History of the Metrodome
The road to creating the Metrodome followed a number of twists and turns. The Dome was almost derailed a number of times. We invite you to learn more about the road people traveled on the way to making the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome "Minnesota's Rec Room."
What Was Wrong With Metropolitan Stadium?
Bloomington's Metropolitan Stadium was built for the Minneapolis Millers minor league baseball team in 1956. It was expanded for major league sports when the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings came to town in 1961. While the Vikings played games there, the field at its core was a baseball stadium. It only seated 47,000 fans for football, and provided limited fan amenities and team revenues. The Vikings desired a new state-of-the-art home built for football, and the City of Minneapolis wanted to have that home in their downtown. Others had their eyes on wooing the Vikings, too, including Bloomington, St. Paul, the University of Minnesota, Eagan and Brooklyn Center.
A Rock of Ages
By MARC HEQUET
When one considers that the rock supposedly found its way to Minneapolis a mere 11,000 years ago, who can blame it for not wanting to move again? After all, a change of scenery every 11 centuries can be unsettling. So, the rock resisted all attempts to dislodge it, move it, crush it, blast it. In short, it had the excavators between a rock and... well, you get the idea. Meanwhile, it captured local public sentiment and substantial media attention.By coincidence, First Bank Minneapolis was opening a branch in the western Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth. Bank officials decided that a more natural landmark could not be found for the new branch than... "Plymouth Rock."Nearly two months after it exhibited a will of its own, the rock became a major exhibit as it was loaded onto two side-by-side flatbed trailers, a railroad car, again onto the flatbed trailers and transported to First Bank Minneapolis's Plymouth branch.And today? The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is complete. Players play. Cheerleaders cheer. Crowds applaud. And the rock breathes a sigh of relief that it may not have to move for another 10,998 years.Mark Hequet is a freelance writer living in St. Paul.Reprinted with permission of MSP Communications. |
Robert Cerny's Futuristic Vision
The idea for a domed stadium was actually conceived in the late 1960s when a Minneapolis architect named Robert Cerny introduced a concept of a domed football stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Over the next decade Cerny's idea became a political football. There was talk of a domed Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, a dome at the State Fairgrounds, a dome over Memorial Stadium and several other places in between. In the early 1970s, talk about a new stadium began to get serious. It had to. In 1975 the Minnesota Vikings' and Minnesota Twins' Metropolitan Stadium use agreements were set to expire.
A Move by Minneapolis
With the teams' use agreements about to expire, Minneapolis city leaders saw an opportunity to bring professional sports downtown and perhaps put Robert Cerny's vision to work. In 1972, downtown stadium advocates developed a proposal for a $49.1 million stadium and parking ramp. Nearly 1,000 people showed up at a public hearing in 1973 to roundly shoot it down. Minneapolis Mayor Charles Stenvig promised to vote down the dome proposal (although many said he actually supported the project). He was following the sentiment of many taxpayers who saw it as an unwelcome financial weight that they'd have to bear. Mayor Stenvig followed through on his veto promise. However, the Minneapolis City Council overrode his veto by a vote of 10-3. The proposal then went to the 7-person Board of Estimate and Taxation (which had to approve the bond sale for the project) where things began to get really interesting.
Minneapolis' Move Stalls
The Board of Estimate and Taxation had 7 members, 5 of whom had to vote "yes" for the Metrodome proposal to pass. Mayor Stenvig, who served on the board, had to uphold his city council vote and vote against the proposal. Board member Donald Hanson also indicated he'd vote against it. The remaining five members said they were in support of the proposal. It looked as though the proposal was a done deal. However, it was then discovered that board member Alfred Hum no longer lived in the City of Minneapolis and had moved to Golden Valley.
Mayor Stenvig had to appoint a replacement. All of his nominees were either against the stadium or refused to say how they would vote. The City Council turned down each of Stenvig's nominees. Mayor Stenvig then told the City Council that he would not appoint another member to the board, effectively blocking the stadium vote. Later that year an amendment was passed after a petition drive. It required public approval on all projects over $15 million, which required borrowed money to pay for them.
