Zimmer Says He Had Nothing To Do With Toy Animal Massacre

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer says he had nothing to do with last week's reported stuffed animal massacre at Winter Park.

Ahead of the Vikings' humbling loss to Philadelphia, the team's locker room was scattered with plush cats for the bye week. Someone had slit their throats and doused them with red paint. On one of the larger cats was a sign that read: "Fat Cats Get Slaughtered."

The message of the gory display seemed to warn the then 5-0 squad against complacency. In the end, it didn't work, as they endured an "embarrassing" 21-10 loss to the Eagles.

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Initially, the locker room stunt was pinned on Zimmer, but Thursday he told reporters he had nothing to do with it.

"Unfortunately, the headlines still keep coming out," he said.

The head coach said the stuffed animals he did have at Winter Park were going to go to Toys for Tots.

Meanwhile, Zimmer says his foundation, the Mike Zimmer Foundation, is getting backlash because of the reports.