Metrodome vs TCF Bank Stadium what ifs...

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I have to say the State Fair site was intriguing. Traffic would have been an issue, but the new lite rail line would have helped.

i just had this image of game day (vikes or gophs) with the Fair concession booths open and fans milling around the fairgrounds before the games. would have been unique. tailgating on a stick.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I have to say the State Fair site was intriguing. Traffic would have been an issue, but the new lite rail line would have helped.

i just had this image of game day (vikes or gophs) with the Fair concession booths open and fans milling around the fairgrounds before the games. would have been unique. tailgating on a stick.
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1 game a year. hardly unique. mostly a hassle for everyone.
 

If Minnesota's program improves and with what's the norm in college football, would people be okay with one game at the Viking stadium with a big-time non-con opponent....ala UW-LSU at Lambeau?

I wonder if the U is going to go big with a "see the stadium" campaign when Gopher baseball starts playing there, although the program kinda sucks right now.

That first Prep Bowl is gonna be packed.
 

The State Fair is a joke. Their lobbyists control the State. They get to determine when the Gophers play and when school for the entire state begins. The Great Minnesota Get Together is like a giant cesspool. (I know I am in the minority)

I had envisioned it a great place for a revenue generating opportunity for the U and a guaranteed sellout / benefit for both parties.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
I have to say the State Fair site was intriguing. Traffic would have been an issue, but the new lite rail line would have helped.

i just had this image of game day (vikes or gophs) with the Fair concession booths open and fans milling around the fairgrounds before the games. would have been unique. tailgating on a stick.
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Light Rail would have had little impact on alleviating traffic to the fair site since the line is a minimum of 1.5 miles away from the Fairgrounds.
 

Mvgopher said:
The State Fair is a joke. Their lobbyists control the State. They get to determine when the Gophers play and when school for the entire state begins. The Great Minnesota Get Together is like a giant cesspool. (I know I am in the minority) I had envisioned it a great place for a revenue generating opportunity for the U and a guaranteed sellout / benefit for both parties.
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I am so lost. What are you talking about?
 

Maximus said:
If Minnesota's program improves and with what's the norm in college football, would people be okay with one game at the Viking stadium with a big-time non-con opponent....ala UW-LSU at Lambeau?
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I would absolutely be in favor of something like that.
 

The student section is finally getting back to a decent turnout. Students are getting into it and staying for damn near the whole game.

The Metrodome was absolute garbage for student attendance. Whether you like to admit it or not, the students are the lifeblood of the crowd. No matter how much money you throw at the Metrodome, there's not a single scenario where it's better than TCF
 



short ornery norwegian said:
I have to say the State Fair site was intriguing. Traffic would have been an issue, but the new lite rail line would have helped.

i just had this image of game day (vikes or gophs) with the Fair concession booths open and fans milling around the fairgrounds before the games. would have been unique. tailgating on a stick.
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Why the he;; do people think these state fair food stands would open for 7 saturdays in the fall. There's a lot more to it than unlocking the door and locking the door. It's a whole different game than the stadium concession stands.
 

MinneStoa said:
The student section is finally getting back to a decent turnout. Students are getting into it and staying for damn near the whole game.

The Metrodome was absolute garbage for student attendance. Whether you like to admit it or not, the students are the lifeblood of the crowd. No matter how much money you throw at the Metrodome, there's not a single scenario where it's better than TCF
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Exactly.
 

station19 said:
Why the he;; do people think these state fair food stands would open for 7 saturdays in the fall. There's a lot more to it than unlocking the door and locking the door. It's a whole different game than the stadium concession stands.
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It would have been 7 Saturday's and 10 NFL games plus concerts and more. Vendors would have found a way to open.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

DLguy said:
I am so lost. What are you talking about?
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The gophers cannot play home on Saturdays while during the dates of the fair. Kill had to fight for even a Thursday game. Those who earn from the fair made sure the fairgrounds was not an option for a joint stadium.
 



They could've renovated Memorial Stadium for 28 million based on a feasibility study initiated by the University Planning Committee. Giel sold out to the downtown rich asses ( Harvey McCay,Jay Dyer,,Rudy Luther,etc). There were a couple.of "Save Memorial Stadium Groups " out there, but the downtown money prevailed. The fu-ker's tore down piece of history that was "Gopher Football " It has come back to haunt us with an unbelievable curse. Deep in my heart I know Gopher Football will
NEVER get back to the glory days and you rose colored glasses fans are dreaming if you think so.
Kill couldn't do it, Clayes is a pipe dream. The "big guy " up there has sent a message.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
They could've renovated Memorial Stadium for 28 million based on a feasibility study initiated by the University Planning Committee. Giel sold out to the downtown rich asses ( Harvey McCay,Jay Dyer,,Rudy Luther,etc). There were a couple.of "Save Memorial Stadium Groups " out there, but the downtown money prevailed. The fu-ker's tore down piece of history that was "Gopher Football " It has come back to haunt us with an unbelievable curse. Deep in my heart I know Gopher Football will
NEVER get back to the glory days and you rose colored glasses fans are dreaming if you think so.
Kill couldn't do it, Clayes is a pipe dream. The "big guy " up there has sent a message.
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Was working for the Assistant Majority Leader of the Senate back in the 70's and that part is complete B.S. no matter how many times people want to spew out that old canard.

