So, sometime in 2014 or 2015, the Hubert H. Humprey Metrodome will join Met Stadium in the annuals of modern demolished stadiums (Nicollet Field and the old Midway don't count). But, unlike the beloved Met, no one will miss the Metrodome.
Toward the end of Scarface, Pacino is in a restaurant, and he goes off on his fellow patrons, who are staring at him after a fight with Michelle Pfeiffer. "You need me" he tells the older crowd. "So say good night to the bad guy, because you won't see a bad guy like me anymore". In a way, the now soon-to-die Metrodome is a little like Pacino's Tony Montana - unliked, unwanted, but unfortunately, needed.
Built on the cheap in the early 80's, it quickly went from an exciting and cool place to be (look! it's a dome!) to a joke. Never built for baseball, the Twins were shoved into the stadium in about as big a half-assed way as anybody could get. The seats faced the wrong way. The sightlines sucked. The turf was super fast. Balls got lost in the roof. There was a baggie in right field, then there was plexiglass in right to cut the number of home runs down. We get four nice months of weather, and we are playing baseball indoors. A joke
Although designed to be a football stadium, it sucked for a home for a major college. The Gophers, pushed by the local business interests, the athletic director, the coach and ultimately the Board of Regents, abandoned old, tired Memorial Stadium and headed to the dome. It was a huge mistake. It had no college charm at all. It was a dressed up whore in Maroon and Gold. And by the 90's it was a tired maroon and gold whore. Michigan had The Big House. Wisconsin had Camp Randall. We played in the Vikings stadium.
The joint always belonged to the Vikings. For a pro game, the place achieved the modest goals it set for itself. The place was loud and not much more than giant TV studio in the first place.
Not to pile on, but....the food in the place sucked, the corridors were narrow and dark, the bathrooms were basic (nothing better than peeing in a trough). The rows of seats were incredibly long.
So... I should be there cheering and jumping up and down when the wrecking ball first hits the back side of the Metrodome, right? Ummm....not so fast.
For better or worse, the Dome has been the stadium for my generation. And we have witnessed some pretty great things.
For the primary tenant, we've seen a lot of years of pretty good football teams. I have been 5 or 6 Vikings games over the years, including the '98 Championship Game. The Dome defined the Vikings, and I think the place has served them well.
As for the misfit team in that building...we have '87 and '91, and that's good enough for me. I have seen some great games in that place - sitting in the second deck in '88 on a nice spring afternoon and watching Viola pitch a two hitter, bringing the girls years later and watching the Twins play an endless game against Cleveland, sitting in some insanely good seats behind the plate.
As for the Gophers....let's just admit moving the Gophers to the Dome was a serious mistake.
Also, the Dome has hosted a lot of events. A Super Bowl, a Final Four and numerous concerts. I saw a good Rolling Stones show, an okay Genesis concert, and most importantly, my man McCartney. Without the Dome, those events would not have come to Minneapolis.
Today....where there was once one, there now are three. The Gophers are now back where they belong - on campus, outside, in a size appropriate stadium. And this fall, we can drink beer at the stadium. The Twins have moved to Target Field, a wonderful outdoor stadium that houses a truly lousy team. Ank the Vikings now have their palace. But I know I'll be telling Dome stores for years. So say good night to the bad guy, because you probably aren't going to see that kind of (bad) domed stadium again.
