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The Minnesota Vikings and the Metrodome crowd were asleep for much of Thursday night's game. Jared Allen helped wake them up.
Allen and Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Donald Penn got into an extended fight after a play late in the third quarter of Tampa Bay's 36-17 victory, when Penn continued to block Allen after the whistle.
At that point, Allen went after Penn. The Bucs tackle knocked Allen's helmet off, bloodying the defensive end's nose. (The Vikings tweeted this photo during the game.)
Both players received unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties. Frankly, we're surprised they weren't ejected. Allen and Penn likely will be fined by the NFL, with Penn probably getting it worse.
The fight turned the home crowd loose. Things got so loud that the Bucs took a timeout, essentially to quiet down things. But on the ensuing play, Allen blew past Penn and sacked Josh Freeman.
Allen is a man with a flair for the dramatic. And not a man to be trifled with.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
