "petrified" for their safety, Doyle said.
"The behavior was terrible," he said. "Vikings were absolutely participating. This was not a passive event for them. It was outrageous."
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case, after the boat company notified authorities about the players' alleged behavior.
No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed.
The incident took place during the team's bye week; the Vikings didn't play Sunday.
Late Tuesday, Vikings officials issued a statement: "The organization has been made aware of the allegations involving our players and we take these allegations very seriously. We are working diligently to gather as many facts as possible. At this time, we have no further comment."
Attempts to reach Smoot and his agent were unsuccessful.
Doyle said behavior on the cruise included **** sex, ************ and playing with sex toys.
A source with direct knowledge of the case said Tuesday that accounts of Vikings players having public sex on at least one of the boats matched with what witnesses had reported.
The source said that it appeared that the sex acts took place between consenting adults and that no felony-level crimes had been committed. The source said that it was likely that misdemeanor charges involving lewd behavior could be filed against some players within a week.
Stadium plan jeopardized?
The investigation comes as the Vikings' new owner, Zygi Wilf, was hosting a two-day retreat at Oak Ridge Conference Center in Chaska in part to establish a vision of how the team will operate under the new ownership group.
Wilf, made aware of the investigation late Tuesday, kept his plans to fly back to New Jersey and declined to be interviewed through a spokesman.
The Vikings also are lobbying for the Legislature to hold a special session to talk about building a new stadium.
But at a DFL Senate caucus Tuesday, Majority Leader Dean Johnson suggested that the team had hurt its chances with its poor record this season and the sex-party accusations.
"It's difficult enough to move ahead on stadiums and professional sports teams. I would suggest that the Minnesota Vikings not only have a better record on the playing field but after hours set a better role model for the people of Minnesota and our youngsters," said Johnson, DFL-Willmar.
Firm looked forward to Vikings
Doyle said that before the excursion, Smoot came to the charter company in person to work out details for the party and put money down for one of the boats. Someone else paid for the other boat.
Smoot, a highly sought-after free agent who signed a six-year contract worth $34 million in March, discussed party logistics with company employees, Doyle said.
The staff was excited about hosting the party and put floating purple balloons in the boats, he said. Alcoholic drinks and hors d'oeuvres were part of the fare for the guests, he said.
The party was initially designed to fulfill what is an annual obligation by a first-year player to throw a social event for any players and any friends and family members who want to attend, Doyle said. The cruise was to end at midnight.
Doyle declined to identify any of the players who boarded the boats.
Almost immediately after boarding, crew members noticed partially disrobed women walking around, he said. One employee opened a galley and three nude women popped out, he said.
Then the crew -- about five people on each boat -- saw women giving lap dances for money.
"Players were approaching the wait staff telling them they would be tipped if they danced," Doyle said.
The players started to become more aggressive, wanting to pour their own drinks and screaming at the bartenders, he said. Naked woman walked around without hesitation. They performed **** sex in the open, he said. Sex toys were strewn about, he said.
At some point, the yacht captains called each other to see whether similar activity was happening on both vessels. It was, Doyle said, recalling what he called eye-popping conversations he had with crew members.
"They [the captains] had to step around people who were having sex on the floor," he said. "They were thinking it couldn't be safe out in the middle of the lake. It was a petrifying scene."
A woman working as a hostess on one of the boats called Mound police about 7:30 that night to report possible prostitution, drugs and sex acts, according to police.
The boats had been cruising only for 40 minutes when the supervisors on shore were told of the party and ordered the captains to return.
When they got to shore, some women asked if they had stopped to switch boats, Doyle said. The guests departed in their limos without incident.
Public urination
Prior to boarding, at least one group in a limo urinated on Cathy Hough's lawn in Mound, according to Hough and police. She said she confronted the men. "I said, 'Excuse me, do you mind?' And they looked at me as if I was crazy," Hough said Tuesday. "One of them said, "It's only water, ma'am,' and he continued peeing. I said no, it's not."
She followed the limo to Al & Alma's, where the men got on board, and she reported the incident to police.
It is no longer under investigation because Hough could give only vague descriptions, said Mound Police Chief Jim Kurtz.
Doyle said Al & Alma's is a longtime family business that would never have allowed such behavior to take place on their boats. Doyle, contacted by Al & Alma's on Monday, said he was concerned that detectives hinted to him that the captains didn't have control and didn't act quickly enough.
The Sheriff's Office said it is investigating a report of alleged criminal conduct on the yachts. Sgt. Haans Vitek wouldn't say whether Vikings were involved. "It was a stag-party atmosphere on the boat with allegations of strippers and ****** conduct," he said. "We're still trying to sort things out at this time."
Said Doyle: "The staffers were really shook up. It sounded as if they were fending off people. It was just a scene."
[email protected] • 612-673-4465
[email protected] • 612-673-1745
[email protected] • 612-673-4793