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/bo...92t-blame-Paul-Giel-for-end-of-the-brickhouse

Paul Giel spent many hours and days trying to get that money to re-model Memorial Stadium and back then the money was well under $28 million. He didn't "give-up" on it until the leaders at the U and the "Big Cigars" wanted it to go Downtown. You got some of those names right. All the reasons for going to the Dome weren't nefarious, but that's a battle that was lost to many years ago to be discussed again now.

As for the O.P.? getting in and out of Downtown was easier and the few horrible weather games were more comfortable.

That's about it though.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
Deep in my heart I know Gopher Football will EVER get back to the glory days and you rose colored glasses fans are dreaming if you think so.
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I agree with this, but it has nothing to do with the stadium they play in.
 

Unregistered User said:
Best site for the Vikings would have been Brookdale mall.

Burn that worthless mall to the ground, have great access to all areas of the 7 county metro area, ample room for parking and tailgating.

If I were king, I would have done it in a heartbeat.
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I thought the same thing when the whole process was being started. I wanted it to happen so I could have a few more restaurants in the area.
 

There are exactly 0 good reasons to have a stadium not on campus. If I were writing a guide of how to alienate the students and weaken the link between the football team and the school building an off campus stadium would be the first thing on it
 

I would not want to be in the Metrodome as suggested in OP. also, I don't think it makes sense to move a home game to US Bank Stadium either
 

tikited said:
I thought the same thing when the whole process was being started. I wanted it to happen so I could have a few more restaurants in the area.
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Is the 50s Grill not good enough for you?!
 

Meanwhile.....I'll take a TCF Stadium over a revamped Memorial Stadium any day!

Yes it was sad - the move off campus.

Always amused by Sid saying the stadium should be built on the St. Paul campus...as it would then be 'on campus'.
 


Iceland12 said:
Was working for the Assistant Majority Leader of the Senate back in the 70's and that part is complete B.S. no matter how many times people want to spew out that old canard.

http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/bo...92t-blame-Paul-Giel-for-end-of-the-brickhouse

Paul Giel spent many hours and days trying to get that money to re-model Memorial Stadium and back then the money was well under $28 million. He didn't "give-up" on it until the leaders at the U and the "Big Cigars" wanted it to go Downtown. You got some of those names right. All the reasons for going to the Dome weren't nefarious, but that's a battle that was lost to many years ago to be discussed again now.

As for the O.P.? getting in and out of Downtown was easier and the few horrible weather games were more comfortable.

That's about it though.
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I had some association with the Athletic Department during the Giel years in ass't AD Tom Greenhoe who was front Coon Rapids. The feasibility study was indeed 28 million
and 42 million if it was to be covered. Greenhoe indicated the Jay Dyer who was a big supporter of the football program who supplied Giel and the coaches with his own private plane pushed Giel unmercifully for the downtown location. Dyer was that era's version of T Denny Sanford. I loved Pul Giel, but he was out of his element as AD. He should have stayed at WCCO as being AD took a great toll
on his health. I will go to my death bed believing the Gophers would have excelled with a renovated Memorial Stadium.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
I had some association with the Athletic Department during the Giel years in ass't AD Tom Greenhoe who was front Coon Rapids. The feasibility study was indeed 28 million
and 42 million if it was to be covered. Greenhoe indicated the Jay Dyer who was a big supporter of the football program who supplied Giel and the coaches with his own private plane pushed Giel unmercifully for the downtown location. Dyer was that era's version of T Denny Sanford. I loved Pul Giel, but he was out of his element as AD. He should have stayed at WCCO as being AD took a great toll
on his health. I will go to my death bed believing the Gophers would have excelled with a renovated Memorial Stadium.
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The first number given to the Senate was much lower than $28 million, but that was much earlier than the one you are talking about. This was '74 maybe early '75. The number started to grow in direct proportion to the pressure to build the HHH. We were with the group who wanted to remodel Memorial Stadium and put a football stadium for the Vikings in Bloomington. We worked a lot of hours trying to drum up support for that plan. Just never could muster the votes. Once they stacked the Sports Commission, Bloomington and fans of Memorial Stadium had no chance.

Blaming Giel is sour grapes and completely wrong. Who should Giel have "stood up" too? His bosses at the U wanted the move, the big donors wanted the move and the public, those that were willing to spend any money at all, based on the mail/calls we were getting at the capitol, wanted the move. They didn't want to put millions into Memorial, they wanted the Gophers and Vikings to share stadium.

You got a lot of it right, but you are dead wrong on Giel. He fought for the remodel money until it couldn't happen. Then he did his job when he had no choice.

You would have had him resign instead. That was his only other choice and that wouldn't have changed things one iota.
 

Anything at the State Fair would have required the Ag Society to get over their pathological fear of taking state money.
 



MinneStoa said:
The Metrodome was absolute garbage for student attendance.
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That's actually not true at all. In the late Mason / early Brew era (like 03-07) the student section at the Dome was HUGE, much bigger than we have today.
 

Zeppelin Gopher said:
That's actually not true at all. In the late Mason / early Brew era (like 03-07) the student section at the Dome was HUGE, much bigger than we have today.
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I agree. The student section at the Metrodome was quite good during the years you listed above. That must be a common misconception as I have seen this discussed in other threads over the past few years. But, the student section was pretty good from 03-07 and I believe I have also heard the student tailgating scene was pretty good as well, during those same years. I do remember them bailing a bit early for my taste, which may have been a metrodome and shuttle bus factor.
 

I can confirm this as I worked for the ticket office. Most of those years the student season tickets were over 10,000. Many games had student tickets sales between 12-16k.
 

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