Vikings Stadium Miscellaneous Discussion

[John21]

The baseball field dimensions dispute is settled. Right field will be 300 feet deep with a 26-foot temporary outfield wall. For comparison, left field in Fenway is 310 feet deep with a 37-foot wall. Other details here:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 96711.html

Can sombody highlight and summarize what baseball has to do with this new stadium? I saw the argument here on urbanmsp.com but it was pages long and I don't really have time to research it.....I don't know what baseball has to do with this new stadium since the Gopher baseball team is getting a new field on campus and the Twins already have a field (or is this for playoffs in October and November)?

The college baseball season starts in February. The Gophers and several other colleges and high schools use the dome at all hours for games. 4 games there today.

[Rich]

The U of M hosts 23 dome games in February and March. The MIAC plays 57 and the NSIC plays 67. That's 147 baseball games in just two winter months. At the new stadium, the sport that gets played by far the most will be baseball.

[talindsay]

The U of M hosts 23 dome games in February and March. The MIAC plays 57 and the NSIC plays 67. That's 147 baseball games in just two winter months. At the new stadium, the sport that gets played by far the most will be baseball.

I really love this point. Yes, it's a "football" stadium - but there will be FIFTEEN TIMES as many baseball games as football games there.

[alleycat]

The U plays early season games at the Metrodome and will continue to do so at the new stadium. I guess they have a tournament in the spring every year.

[mamundsen]

The baseball field dimensions dispute is settled. Right field will be 300 feet deep with a 26-foot temporary outfield wall. For comparison, left field in Fenway is 310 feet deep with a 37-foot wall. Other details here:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 96711.html

Can sombody highlight and summarize what baseball has to do with this new stadium? I saw the argument here on urbanmsp.com but it was pages long and I don't really have time to research it.....I don't know what baseball has to do with this new stadium since the Gopher baseball team is getting a new field on campus and the Twins already have a field (or is this for playoffs in October and November)?

The Gophers do have a new outdoor Siebert Field, however the season starts too soon and they need to play their first chunk of games indoors at the new stadium.

In addition to that many other leagues play games at the Dome. There are roughly 150 baseball games played at the Dome each year. This is AFTER the Twins left for Target Field.

That is why baseball is important for the new stadium.

[mattaudio]

Is there a reason why they have a new outdoor field? Seems like they could have used the Saints stadium or vise versa.

[min-chi-cbus]

The U of M hosts 23 dome games in February and March. The MIAC plays 57 and the NSIC plays 67. That's 147 baseball games in just two winter months. At the new stadium, the sport that gets played by far the most will be baseball.

Okay, sorry if that was a stupid question....I didn't go to the U and I've never been to a baseball game that wasn't for the Twins at the Dome.

[min-chi-cbus]

Is there a reason why they have a new outdoor field? Seems like they could have used the Saints stadium or vise versa.

I'm with you on that one! AT LEAST combine the two uses, if possible! I know the U wants their teams on campus and St. Paul has to be as special as Minneapolis and have a downtown stadium, and so on and so forth, but all of this "competition" really looks like an inferiority complex that hinders the progression of our metro area. Not to say that new stadiums are anti-progressive, but it's money spent that could certainly have been spent wiser on areas that are less progressive (e.g. schools, roads, rail), IMO!

[nordeast homer]

You might want to consider that fact that Siebert Field is being rebuilt with donated dollars though, this was not state money. The old stadium was falling apart.

[fehler]

They can't deflate the roof in pieces. That's an event worth a balloon release, at least. Maybe rent a bouncie castle for the kiddies.

[TWA]

They can't deflate the roof in pieces. That's an event worth a balloon release, at least. Maybe rent a bouncie castle for the kiddies.

One would think they could capitalize on it a little bit- i'm sure some jason stathom movie could use a dome to destroy before we actually demolish it properly

[Didier]

Several colleges in the northern Midwest, including the Gophers, have long relied on the Metrodome for games before its warm enough to play outside. Without access in the new stadium it would likely mean expensive trips down south for early season games.