Task Force Formed
With the stadium proposal stalled in 1973, Minneapolis business leader Harvey Mackay recruited 26 people to serve on a Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce Stadium Task Force. The executive director of the Task Force was Charles Krusell. He played a vital role in the success of the Task Force. Meanwhile, as the issue moved into 1974, Bloomington city leaders were working to make the case for keeping the stadium in their community. The Minneapolis Chamber Stadium Task Force conducted a $25,000 feasibility study. Bloomington held a lavish football weekend for lawmakers and others to see a game, stay at a Bloomington hotel and learn about the issue.
The football weekend and feasibility study didn't move some legislators. "The proposal for a new multi-purpose stadium is dead," said St. Paul Senator John Chenoweth, "and the reason is that taxpayers are unwilling to sign a blank check. We're interested in having the Vikings stay, but the question is: what is the price?"
In April of 1975, Governor Wendell Anderson said that he was convinced that the Twins and Vikings would leave the state without passage of stadium legislation.
The Vikings' general manager-vice president Mike Lynn wanted a new stadium -- not a shared stadium with the Gophers or a renovated stadium. "The idea of playing in the college stadium is even more repugnant than playing in Metropolitan Stadium," Lynn said.
The No-Site Bill
After much wrangling in the 1975, 1976 and 1977 legislative sessions, a no-site bill -- the idea of Rep. Al Patton (DFL-Sartell) -- was finally passed in 1977. The bill created a seven-member citizens commission appointed by Governor Rudy Perpich. This commission selected the stadium site and design. A revenue bonding package was developed to finance the stadium. If revenue streams to support the bonds were not sufficient to retire the bonds, a two-percent metropolitan area liquor tax would be imposed to generate additional bond revenues. The commission was held to certain financial parameters:
* It could spend up to $37.5 million if it chose to build a new football stadium in Bloomington and improve Metropolitan Stadium for baseball.
*It could spend up to $25 million if it chose to remodel Metropolitan Stadium as a multi-purpose stadium.
*And it could spend no more than $55 million if it decided to build a new domed stadium anywhere else. In effect, if any other city than Bloomington wanted the stadium, it would have to provide for a way to get the land at no cost.
Minneapolis Makes its Move
Following passage of the bill, the Minneapolis Chamber formed the Stadium Site Task Force, chaired by John Cowles, Jr., president of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company. It called for the creation of the Industry Square Development Corporation, which would provide the City of Minneapolis with a locally owned development company. In exchange for the stadium land, the company would receive exclusive development rights in the Industry Square area. The Minneapolis City Council approved the plan. In late 1978, the Industry Square Development Corporation obtained $14.5 million from Twin Cities companies to purchase the land where the Metrodome now stands. Minneapolis became a competitor in the battle to be selected as the stadium site.
The New Stadium Commission
The newly formed Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission was designed to be geographically diverse. Two of the seven commissioners had to reside outside the Twin Cities. One each was to come from Minneapolis, Saint Paul, the southern metropolitan suburban area and the northern suburban area. The chair had to reside outside of the Twin Cities. The commission's appointees in 1977 were:
* Don Brutger -- A resident of Saint Cloud, Brutger served as the Commission's chair and was the owner of a St. Cloud construction company and numerous other business holdings.
* Solveig Premack -- A Minneapolis resident, Premack served as vice chair of the Capitol Area Architectural Planning Board.
* Richard Radman -- A Saint Paul appointee, Radman was vice president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO and secretary and business representative of the Saint Paul Building and Construction Trades Council.
* Marion Kennon -- A resident of Edina, Kennon was an elementary school teacher at Breck.
* Ron Gornick -- A resident of Chisholm, Gornick owned a Chisholm service station and motel. He had also served on Governor Wendell Anderson's Small Business Task Force.
* Josephine Nunn -- She was mayor of Champlin and a member of the Metropolitan Council's advisory committee on municipalities.
* Kelly Gage -- A lawyer from Mankato, Gage was a former state representative from Blue Earth County.
* Donald Poss served as the commission's first executive director. He had been the Brooklyn Center city manager.
