Christian Ponder’s marriage to Samantha Steele no longer a secret

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele wanted to keep their marriage quiet, so they tied the knot in enemy territory Monday with no family or friends present.

Even so, the secret didn’t even last two days.

“We tried to keep the attention away from us and went over to Wisconsin and had it done,” Ponder told reporters after the news got out Wednesday. “So it was quick but it was good.”

The second-year quarterback added that he realizes a lot of Vikings fans aren’t happy about the location of the wedding, but said that he and Steele would have a bigger ceremony in Minnesota after the football season ends.

Oh yeah, that -- football season. The timing of the nuptials also may not please some Vikings fans. Their beloved team is clinging to the final NFC playoff spot with just two weeks remaining in the regular season ... and their quarterback hasn’t exactly been at the top of his game lately.

Ponder said getting married was “a big deal, but it wasn’t a distraction” from his preparation for this week’s matchup against the Houston Texans. He added that no one understands the importance of the game more than he does.

But, he said of the marriage, “it was important for us to get it done before the holidays” for “a lot of personal reasons.”

Hey, as long as Ponder’s newlywed status doesn’t affect his ability to hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson, there’s no reason why Vikings fans should have a problem with it.

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