I can't be the only person to think "How did it take that long to finally cave in?" Seriously, it's been open since 1982 and most people first really saw it during the 1987 World Series. And I think EVERYONE thought it looked like a pastry that would collapse if a sparrow landed on top of it.
So here we are, nearly 30 years later, and snow caved it in.
And with it caves in any chance that the Vikings are going to stay in Minnesota. Their lease runs out after the 2011 season. Now I am no landlord, but I would think that there are things that can make breaking a lease possible.
Like, oh I don't know... THE ROOF CAVING IN!
Football isn't like baseball, where it is nearly impossible to move a team because there are no big league stadiums just sitting around waiting to be used.
The NFL could move to Gainesville Florida tomorrow and have a place to play.
So it's been a nice 49 years in the Twin Cities, but there will be no Super Bowl Champion there. They are gone.
You'll see the Surfing Championships in Minnesota before you see the Vikings come back.
Which leads to an interesting question for my OWN football interests.
Where will the Vikings go?
San Antonio? Maybe.
But more likely Los Angeles and at least for a few seasons Pasadena in the Rose Bowl... down the street from where I live.
I don't usually talk about football on the blog because, frankly, I don't really follow it. In fact my fandom is so flimsy that I started rooting for the Patriots a few years ago so I wouldn't have to explain why I like the Giants to my friends.
Imagine me changing baseball allegiances so fast.
So for now I am a Pats fan. But hey, if an NFL team lands in my backyard, I'd have to root for them.
Seriously... don't play game 3 of the Division Series. Any hope of this being a competitive series ended tonight.
What else could any Twins fan (or Yankee hater) want than a 2 run lead and a rested and ready Joe Nathan on the mound on the 9th?
Or maybe bases loaded nobody out and the Twins facing a Yankee bullpen that had already used Rivera, Chamberlain, Hughes and Coke.
It could have been a series changing win.
Hell, it could have had a ripple effect across the entire post season!
1-1 going to the Metrodome?
Suddenly the Yankee season in jeopardy with a loss in Minnesota!
But noooooooo.
We got Joe Nathan somehow afraid to throw a strike until he wound up throwing a meatball to A-Rod... and threw a ball into center field.
We got Joe Mauer unable to score from second on a single.
And now we have the specter of the final ever game at the Metrodome be a Yankee celebration.
Don't play it.
The last games at the Metrodome was the wild sweep to finish the season and the jaw dropping extra inning do or die playoff against the Tigers.
Wouldn't it be better to have the lasting image of the Metrodome be Carlos Gomez leaping through the air, rather than the Yankees high fiving in front of a silent crowd?
Just don't play the game.
OK, how about this for a compromise?
You play Game 3... but you play it in the OLD Yankee Stadium... for old time's sake.
As I wrote up before the only scenario that has the Yankees eliminated early involves a rested and ready Justin Verlander and a Tigers team on an emotional high with nothing to lose taking on Not-exactly-dominating-in-October Sabathia and potential playoff train wreck A. J. Burnett.
But there is something wickedly wonderful about the much maligned (although defended my me) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome getting a longer playoff send off than either of the New York stadiums.
But there's another selfish reason to root for the Twins.
Remember my crappy predictions? I picked the A's and the Reds to meet in the World Series.
So yeah, it wasn't a Cincinnati/Oakland year.
But guess what? If the Twins win the Division, then the REST of my post season teams were correct.
I picked the Yankees to win the East... Check.
I picked the Red Sox to win the Wild Card... Check.
I picked the Phillies to win the East... Check.
I picked the Dodgers to win the West... Check.
I picked the Cardinals to make the playoffs... granted I picked them to be the Wild Card team but I'll give myself a Check.
And if it is the Twins then in the end, I would have picked 6 out of 8... which isn't bad.
Plus I didn't get seduced by picking the Cubs, Rays or Mets who were high on a lot of people's prediction lists.
In the end, my shallow anti Yankee sentiment will out weigh wanting my picks to look slightly better, so I'll be rooting for the Tigers.
Seriously. Thanks for winning today and making this final weekend count for something.
If the Twins win tomorrow, they will guarantee that the last Saturday of the season will be meaningful.
But take your pal Sully's advice:
Next year... get off to a good start.
Seriously, those games at the beginning of the season count just as much as the ones at the end.
In 2008, the Twins were 3 games under .500 on June 5.
They came back and finished the season tied with the White Sox and lost the 1 game playoff 1-0.
If they started off even at .500, they would have won enough games to be the AL Central champs.
