Metrodome Goodbye

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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby Indy5 » Thu Mar 04, 2010 6:57 pm

old#63 wrote:
Hinsa wrote:
old#63 wrote:Can anybody give me the low down on why something couldn't have been worked out to build a new football facility that would have worked for both the Gophers and the Vikings. I just don't see why that wasn't looked at harder as an option.

Gophers wanted an on campus facility of their own and had to think smaller than the Vikings wanted. The Vikings want their own fancy-shmancy stadium and didn't want to play on the U of M campus. So they just didn't want to share a stadium any more.

I just think that when both of these entities are dependent on taxpayer support to fund their operations, that would have been a resonable compromise. If they had pooled resources just imagine the grandness of what they could have built. What good are these facilities besides playing football in? Don't any other pro teams share stadiums with colleges?

There are a few like Pitt and the steelers. Miami and the Dolphins. South Florida and the Bucs. San Diego State and the Chargers. So 5 of the 32 teams share a stadium with college teams. I would hope that being on campus was the reason the Vikings didn't want to share with the Gophers, because although NFL stadiums are nicer with their extra stuff, college stadiums are bigger and sometimes can be just as nice.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby old#63 » Thu Mar 04, 2010 7:56 pm

Isn't the new Gopher stadium about 50,000? Vikes want a 65 or 70 thousand. Spent 300 million on the Gopher stadium. Vikes want to spend 800 mil or so on theirs. I guess I just can't see how there couldn't have been some type of compromise on this. The Gophers had to have needed state approval to go ahead with their project. I know they wanted to play on campus, but hey, sometimes we don't always get exactly what we want. I just don't understand why you need two new 50,000 plus arenas within a few miles of one another to play about 15 games of football a year in.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby scruffy » Fri Mar 05, 2010 9:32 am

If they move I'm guessing they'll be put into the NFC West (assuming it's LA) and St. Louis would be put in the NFC North with Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit. We'd still have some nice geographical rivalries because St. Louis would fit in nicely...
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby Hinsa » Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:38 pm

old#63 wrote:Isn't the new Gopher stadium about 50,000? Vikes want a 65 or 70 thousand. Spent 300 million on the Gopher stadium. Vikes want to spend 800 mil or so on theirs. I guess I just can't see how there couldn't have been some type of compromise on this. The Gophers had to have needed state approval to go ahead with their project. I know they wanted to play on campus, but hey, sometimes we don't always get exactly what we want. I just don't understand why you need two new 50,000 plus arenas within a few miles of one another to play about 15 games of football a year in.

New Gopher stadium only holds 40,000. They didn't want a facility any bigger because they thought they could fill a 40,000 seat stadium and create a better college atmoshpere. Another thing is the Vikes want a domed or retractable roof stadium. Gophers wanted open air.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby scruffy » Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:20 pm

Getting a new stadium and keeping the team in the twin cities will be a huge challenge. Their economy is tanking (billions in the red) and about the time they try to get funding the NFL will only be talking about the Williams being suspended, owners locking players out and the looming strike. Timing couldn't be worse.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby old#63 » Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:08 pm

Hinsa wrote:
old#63 wrote:Isn't the new Gopher stadium about 50,000? Vikes want a 65 or 70 thousand. Spent 300 million on the Gopher stadium. Vikes want to spend 800 mil or so on theirs. I guess I just can't see how there couldn't have been some type of compromise on this. The Gophers had to have needed state approval to go ahead with their project. I know they wanted to play on campus, but hey, sometimes we don't always get exactly what we want. I just don't understand why you need two new 50,000 plus arenas within a few miles of one another to play about 15 games of football a year in.

New Gopher stadium only holds 40,000. They didn't want a facility any bigger because they thought they could fill a 40,000 seat stadium and create a better college atmoshpere. Another thing is the Vikes want a domed or retractable roof stadium. Gophers wanted open air.

