On January 18, 2014, demolition started on the Metrodome with the deflation of the roof in preparation of tearing the down the entire stadium and building a new one on the same grounds. And while I wanted to do this earlier than now, I want to take time for a post about the Metrodome and all my memories there.
The memories I have of the Metrodome are from the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Gophers. My earliest memory and the first time I was ever in the Dome was in what I believe to be 1986. My parents took my sister and myself along with my two cousins, Dan and Chris to a Twins game. I remember specific interactions from that day but the game itself, I don't remember. I know my parents brought us to another game as well but that was the last of family games together.
The Minnesota Twins years
In October 1987, I was 10 years old but the night of the October 12th was such a special evening and I remember how important it was. The Twins had just beat the Detroit Tigers in Detroit and they would be headed to the World Series. The Twins flew home that night and found out they would have a stop at the dome to be welcomed home by the fans. What they or anybody didn't know is that 60,000 fans would show up to greet them. We were at my Grandpa and Gramma's house on this night and I don't know how everything transpired, but all I know is that we took two cars down to the dome, my uncle John driving my cousins Dan and Chris and my sister and me in his station wagon while my parents and my cousin's parents were in the other car. Once there, I remember how packed it was and how loud it was. Everyone was cheering and yelling and clapping and it wouldn't stop. It was going on forever while the Twins walked around the perimeter of the field waving and thanking us fans. It was incredible. Please read the article below to get the full effect of this special night.
http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2010/04/celebrate-good-times-welcome-home-rally-was-unforgettable-moment-87-twins-te
I went to a Twins game in what I think was 1989 (maybe 1988) for Day Camp. Day Camp was a summer program that kids could take part of any of the activities offered and my sister and I did quite a bit. The reason this memory is significant is because I was allowed to run on the field after the game. We toured the field and I got to run up to the warning track and smash into the "Baggie" in right field. I felt so cool being on that field.
My dad took my friend Heather and I to what I believe was TwinsFest back in 1992 but it was summertime. I really wanted to see Chuck Knoblauch. This was before the internet so you couldn't find out who would be there and so the closest thing I would be to Chuck was his cardboard cutout. I liked Knoblauch so much that I wrote him a letter when I was in 9th grade after seeing a picture of him in my high school text book having something to do with sports medicine. I did end up saying hi to Brian Harper, seeing Kirby Puckett and getting some autographs. I'm so thankful that my dad took me.
My next favorite memory at the dome was May 15, 2001. It really wasn't a favorite memory at the time but turns out to be a big deal later in life. I had come home from work to my ex-something Eric and my apartment and there was a dude laying on my bed. That dude was Michael Sack, my ex-something's coworker. They were going to the Twins game against the Yankees and Michael asked if I wanted to come with. The three of us went to the game and it was the start of M and I's friendship, thanks to the Twins and Eric.
Fast forward to August 2004 and I was going through a really hard time and so Michael and I, as friends, went to a game. I was really down and he cheered me up tremendously. I remember how much his friendship was starting to mean to me.
A couple of months later, hanging out with Michael was turning into a regular thing so it was natural that we were going to another Twins game, a playoff game on October 8, 2004 against the Yankees. While the Twins lost 8-4 in Game three, my relationship with Michael changed that night forever. I have very fond memories of us at the game that night.
On March 12, 2006, Michael and I attended the public memorial for Kirby Puckett who died on March 6, 2006. As a kid growing up liking Twins baseball, it was almost a given that your favorite player was Kirby Puckett
My final major Twins memories at the dome both happened in 2009, both a couple of days apart from each other. The first was what was supposed to be the last regular season game played in the dome on October 4. I went to the game with my mom and the Twins beat the Royals, 13-4. With that win, the Twins tied for first place in the AL Central and needed a one game tie-breaker. You can read about my blog post about the game with my mom HERE.