Selecting the Stadium Site
The commission received eight proposals for a stadium. Two came from Minneapolis. One came from Bloomington and another from Saint Paul. Then there was the "Midway" area proposal for a site between Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Other entries came from Brooklyn Center, Coon Rapids, and Eagan. In the end, the choice came down to Minneapolis and Bloomington. The commission could either build a stadium on the site in Bloomington or sell that land and build on the Minneapolis site.
The vote passed 4-3 to make the Metrodome a reality.
Designing and Building the Metrodome
Construction of the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis started in December of 1979. The commission wanted the Metrodome to be an "austere but a quality and aesthetically pleasing structure."
The design team included Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and Minneapolis-based Setter, Leach & Lindstrom, Inc. SOM, one of the world's largest architectural firms, had designed the Pillsbury Center, Lutheran Brotherhood headquarters and Minneapolis City Center. Setter, Leach & Lindstrom, Inc., has done a number of major Twin Cities projects, including design of the Fairview-St. Mary's Medical Office Building, the Minneapolis Convention Center and the James J. Hill House restoration. New York-based Geiger Berger Associates designed the Metrodome's roof.
Overseeing Metrodome construction was Construction Management Services of Minneapolis and Detroit-based Barton-Malow. Approximately 80 companies were awarded contracts to participate in the construction of the Metrodome, with most of the labor from Minnesota construction workers. On January 2, 1980, shortly after excavation had started, bulldozers encountered an immovable force - a 250,000-pound granite rock, believed to have been there for about 11,000 years. The rock was eventually moved to a bank in Plymouth, Minn., dubbed "Plymouth Rock" and construction continued.
The Dome was inflated on October 2, 1981 and the stadium was completed in April 1982. The project was completed on time and unlike many new stadiums today -- under budget. The final price came in at $55 million.
The First Years at the Metrodome
Forty-eight days after the Dome was inflated, a major storm dumped more than 10 inches of heavy wet snow on the Dome. The weight of the snow caused the roof to partially deflate. A rip in the roof was caused when a bolt snapped, leaving a sharp piece of steel to tear through the fabric. Air escaped through the tear and the Dome deflated. The rip was repaired and the Dome was re-inflated within four days. The fabric roof has torn a few times since then, but it has only postponed an event or game once - in April of 1983, a baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and California.
The first Twins regular season game at the Metrodome was April 6, 1982 versus the Seattle Mariners. The Twins fell to the Mariners 11-7. The first Vikings regular-season home game was September 12, 1982, when the Vikings beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-10.
Honoring Hubert H. Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey, former Minneapolis Mayor, U.S. Senator and U.S. Vice President, loved Minnesota. He was a big sports fan and rooted for the Vikings and Twins at every chance. Because of his dedication to the state and to teamwork, the Metrodome was named in his honor -- The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Celebrating 20 Years as Minnesota's Rec Room
The Metrodome, as the country's only public stadium that does not rely on a continuing tax subsidy to finance operations, maintenance or debt payments, has truly established itself as Minnesota's Rec Room during the past 20 years.
* The Metrodome is the only stadium in the world to have hosted all of the following: the NFL Super Bowl (1992), Major League Baseball's All-Star Game (1985), two World Series (1987, 1991), and the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship (1992, 2001).
* Out of more than 300 event days per year at the Metrodome, less than 100 feature professional or major college sports. The rest of the event days are used by high schools and colleges, concerts, community activities and other events.
* The Metrodome hosts boys' and girls' high schools from throughout Minnesota for athletic and other events and small college athletic competitions.
* More than half a million people have come to the Metrodome to see concerts by major performers such as Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Guns N' Roses, Faith No More, Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and The Grateful Dead.
* The Metrodome is the only major facility in Minnesota big enough to host major motorsports events.
* The Metrodome draws more than 4,000 runners and 30,000 inline skaters per year. Co-ed volleyball and touch football leagues bring in 2,000 people per week to the Metrodome between October and February.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which opened in 1982, is financially self-supporting. It is the only public stadium in the country that does not rely on a continuing tax subsidy to finance operations, maintenance or debt payments. The Metrodome is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (MSFC), which was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1977. Its original purpose was to act as a nonpartisan body in selectiong a site for a new stadium thaat would serve the long-term interests of the metropolitan area. Although many interests competed for the stadium's location, in the end it was metrowide and statewide cooperation that got the stadium built.