To me it seems like a small investment that has a pretty good return.

[Tyler]

There was always going to be access. The dispute was over field dimensions and included amenities, if you will. It's been resolved anyways...

[Didier]

Well "access," sure, but it was pretty clear that if the "access" was to play baseball with a 285-foot right-field wall that very few teams would actually take advantage of said access.

My post was just meant to reply to min-chi-bus' question from a few posts back; I wrote it last night but forgot to press submit until today when others had already clarified for him.

This part isn't directed at min-chi-bus, but it's amazing to me that some people were so upset that we are building a new stadium for "10 Vikings games a year," and now purportedly the same people are upset that the Vikings stadium will have minor adjustments to accommodate hundreds of additional (albeit small) events each year. You can't win with Star Tribune commenters.

[Jfuss]

From Sid's Strib article...

Lester Bagley, Vikings vice president of public affairs and stadium development, said a decision on whether the stadium will have a retractable roof will be made in the next 30 to 45 days.

And because Mortenson never has been involved in building a stadium with a retractable roof, it has brought in the Walter P. Moore Agency in the event a decision is made to have a retractable roof.

That agency has designed retractable roofs for Reliant Stadium in Houston, which was the first such roof on a football stadium; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the Houston Astros' Minute Maid Park as well a retractable roof and retractable field at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

[Didier]

Just my opinion, but I feel like the only way the Vikings can justify not having a true retractable roof is if there is some other feature that mitigates it. For example, a translucent roof.

If they end up building a fixed roof stadium, like Ford Field, with a small "retractable window" on one side, that would be very underwhelming. A big chunk of the NFL season takes place when there is beautiful fall weather in Minnesota, and I think the two years outside at TCF Bank Stadium will renew nostalgia and make people want to at the very least acknowledge the winter weather outside somehow.

[Nick]

A big chunk of the NFL season takes place when there is beautiful fall weather in Minnesota, and I think the two years outside at TCF Bank Stadium will renew nostalgia and make people want to at the very least acknowledge the winter weather outside somehow.

I know not all NFL fans are as hardy as little 'ole liberal arts major, non-car-owning, sixteenth floor Loring Park apartment-dwelling me, but I thought the outdoor Vikings game at TCF was awesome. Sleet and all. Shawn and I both went with some friends. Seemed so much more...realistic?

[mamundsen]

On average I go to 0-1 Vikings Games a year. The 2 years they are at TCF I plan to go 2-3 games a year.

Anyone else in that mind set?

[Didier]

I'm the same way. Having not grown up in the 1970s, I never really considered the idea of the Vikings playing outdoors, so that 2010 game at TCF Bank Stadium was really exciting.

I don't think anyone would advocate for a totally outdoor Vikings stadium even if the team paid the full cost, but I did get the impression that the outdoor game in some ways re-awakened some nostalgia, almost like the NHL's Winter Classic. I remember thinking in 2010 that it would be cool if the Vikings played an outdoor winter game every year. That's obviously not an option, but I do think there is a real interest in making the new stadium have some connection to the elements, even if it's just a huge window.

[MotorCity2TwinCities]

Just my opinion, but I feel like the only way the Vikings can justify not having a true retractable roof is if there is some other feature that mitigates it. For example, a translucent roof.

If they end up building a fixed roof stadium, like Ford Field, with a small "retractable window" on one side, that would be very underwhelming. A big chunk of the NFL season takes place when there is beautiful fall weather in Minnesota, and I think the two years outside at TCF Bank Stadium will renew nostalgia and make people want to at the very least acknowledge the winter weather outside somehow.

Totally agree. If they are going to spend almost a billion dollars on this stadium they might as well and should go all the way and have the retractable roof. A fixed roof like at Ford Field would be a regrettable decision and kind of cheapens the whole thing