I also went to the tie-breaker game with Michael on October 6, 2004 and that game was boring and the most exciting at the same time. It was also super long as it went 12 innings. I remember the dome being so loud, as loud as I ever heard it since the Welcome Home Rally of 1987 and definitely rivaled the noise of a Vikings game. You can read my blog post about it HERE.
Overall, based on my best estimate and ticket stubs to prove my attendance, I attended 35 or so Twins baseball games in the dome.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
I only had one experience at the dome of Gophers football. It was against the Wisconsin Badgers and the fan base was at least split 50/50. The Gophers lost but I loved the new experience. It was my first time sitting in the upper level end zone and I enjoyed those seats. I looked back at my ticket stub this morning and saw that the date was the date my dad passed away, October 15, except seven years earlier.
The Minnesota Vikings Years
My first experience seeing a Vikings game is a very memorable one for any Viking fan old enough...my very first Vikings game was the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons in January 1999. What a game to be your first for many reasons. Unfortunately, we all know how it turned out. My dad asked me on that Friday if I wanted to go to the game. I said YES and he brought me home two tickets to the game. I went with my then-boyfriend Chris. Michael was also at that game with his girlfriend at the time.
I have WAY too many individual memories of games and records broken that I can't list them all here so here's a quick synopsis of standout Viking memories at the dome:
Here's the craziest fact I have about the Vikings and the dome...I've NEVER paid for a Vikings game. I've either had people give me tickets, I've won them or I've been the lucky recipient for the other seat for Michael's season tickets. To my best estimate and based on ticket stubs, I've seen 91 Vikings games at the dome.
I've never said that I hated the dome. Yes, the corridors were narrow and it was hard to get around at times and left a lot to be desired in the latter years but it was completely functional and it was OUR dome.
It was a lot of work to do this post but I'm glad I took the time to write this all out. If you're a sports fan, I hope you enjoyed this.
The memories I have of the Metrodome are from the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Gophers. My earliest memory and the first time I was ever in the Dome was in what I believe to be 1986. My parents took my sister and myself along with my two cousins, Dan and Chris to a Twins game. I remember specific interactions from that day but the game itself, I don't remember. I know my parents brought us to another game as well but that was the last of family games together.
The Minnesota Twins years
In October 1987, I was 10 years old but the night of the October 12th was such a special evening and I remember how important it was. The Twins had just beat the Detroit Tigers in Detroit and they would be headed to the World Series. The Twins flew home that night and found out they would have a stop at the dome to be welcomed home by the fans. What they or anybody didn't know is that 60,000 fans would show up to greet them. We were at my Grandpa and Gramma's house on this night and I don't know how everything transpired, but all I know is that we took two cars down to the dome, my uncle John driving my cousins Dan and Chris and my sister and me in his station wagon while my parents and my cousin's parents were in the other car. Once there, I remember how packed it was and how loud it was. Everyone was cheering and yelling and clapping and it wouldn't stop. It was going on forever while the Twins walked around the perimeter of the field waving and thanking us fans. It was incredible. Please read the article below to get the full effect of this special night.
http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2010/04/celebrate-good-times-welcome-home-rally-was-unforgettable-moment-87-twins-te
I went to a Twins game in what I think was 1989 (maybe 1988) for Day Camp. Day Camp was a summer program that kids could take part of any of the activities offered and my sister and I did quite a bit. The reason this memory is significant is because I was allowed to run on the field after the game. We toured the field and I got to run up to the warning track and smash into the "Baggie" in right field. I felt so cool being on that field.
My dad took my friend Heather and I to what I believe was TwinsFest back in 1992 but it was summertime. I really wanted to see Chuck Knoblauch. This was before the internet so you couldn't find out who would be there and so the closest thing I would be to Chuck was his cardboard cutout. I liked Knoblauch so much that I wrote him a letter when I was in 9th grade after seeing a picture of him in my high school text book having something to do with sports medicine. I did end up saying hi to Brian Harper, seeing Kirby Puckett and getting some autographs. I'm so thankful that my dad took me.