"Baseball purists complain about the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, but football fans like it better. The team has done well at home since moving here, and fans have been treated to what, in general, is a comfortable environment. Vikings fans tend to be much older than Twins fans, and sitting indoors on a December day in Minnesota is just fine with most of them. The Vikings crowd is notoriously quiet except during the most exciting moments of the games. In fact, many younger fans who like to get rowdy often are told to sit down and shut up by folks behind them. It's quite a departure from the old days at the Met, where tailgating was allowed and many fans kept warm with flasks.
Despite seats angled for the best football watching, the Metrodome recently has become a somewhat annoying place to watch a game - even for football fans. That's because the huge color replay scoreboards show commercials at least as often as they show replays. And with the roof holding the volume in, the ads are very loud. That might be one big reason that attendance has declined
steadily over the last decade, despite the team's success.
Former Bears coach Mike Ditka often criticized the stadium, helping the Metrodome get in the news regularly. He once called it a big livestock hall, and the Vikings responded by putting huge fake cows and other animals on the field. When he called it the "Rollerdome", the Vikings had all their cheerleaders wear in-line skates. The Vikings miss Ditka."
As written by The Sports Staff of USA TODAY in "The Complete Four Sport Stadium Guide" for Fodor's Sports
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The Day the Dome Went Down By MARC HEQUET
Just 48 days after an elaborate ceremony marking the inflation of the Metrodome, the first heavy snow of the winter season arrived and the Dome went down.The stadium's roof, after partially collapsing the day before, completely deflated under the weight of 10.2 inches of heavy, wet snow. Stadium authorities blamed the deflation on a large rip in the roof, caused by a puncture in the panel of the fabric on the north side of the stadium. There were no injuries, and the roof was repaired and reinflated four days later, before the next snow could have done more serious damage.The rip was caused when a bolt snapped, bending a piece of steel which slashed through the fabric roof. The roof is kept in place by air pressure from up to 20 fans inside the stadium, and the dome collapsed when air escaped through the hole.News of the deflation, along with the heaviest Twin Cities snowfall since Nov. 17, 1978, was carried on all three network evening news shows and was featured at halftime and before games the following Sunday and Monday on various National Football League telecasts.Marc Hequet is a freelance writer living in St. Paul.Reprinted with permission of MSP Communications. | |
November 19, 1981 Metrodome roof deflated because of a tear caused by heavy snow.
December 30, 1982 Metrodome roof deflated because of a tear caused by heavy snow.
April 14, 1982 Metrodome roof deflated because of a tear caused by heavy snow and the scheduled Twin's game with California was postponed. It is the only postponement in Metrodome history.
April 26, 1986 Metrodome roof suffered slight tear because of high winds, causing a nine-minute delay in the bottom of the seventh inning vs. California.
January 16, 1999 - Ira Miller, San Francisco Chronicle
Nothing is quite as noisy in the NFL as a small, indoor stadium with a good home team. The Metrodome is among the smallest of the NFL's domed stadiums. And the Vikings are good.
In November, the Packers complained about on-field speakers that added to the din. The Cardinals complained about it last week. The Falcons, who have their own dome-field advantage in Atlanta, used four speakers to simulate noise at practice this week instead of the two they usually use before they go on the road.
It's not a coincidence that the Vikings allowed 93 points in eight regular-season games at home, and 203 on the road. Visiting teams can't hear the signals called when it gets so loud. It's hard to change a play at the line. It leads to false start penalties and other confusion.
And the Vikings aren't apologizing for it.
"I think it's very difficult on the opponent," conceded Dennis Green, Minnesota's coach. "I think (new owner) Red McCombs felt he wanted a noisy stadium. As a dome team, that gives you an advantage. All the good teams have noisy stadiums."
