The Metrodome (1982-2014)

English: The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Weeks after the last Minnesota Vikings football game was played, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis is coming down piece by piece.  First they came for the seats and the artificial turf.  Next the fabric roof will be deflated for the final time.  Then comes the wrecking ball, only Miley Cyrus won't be on it.  All to make way for the new Vikings stadium.

Gone is a not-quite-beloved piece of late 20th-century architecture that cost around $55 million to build, which replaced the tiny ballpark in Bloomington where the Mall of America now sits.  The Dome was originally built because the Vikings and Twins threatened to leave Minnesota unless they got a state-of-the-art facility, to match all those other state-of-the-art facilities.  What we got was a football stadium that doubled as a baseball park.  Charming.

Now, over 30 years later, the main tenants have abandoned the Dome (also known in recent years as Mall of America Field) as they got their own facilities.  The University of Minnesota football team moved to an on-campus stadium.  The Twins went to Target Field.  The Timberwolves, who played their first NBA season in the Dome, split for Target Center.  And the Vikings will move into their new football palace in 2016, which will cost several times more than the Metrodome did.

Some of the memories that came with the Metrodome are pretty obvious:  Two World Series championships for the Twins (1987 and 1991).  Hosts to the Super Bowl, the MLB All-Star Game, two NCAA men's basketball Final Fours (both won by Duke), rock concerts, Billy Graham crusades, monster truck rallies, high school and college games, and many others.  One thing the Dome never hosted was a hockey game.

Here's some not-so-obvious memories:  Special ground rules for Twins games, such as awarding ground rule doubles for balls hitting the ceiling or the speakers.  The Baggie in right field.  The "We Like It Here" sign.  Ear-splitting crowd noise.  The wind-tunnel doors.  Homer Hankies.  The 1998 NFC Championship Game.

Great and not-so-great athletes have passed through the Metrodome:  Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett, Randy Moss, Daunte Culpepper, Christian Laettner, Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, Justin Morneau, Jack Morris, and so many others.  As for coaches and managers:  Bud Grant, Tom Kelly, Jerry Burns, Ron Gardenhire, Mike Krzyzewski, Dennis Green, Bill Musselman, Mike Tice and Leslie Frazier.

The Metrodome may have resembled a giant souffle on the skyline of downtown Minneapolis, but it brought so much attention to the world beyond Minnesota.  No other stadium, indoor or outdoor, could claim to host as many major events as the Metrodome did.  Relatively cheap as it was to build, it did what it was supposed to do, and then some.

Now it's time to move on.