My next favorite memory at the dome was May 15, 2001. It really wasn't a favorite memory at the time but turns out to be a big deal later in life. I had come home from work to my ex-something Eric and my apartment and there was a dude laying on my bed. That dude was Michael Sack, my ex-something's coworker. They were going to the Twins game against the Yankees and Michael asked if I wanted to come with. The three of us went to the game and it was the start of M and I's friendship, thanks to the Twins and Eric.
Fast forward to August 2004 and I was going through a really hard time and so Michael and I, as friends, went to a game. I was really down and he cheered me up tremendously. I remember how much his friendship was starting to mean to me.
A couple of months later, hanging out with Michael was turning into a regular thing so it was natural that we were going to another Twins game, a playoff game on October 8, 2004 against the Yankees. While the Twins lost 8-4 in Game three, my relationship with Michael changed that night forever. I have very fond memories of us at the game that night.
On March 12, 2006, Michael and I attended the public memorial for Kirby Puckett who died on March 6, 2006. As a kid growing up liking Twins baseball, it was almost a given that your favorite player was Kirby Puckett
My final major Twins memories at the dome both happened in 2009, both a couple of days apart from each other. The first was what was supposed to be the last regular season game played in the dome on October 4. I went to the game with my mom and the Twins beat the Royals, 13-4. With that win, the Twins tied for first place in the AL Central and needed a one game tie-breaker. You can read about my blog post about the game with my mom HERE.
I also went to the tie-breaker game with Michael on October 6, 2004 and that game was boring and the most exciting at the same time. It was also super long as it went 12 innings. I remember the dome being so loud, as loud as I ever heard it since the Welcome Home Rally of 1987 and definitely rivaled the noise of a Vikings game. You can read my blog post about it HERE.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
I only had one experience at the dome of Gophers football. It was against the Wisconsin Badgers and the fan base was at least split 50/50. The Gophers lost but I loved the new experience. It was my first time sitting in the upper level end zone and I enjoyed those seats. I looked back at my ticket stub this morning and saw that the date was the date my dad passed away, October 15, except seven years earlier.
The Minnesota Vikings Years
My first experience seeing a Vikings game is a very memorable one for any Viking fan old enough...my very first Vikings game was the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons in January 1999. What a game to be your first for many reasons. Unfortunately, we all know how it turned out. My dad asked me on that Friday if I wanted to go to the game. I said YES and he brought me home two tickets to the game. I went with my then-boyfriend Chris. Michael was also at that game with his girlfriend at the time.
I have WAY too many individual memories of games and records broken that I can't list them all here so here's a quick synopsis of standout Viking memories at the dome:
- Everything Adrian Peterson, particularly his 296 yards on 11/4/07, most of which came in the 2nd half of the game.
- Jared Allen reaching 22 sacks and getting 3.5 sacks that last game of the 2011 season. Michael Strahan still owns the record of 22.5 sacks. Remember that last sack? A certain Brett Favre seemed to assist Strahan with that last sack so maybe Jared Allen really is the all-time leader. :)
- Leaving the dome with a win after every game during the 2009 season, Brett Favre era.
- Sitting in the Miller Lite Party Deck suite for a game after winning my way in there by playing bean bags in Mankato.
- Not being able to go to the game the morning the dome roof collapsed due to snow on December 12, 2010
- It took me up until the 2013 season to accomplish this but I've finally seen all 32 NFL teams play against the Vikings in the dome!
Here's the craziest fact I have about the Vikings and the dome...I've NEVER paid for a Vikings game. I've either had people give me tickets, I've won them or I've been the lucky recipient for the other seat for Michael's season tickets. To my best estimate and based on ticket stubs, I've seen 91 Vikings games at the dome.
I've never said that I hated the dome. Yes, the corridors were narrow and it was hard to get around at times and left a lot to be desired in the latter years but it was completely functional and it was OUR dome.
It was a lot of work to do this post but I'm glad I took the time to write this all out. If you're a sports fan, I hope you enjoyed this.
Posted with Blogsy
.JPG)
.JPG)