The Vikings played in four Super Bowls in the late '60s and the '70s when their home was outdoors at Metropolitan Stadium. That gave them a different kind of homefield advantage: frostbite. Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant wouldn't let his
players use sideline heaters, and he never like the dome because he thought it made teams soft.
But these Vikings - and, for that matter, the Falcons - are built to play indoors. Particularly on defense, they rely on smallish, quicker players who are made faster by the sure footing of artificial turf.
McCOMBS CONTINUES PITCH
FOR VIKINGS STADIUM
May 6, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Red McCombs continued his grass-roots pitch for a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings by telling auto and truck dealers gathered for a meeting that the team needs "a facility fix." A former car dealer, McCombs told the group that the team needs a new stadium with more luxury suites and club seats. He also said public financing would be needed to help build the stadium.
McCombs, as new owner of the team, has been speaking before various groups, restating the team's need for a new stadium to be competitive.
POLL FINDS OPPOSITION TO PUBLIC FUNDING OF STADIA IN MINNESOTA
July 22, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Two thirds of Minnesota residents are strongly opposed to using public money to help build sports venues for the MLB Twins or NFL Vikings, according to a new poll conducted for the Star-Tribune and KMSP-TV. Four out of five are opposed to the idea. The results are 6% higher than similar polls taken last year during the legislative debate on funding a new ballpark.
Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are developing plans to build a new ballpark and the Vikings are hoping to win support for a new stadium for themselves and the
University of Minnesota. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which operates the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, has also announced a plan to renovate the facility for one of the teams, so the other could build a new venue. Officials of both cities did not dispute the results of the polls, but said the issue is far from dead. Legislators last year failed to show even weak support for public funding, saying their constituents were opposed.
Meanwhile the Good Government subcommittee of the St. Paul Charter Commission is proposing a ballot initiative that would block public money from being spent on professional sports venues without voter approval. The subcommittee wants the measure to appear on the ballot this fall with the mayor's proposal, but the chairman of the group opposes the move and says the commission should not get involved.
A NEW STADIUM PLAN IN MINNEAPOLIS: A RENOVATED METRODOME
June 17, 1999
Copyright 1999
MediaVentures
While the NFL Vikings and MLB Twins say they need a new, individual stadia, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (MSFC) says there is still life in the Metrodome and it can be renovated to meet the needs of one of the teams. The commission this week outlined two plans, one for each team, that it believes could provide a low-cost alternative to building two venues.
Meanwhile a petition drive has started in St. Paul over a proposal to build a new Twins ballpark there and Minneapolis officials are trying to build support for a ballpark plan in that city.
The baseball proposal from the MSFC would reduce the capacity of the Metrodome to 42,255 and realign luxury suites for baseball viewing rather than for football. The renovation would cost $200 million and would increase seating along the first and third base lines by 20%. Overall, sight lines would be
improved for baseball.
For football, the stadium would require $160
million in work that would increase the number of luxury suites to 122
and add a restaurant. Club seating and a business center would also be
added.
Bill Lester, the MSFC's executive director acknowledges the
plan isn't perfect for either team, and he told the Star Tribune, "It
may not be the MercedesBenz the teams want, but it's a highquality
Buick."
Twins officials were cool to the idea, saying the stadium
held more promise as a football venue than as a ballpark. They also
noted it would be more difficult to renovate the building for baseball
and could delay the team's move into the venue until 2007 because work
could not begin until a new stadium for the Vikings was built.
The
Vikings were also hesitant to endorse the proposal. The team has been
lobbying for a new venue, hoping to share it with the University of
Minnesota. University officials also seemed to prefer a new football
stadium rather than the renovation.
While the MSFC has a plan for
renovation, financing will be up to Minneapolis and Hennepin County.
Both governments have been exploring a half-cent sales tax that could
fund a new ballpark and renovation of the Metrodome for football.
New Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has met with officials from
Minneapolis and St. Paul separately to learn about their plans to build
a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins. After the meetings, Ventura said
he had no opinion on the issues and was not taking a position on the
cities' efforts.
The Hennepin County/Minneapolis proposal received a
setback last week when the city council split 6-6 on whether to support
the proposal. A new vote is expected next week when the council is at
its full 13-member size.