This year they were 6 games under .500 in mid August... and are now clawing to stay in contention.
Seriously, get out of the gate better!
Whatever is going on in spring training isn't translating. And you had better hope it isn't a weather factor, because next year you are playing outdoors in Minnesota.
Win early and maybe you can play games in October and November in Minnesota (as pictured below.)
With the Rays cruising to a playoff spot and the Twins only a game back, TBS could have a nightmarish Division Series match up... possibly even worse than their Rockies/Diamondbacks NLCS last year.
Great blimp shots, eh? "We're looking down on... well... a monstroscity and we can't even see the f---ing game!"
And while both teams play great fundemental baseball, how are they going to promote it? "GARZA VERSUS BAKER! Only ONE can win!"
I guess "Hey! Here are a pair of over achieving teams that just 7 years ago were threatened with contraction... now at least one of them will get to the ALCS. They play the game with heart, spirit and without spoiled stars! Come watch!"
The Minnesota Twins are going to have a new open air stadium and by the look of the above computer rendering, it's going to be a great place to see a ball game... under 14 feet of snow.
Baseball has enough trouble scheduling with bad weather.
But I am not proposing putting a roof on the new park. On the contrary, I am saying something much more radical:
SAVE THE METRODOME!!!!
I know it sounds crazy, defending the single most maligned stadium in the game, but I say there is a place for it and a real group of reasons to keep it as the home of the Twins.
Indulge me!
Let's list:
Reason 1: It's a dome
I know I hit on this already but seriously? An open air stadium?
Do you just want the first week of the season snowed out every year? Have you BEEN to Minnesota? Have you at least seen Fargo? That film took place in Minnesota... I believe during 4th of July weekend!
Reason 2: It's recognizable
When baseball started replacing the cookie cutter ballparks that all looked the same from the 1970s with the new fan friendly ball parks, a strange thing occured:
All the new parks started looking the same. Seriously what is the difference between the new Philadelphia park, the new Washington park, the new St. Louis park and now this new Minnesota park?
But when you see a line drive hit off the "Baggie", you know EXACTLY where you are!
Reason 3: Everything ugly becomes beautiful again
As bad music and ugly clothes from the 70s and 80s became popular with nostalgia has proven, there is no predicting what people will long for.
Maybe the Metrodome should stand as a lasting monument to an era of bad stadium building.
Maybe it will become a baseball travelers destination. (Remember, they almost tore down Fenway Park in the 1960s.)
Reason 4: It's a legit home field advantage
When the place is packed and the homer hankies are waving and noise is deafening... the Metrodome is a unique place even on TV.
Plus the quirkiness and color of the roof ads to more of a home field advantage. Remember sure fielding Willie McGee unable to catch a flyball during the 1987 World Series?
The Twins have yet to lose a World Series game in the Metrodome... which leads us to the next reason.
Reason 5: Two World Champions celebrated there
Don't take that for granted folks...
The Cubs and the Phillies have been around forever and combined they only have 3 World Series titles.
Since the expansion era only Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, the Oakland Collesium and Baltimore's Memorial Stadium have had their team celebrate a World Series on their home turf.
And Oakland has been rebuilt, Memorial Stadium has been torn down and Shea and Yankee Stadium will be abandoned after this year.
Ironically the Metrodome would become the house of Champions!
Reason 6: They already ARE competitive!
Remember how the Twins were supposed to be contracted after the 2001 season? Part of the reason was they were unable to be competitive?
What did they do in 2002? They won the Division and went to the ALCS. What did they do in 2003? They won the Division. What did they do in 2004? They won the Division. What did they do in 2006? They won the Division. How are they doing in 2008? They are tied for first place.
So much for contraction!
Reason 7: $522 million can be better spent!
I hate to get all preachy, but 522 million clams could go to a lot of teacher, fireman and police salaries instead of assuring the opening of the baseball season will be snowed out.
So that's my take. Then again the Metrodome is one of the few stadiums I have NOT been to. What do you Twin fans think?
Are the folks at Twins Nations ready to lay waste to the place where Kirby made that catch and Jack threw 10 shutout innings in game 7?
Is everyone in Twinkie Town ready to turn the page?
Hey Nick and Nick, aren't you the least bit nostalgic?
Do the Twins Without Spin feel that a third party in the Metrodome will be sweeter than ever, especially after the contraction threat?
Has the Twins Geek always been embarrassed by the giant souflee looking park?
Or will the likes of Seth Stoh help get me to save the Homerdome?
I guess Twins fans won't have to worry about fair weather fans... not under all that snow.