I did a little research. TCF stadium cost $288 million ($150 million public money), Target field cost $522 million ($350 million public money), and the proposed new Vikings stadium might cost around $900 million. Ziggy has said he will kick in $250 million, so taxpayer money will have to be found for the $650 million shortfall. The first two are built, and if the third one goes as proposed, that is a total cost of $1.71 billion to replace the Metrodome with 3 new sports facilities. $1.15 billion of that will be taxpayer money. About $225 per man, woman, or child living in Minnesota. The original cost of the Metrodome was $68 million in 1982. $1.71 billion is 25 times the original cost of the Metrodome.
Last edited by old#63 on Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby scruffy » Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:50 am

Let's see.... fire protection, police departments and infrastructure or a stadium that will be used ten days a year... Not a tough decision when the state is BILLIONS in the red.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby NDSportsFan » Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:06 am

Every article ever written about the new LA stadium has Jacksonville as the most likely new tenant. Terrible attandance, low merchandise sales, almost no corporate sponsorships, the list goes one. After them, speculation turns to Buffalo, St. Louis, and then possibly Minnesota (only because of the stadium).

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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby ndlionsfan » Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:07 am

Didnt the Rams just get bought by someone with ties to St Louis promising to keep the team there? Also, I think if Buffalo moves anywhere it would be Toronto, or do something where half the games in Buff and half in Toronto. I think Jax is the most likely to go to LA, with the Vikes second if the owner doesn't get his way with this stadium
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby scruffy » Mon Mar 15, 2010 7:43 am

San Antonio is also looking to get in the game so if the Jags beat the Vikings to LA...Texas becomes a very distinct possibility.....
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby Flip » Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:46 am

scruffy wrote:Let's see.... fire protection, police departments and infrastructure or a stadium that will be used ten days a year... Not a tough decision when the state is BILLIONS in the red.

The stadium would be used for other events, not just Viking football games. One of the reasons they wanted a retractable roof was so they could host the final four.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby scruffy » Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:07 pm

The hurdle isn't the support for the team or if a new home is needed, but how it can possibly be paid for when the state is on the brink of bankruptcy...Minnesota has spent and spent and spent and borrowed and borrowed and borrowed...and now it's time to pay the piper!

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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby old#63 » Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:30 pm

Just imagine if Target Field wouldn't have been built. Twins would be going into spring training with no home field.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby berry186 » Wed Mar 09, 2011 1:29 pm

what u talking about no home field they would have gotten there outdoor stadium they always wanted they could have just waited a year talk about home field advantage dome turf with the cold hahahaha
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby cubsfan » Wed Mar 09, 2011 1:47 pm

berry186 wrote:what u talking about no home field they would have gotten there outdoor stadium they always wanted they could have just waited a year talk about home field advantage dome turf with the cold hahahaha

I think some people need to go back to grammar school :lol:
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby berry186 » Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:24 pm

ya i probably do we all cant go to mayville state
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby gobison » Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:00 am

The Vikings aren't going anywhere for atleast another 5 years with the new roof put on the metrodome and the legislation not trying their hardest.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby ndlionsfan » Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:43 am

I just don't understand why they don't make upgrades at the Dome to make everyone happy. I don't think its bad there now, but a few modern updates would help the fan experience. The noise level inside that thing during games gives the Vikes a big homefield advantage and that will be gone with an open air stadium.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby Flip » Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:27 pm

ndlionsfan wrote:I just don't understand why they don't make upgrades at the Dome to make everyone happy. I don't think its bad there now, but a few modern updates would help the fan experience. The noise level inside that thing during games gives the Vikes a big homefield advantage and that will be gone with an open air stadium.

Upgrades to the dome is like putting a bandaid on a gun shot wound. One of the main reasons for a new stadium is the added luxury box seats, you can't add those to the dome.