St. Paul is also considering a sales tax,
but one limited to the area surrounding the ballpark site. The St. Paul
plan does not include a new stadium for the Vikings. The Minneapolis
proposal would need state approval, but no state money. The St. Paul
plan needs $100 million in state money and limits the city to one-third
of the venue's total cost.
To get St. Paul's issue on the ballot,
5,000 signatures must be gathered by July 2, but on the first day of
work, proponents found they made an error in the proposed ordinance
language and 1,000 signatures had to be invalidated. Changes were made,
new petitions were printed and workers went back on the street.
State legislators, who last year rejected several plans to help fund new
venues, predicted defeat for the proposals. Team owner Carl Pohlad has
toured possible sites in St. Paul, but has not taken a stand on either
proposal. He said he would make a decision well before voters go to the
polls in November.
VIKINGS SAY NO TO METRODOME RENOVATION PLAN
July 1, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Minnesota Vikings have rejected a
plan to renovate the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for them and instead
want to build a new $400 million facility using $300 million in public
money. The rest would be paid by team owner Red McCombs.
The team
plans to begin a campaign to win voters over to their way of thinking
and build support for the 70,000-seat venue that could also host the
University of Minnesota. The team has begun working with focus groups
and polls to understand the public 's feeling about the team and the
stadium issue.
The team says the proposal from the Metropolitan
Sports Facilities Commission would generate $8 million in new revenues
for them while a new venue would bring in $15 million to $30 million new
dollars. Team officials say they need the additional revenue to be
competitive because they rank 30 out of 31 teams in total stadium
revenue. The Vikings, like other NFL teams, are also required to pay
between 50% and 63% of the league's average revenue per team on
salaries. Without the new revenue, the team believes it could become
unprofitable by 2004.
The MSFC agreed a new venue was needed, but
said the Metrodome could be renovated to meet the needs of either the
Vikings or the Twins so only one new stadium would be required. The
baseball proposal from the MSFC would reduce the capacity of the
Metrodome to 42,255 and realign luxury suites for baseball viewing
rather than for football. The renovation would cost $200 million and
would increase seating along the first and third base lines by 20%.
Overall, sight lines would be improved for baseball.
For football,
the stadium would require $160 million in work that would increase the
number of luxury suites to 122 and add a restaurant. An estimated 6,400
club seats and a business center would also be added.
The Vikings
said they need at least 68,000 seats, 150 luxury suites, 8,400 club
seats and more sideline seats. The MSFC said it would review its plan to
see if it could changed to accommodate the team. The Vikings' lease at
the dome runs through 2011.
VIKINGS BEGIN DRIVE TO CONVINCE UNDECIDED TO SUPPORT STADIUM PROJECT
August 5, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
A poll taken by the Minnesota Vikings
finds 33% of voters are undecided on whether public money should be used
to support a new stadium for the team. That compares to 40% opposed and
27% in favor. From that starting point, the team has now begun a
campaign to convince voters that the Vikings are important to Minnesota
and that they should support the team's efforts to build a new venue.
The drive begins as the Twins try to float their own plan to build a new
ballpark in St. Paul.
Team owner Red McCombs said he was willing to
make a $100 million investment in the new $400 million venue. The team
would like to see the University build the stadium and lease it to the
Vikings for NFL games or use money from a half-cent sales tax in
Hennepin County. The sales tax issue would require voter approval.
Meanwhile the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (MSFC), which
operates the Metrodome where the teams now play, proposes building one
new venue and renovating the dome for the other team.
The baseball
proposal from the MSFC would reduce the capacity of the Metrodome to
42,255 and realign luxury suites for baseball viewing rather than for
football. The renovation would cost $200 million and would increase
seating along the first and third base lines by 20%. Overall, sight
lines would be improved for baseball.
For football, the stadium
would require $160 million in work that would increase the number of
luxury suites to 122 and add a restaurant. Club seating and a business
center would also be added.
