Eden Prairie, Minn. ? As Minnesota’s Matt Birk often has joked when his team was mired in the latest controversy or off-the-field trouble, the Vikings sure seem to put the “fun” in dysfunctional.

Usually, they’re at least competitive between the lines.

This fall, allegations of sexual misconduct by several players on a boat party earlier this month have been compounded by a series of lopsided losses that have shoved Minnesota to the bottom of the worst division in the league.

Yes, the Vikings have gone overboard.

It’s bad enough when performances Sunday afternoon are difficult to stomach, but Minnesota fans are more disgusted by their team’s behavior after dark. A charter-cruise gathering during the bye week that allegedly devolved into out-of-control, drunken debauchery with strippers and visible sexual acts is merely the most recent blemish on the franchise.

But it sure makes Onterrio Smith’s possession of “The Original Whizzinator” and coach Mike Tice’s $100,000 fine for Super Bowl ticket scalping seem kind of tame.

Is there anything this team possibly could do at this point to regain the public’s respect?

Perhaps not.

Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield talks to his teammates during a Sept. 25 game against New Orleans. The Vikings are off to a 1-4 start and have encountered problems off the field.

“Right now, nobody thinks we have character,” strong safety Corey Chavous said, “so who cares?”

At first glance, the on-the-field collapse is shocking. The Vikings were a trendy pick this summer to reach the Super Bowl, following a productive spring spent upgrading their defense and shedding the burden Randy Moss brought on top of his unparalleled talent.

Even the extreme cynic who criticized the team for trading one of the game’s great receivers and questioned the age of some of the defensive additions could not have envisioned a 1-4 start. Nor being outscored, 119-34, in those four defeats.

“We’re still searching for a certain identity – how to put things together and get moving,” backup defensive back Ken Irvin said. “We need to do some soul-searching about what got us into this situation.”

The seeds were planted during the past few seasons as frustrated owner Red McCombs responded to the lack of public support for a new stadium by tightening his budgets and refusing to pay market value for the coaching staff. Despite a second consecutive falter by Minnesota down the stretch that handed another NFC North title to rival Green Bay, Tice was brought back because he didn’t cost much.

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, whose work with Daunte Culpepper drew raves from the Pro Bowl quarterback, left to catch some rays – and a huge raise – in Miami. Well-respected offensive-line coach Steve Loney was promoted by default to replace Linehan, and he was asked to remain in charge of the line.

With his $600 million sale of the team to Zygi Wilf in the works, McCombs gave his blessing to a handful of expensive player signings after previously preventing the Vikings from paying for several high-priced free agents for the weak defense.

The Vikings had a long history of organizational problems even before McCombs bought the team in 1998, bad enough that the league has noticed. During an emergency meeting requested by Wilf on Sunday, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told the rookie owner he “inherited an organization that was inadequately structured and staffed.”