I'm not buying that dome adds that much of a home field advantage either. You could say there will be just as much advantage to playing your games outside in November and December. btw, I think there is little chance a new stadium doesn't have a retractable roof. The Vikings may not want one, but if they get funding for a stadium local and state governments are going to want one so they can host other events.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby ndlionsfan » Mon Aug 22, 2011 3:30 pm

If they can do multimillion dollar renovations to Lambeu and Soldier Field, I think they can find a way to give the Metrodome a nice facelift with most of the ammenities fans these days prefer at a fraction of the cost of building a new stadium on a lot of taxpayer money.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby classB4ever » Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:56 pm

ndlionsfan wrote:If they can do multimillion dollar renovations to Lambeu and Soldier Field, I think they can find a way to give the Metrodome a nice facelift with most of the ammenities fans these days prefer at a fraction of the cost of building a new stadium on a lot of taxpayer money.


100% agree. There is no way an architect couldn't completely change that facility at a very small fraction of the cost. Luxury boxes, luxury suites, etc. could easily be incorporated on both levels. Bathrooms, corridors and vendor rooms could be made much nicer and more user friendly. Changing the parking situation would be a tougher task.
Really think the situation lies more in the structuring of the lease agreement and where the money goes percentage wise along with the artificial turf. I think it is harder to get players to play on these "rugs" in this day and age. Would rather play on natural grass to extend playing careers.
During the lockout, I listened to a commentator talk about how pro sports are no longer about the fans but about corporate sponsorships. It really p___ed me off but it does bring to light why a lot of these situations arise.
They need a facility that they can cater to these huge corporations, while still taking the common fans money through tickets, parking fees, tailgating fees, apparel costs in the facility and with these lucrative endorsement deals in sporting goods stores, and of course a state tax to pay for the stadium in the first place. Nothing like getting it shoved up our ________ from so many directions.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby Hinsa » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:02 pm

The concourses at the Dome are simply not wide enough to handle 66,000 people. Have you ever tried getting anywhere on the concourse before the game or at halftime? It is shoulder to shoulder people.

And 90% of the seats in the dome do not fit the modern American anymore, or at least most grown men. To make the seats fit the modern butt they would have to take out 5000 seats or so and they are just not going to give up that revenue.

The second tier of seating should overhang the first tier to bring the second deck closer to the field. Right now if you sit even in the front row of the upper deck you are a mile from the action.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby Flip » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:10 pm

ndlionsfan wrote:If they can do multimillion dollar renovations to Lambeu and Soldier Field, I think they can find a way to give the Metrodome a nice facelift with most of the ammenities fans these days prefer at a fraction of the cost of building a new stadium on a lot of taxpayer money.

I'm not an expert by any means when it comes to this type type of stuff, but if you look at Soldier field and obviously Labeau field all the add luxury boxes are on top of the top level. How easy would that be to do to the Metrodome? I'm not sure, but they would have to remove the roof and I'm guessing put on a new roof. And Hinsa is right the concourse should be made bigger I'm not sure how hard that would be to construct. I'd like to know how the Metrodome doesn't violate any fire code. Do you think in the middle of a football game if there was a huge fire everyone would be able to get out in a reasonable time?
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby winner-within » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:23 pm

The Wilf's will be getting their new Arden Hills Stadium and then they will be developing that area with malls and restaurants etc etc..... what do you think made them Billionaires.
They are willing to lay down over 300 million initially to get the ball rolling....and regardless of the financial situation of the State now, the Gov better realize (and he will because he was also a Cooperate guru) that in the long run the whole Idea pays ten fold.
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Re: Metrodome Goodbye

Postby Indy5 » Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:01 pm

ndlionsfan wrote:I just don't understand why they don't make upgrades at the Dome to make everyone happy. I don't think its bad there now,

This statment makes me wonder how many other pro stadiums you've seen or been to. The metrodome is a pathetic excuse for a pro stadium. It'd venture to say the Alerus Center is nicer, certainly not near as big, but nicer. The Twins were due for a new stadium and so are the Vikings.

And Flip, I don't really agree with cold weather being an advantage. Half the guys didn't grow up in cold weather states, or play there in college, so I feel like it's equally bad for both teams.
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