PLAN SET TO DONATE TAX
REBATES TO MINNESOTA STADIUM FUND
August 19, 1999
Copyright 1999
MediaVentures
Minnesotans who want to donate
their sales tax rebates to a new fund to help pay for professional
sports venues now have a way to make the contribution. All they have to
do is send a check to the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission
which will accept checks through June 30, 2000. Few expect the plan to
succeed, but Gov. Jesse Ventura offered the idea as a way of paying for
a new stadium for either the MLB Twins or the NFL Vikings.
Ventura
is opposed to using tax money to build the venues. After the deadline,
Ventura says he will determine if enough money has been collected to
make the plan viable. If not, the money will be returned, without
interest. The average rebate for Minnesota taxpayers is $652 and a
recent poll shows 8% will contribute. The number represents 250,000
taxpayers. If those taxpayers donated half the average rebate, the fund
could earn more than $81 million. In the first few days of the program,
36 people gave a total of $3,705.11, or an average of nearly $103 per
person. The largest gift was $673 and the smallest was a penny given by
several taxpayers.
VIKES SAY NO STADIUM, NO TEAM
September 2, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Vikings owner Red McCombs says it's
not likely that the Vikings will be in Metrodome if the team does not
have a new stadium in five years. McCombs said during a speech that the
team is profitable and probably will be for two more years, but after
that it must have a new stadium plan.
Many of those hearing the
speech took the comments as a threat that the team could leave town, but
the next day, McCombs denied that saying the team will not be in the
Metrodome because it intends to get a new stadium built. He said the
announcement is not a threat and he wants to keep the team in Minnesota,
however he needs a venue that will allow the team to make money so it
can be competitive. Observers who heard the speech agreed that McCombs
did not say he would leave town, but they felt it was insinuated.
McCombs said a proposal to renovate the Metrodome is not feasible and he
is willing to invest $100 million toward a new $400 million stadium.
The team has a lease at the Metrodome through 2011, but legal experts
contacted by Minneapolis' Star Tribune say the lease has flaws in its
drafting that could allow the team to escape early by paying only
damages. The experts say the issue will be in the hands of a judge. The
lease also includes a provision that says the NFL "will not voluntarily
approve the geographical relocation of the Vikings' League membership
with its rights and obligations if such relocation would be in violation
of the agreement between the Vikings and the (Metropolitan Sports
Facilities) Commission for the use of the Commission's facilities." The
suggestion is that as long as the lease is in place, the Vikings will
remain in Minnesota, but if the lease is broken, the team could be free
to move.
Before the team can move, it also must satisfy new league
requirements that requires notification of a move to the NFL and the
host city by Feb. 15 of the year it plans to move. New NFL rules also
say a move would not be approved if it violates an existing lease.
VIKINGS TO OPEN BOOKS TO PUBLIC REVIEW
September 9,
1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Minnesota Vikings will open
their books to public review after a call from Gov. Jesse Ventura that
the team validate its case for a new stadium. Team owner Red McCombs
said it was a reasonable request and he will work with the state's
Finance Department to set up guidelines for the review. McCombs did not
say what information he would release.
The team is asking for state support to help build a new stadium and says it must have the venue to remain competitive.
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
| Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Ranking by USRT |
| Architecture |  | 2.5 |
| Concessions | | 6 |
| Scoreboard | | 3 |
| Ushers | | 5 |
| Fan Support | | 8.5 |
| Location | | 6 |
| Banners/History | | 8 |
| Entertainment | | 8 |
| Concourses/Fan Comfort | | 3 |
| Bonus: Tailgate Scene | | 1.5 |
| Bonus: Dome Souvenirs | | 1 |
| Bonus: Dome Dogs | | 1 |
| Bonus: Skol Theme Song | | 1 |
| Bonus: Vikings Mascot | | 1 |
| Total Score |  | 55.5 |
November 12, 2000 - The Metrodome is situated on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, and is almost adjacent to the University of Minnesota campus directly across the Mississippi River. Opened in 1982, it is the home of the NFL Vikings, the MLB Twins and the University of Minnesota Gophers football team. This building replaced the old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, an outdoor venue which was razed and is now the site of the fabulous Mall of America. The Metrodome has also been home to a number of marquee events, including an NCAA basketball Final Four as well as Super Bowl XXVI (we Buffalo folks remember that one!). The Metrodome will also host the Final Four in 2001.
The neighborhood surrounding the stadium is a mix of retail, office, warehouse, and open surface lots with no predominant theme. Tailgating is either prohibited or discouraged, and being a cold dismal weather day we saw none of it going on. We learned later that tailgating is permitted "only in designated lots". The going rate for parking anywhere within two blocks of the stadium is $25 and even $30!! $30.. to PARK, in Minneapolis folks! Yep, you disciples keep calling your beloved Coach on his talk show and whining about the prices in Buffalo.. again the Buffalo fan just doesn't have a clue.
Nothing to do with the stadium, but we have to mention a great shop we visited one block north of the Metrodome across from Gate A.. it is called "Dome Souvenirs". Other than the great merchandise selection, there was also a "free Twins Hall of Fame Museum" adjacent to the store.. the store's crusty old owner actually moved with the team from DC to the Twin Cities when his beloved Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961.. he had a great display of old Senators memorabilia, pictures of the old Met stadium and mementos from their '65 World Series run and their '87 and '91 championships. There were even pictures of the old Nicollet Stadium which housed the Minneapolis Millers. The place is musty, cramped, really honky tonk, the owner is onsite serving sandwiches at a food bar, and it is a MUST SEE for out of town folk!
The stadium itself has the design and feel of its peers like the RCA Dome in Indianapolis and the Pontiac Silverdome. Ample landscaping and many very colorful signs and banners augment what would otherwise be a very ordinary building. Once inside, we walked through two narrow concourses, one serving each deck. Along the ceilings are backlit panels with photographs of memorable Metrodome moments, and along the walls are small plaques showcasing inductees in the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame. Concessions feature only the standard ballpark dreck - although we saw people carrying the $4.50 Jumbo Dog, which had to be at least 12 oz of meat... hey, why not? A viking builds up a big appetite after a long day of pillaging and plundering!
With a little over 64,000 seats, the bowl is broken down into two decks.. and at the top of the lower deck are suites encircling the building. There are no club seats or upscale amenities anywhere in the stadium. There are also no team stores, restaurants or food courts although there are many merchandise point of sale kiosks. At each end are small video boards, and a one color LED dot matrix board at one end zone which also highlights out of town scores and statistics.
Banners/Retired Numbers
Six retired names are hung in one corner of the balcony, and the entire field wall is ringed with the team's division and conference titles.. like us here in Buffalo the ultimate prize still eludes the Vikings.
The atmosphere in the building is just terrific... the team sells out all their games and has a waiting list for season tickets. Of course having a winning season for 17 straight years doesn't hurt. Everyone is dressed in their bright yellow and purple gear, helmets with viking horns are in abundance. The intro has the team running through an inflated viking ship, led by two mascots - big burly guys with long hair and scruffy beards and dressed in animal pelts - the first "viking" is riding a harley and the second a snowmobile - only in Minnesota! These mascots do a great job entertaining and jacking up the crowds along the sidelines (sorry "Billy Buffalo" you really oughta just hang it up!). The Vikings also have a great fight song "Skol - Vikings - Lets Go!" which they play after each score. Kind of like the Bills "Shout" song, the fans eat it up.
Deductions
The sound system in the building is just atrocious.. voice and music muffled and barely distinguishable. Also, the lines to the mens and womens restrooms were appallingly long. Probably the worst we have seen anywhere.
Summary
This is one great football experience, but mostly because of the great fans and the great electricity in the building, and not because of the venue. The stadium is adequate, but in this day and age of sports we can not imagine the team continuing indefinitely without either a new facility or substantial renovations to this one. We do understand that there is talk of a new stadium. An actual design for a spectacular domed facility to be built close to the Metrodome has been developed, but at this time it is a ways away from happening.
SKOL VIKINGS! We had a great time at your place... but our day is not done.... it is back to the hotel, time to throw on our Sabres gear and show off our Buffalo pride as we head over to St. Paul for an evening of NHL hockey!
