What do you miss most about Gopher games at the Metrodome?

TheNorthernAmir

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Love it or hate it, it's a Minnesota sports icon and had a distinct feel.

I was young when my family had season tickets, but I vaguely remember the entire student section "bouncing" during the 1st down chants.
 








Other than the Dome Dog, GLC tailgating scene was awesome! Right outside the Dome. Often, you could connect with players families. Also a young (at that time) and courageous man named Nick. Despite physical limitations had so much hope and zeal for life!

Watching Sid run from his parking spot into the Dome with a pen, pad, and tape recorder was also a treat!
 

We had season tickets about halfway up in the endzone (the one opposite the student section), but we almost never sat there. We'd go down to the other end and sit in the corner that had seats that were basically padded folding chairs. Much more comfy.
 




Being blown out the doors was fun. Dome was also good when the weather was really really really bad. Outside of that though it sucked for Gopher Football.

I do have some fond memories of the dome from 1991 but those are related to baseball not football.
 


Let me quote 70’s one-hit wonder Edwin Starr: “Absolutely nothing”!
 



We had season tickets about halfway up in the endzone (the one opposite the student section), but we almost never sat there. We'd go down to the other end and sit in the corner that had seats that were basically padded folding chairs. Much more comfy.

I remember being able to move anywhere during some blowout games. Fun stuff.
 




Pee sword fights in the troughs with my buddies.
wtf-what-the-fuck.gif
 


I miss a few things. Take it or leave it, the dome sucked but it is my all-time favorite sports venue. It just felt like home.

Things I miss is no random order:
1) Laurence Maroney
2) My seat location (about 15 rows up, dead center of the end zone)
3) I love the outdoor football aspect, but the peace of mind of knowing whether it is hot, cold, rainy, snowy, etc all I had to do was go from my parking spot to the dome entrance and I would be set for the next 3-4 hours.
4) As @tikited said... being younger


So many things about TCF... I mean Huntington Bank Stadium are better and create such a better game day experience, but I still hold the dome memories - Gopher, Vikings, Twins, Monster Jam, Prep Bowls, NCAA Tournaments with friends in high school, concerts, etc tightly. It seemed like growing up if there was an event going on, it was at the dome.
 

1. The people with season tickets next to me. John & Terri were awesome. We sat next to each other from 2000 through 2008. When my wife gave birth to our first 2 kids they actually bought Gopher outfits for them and gave them to us as gifts. Unfortunately they were on vacation the last 2 games in the Metrodome. I gave my contact information to their son-in-law that was using the seats and told him to have John get in touch with me so we could coordinate our seats at TCF. He assured me he would but I never heard from John. To this day I have never seen him or his wife at TCF/Huntington Bank Stadium. Sadly, it's been so long they probably wouldn't recognize me anymore. They were in their young 60's at the time so they might have given them up too. Anyway, I've never been able to bond with other holders next to me in the same fashion. BilldGopher is an exception....but he doesn't sit next to me, only on the other end of the section.

2. Dome Dog is 100x better than whatever crap that is that Aramark is serving up as a hot dog.

3. I miss the guy that would sing Hail Minnesota at halftime. Man, I'm forgetting his name at the moment. Forgive me for getting old.
 
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I miss the cheap beer. Oh, wait they didn't have cheap beer.
 



Being blown out the doors was fun. Dome was also good when the weather was really really really bad. Outside of that though it sucked for Gopher Football.

I do have some fond memories of the dome from 1991 but those are related to baseball not football.
Honestly, some of my favorite memories are from the terrible weather games at TCF

The game that got delayed because the rain was so bad (SJSU I think with the 1 Streveler competition), Indiana Friday night rain, cold Halloween MSU, even frigid Iowa.

Those games would probably be nondescript if at the Dome.
 




There were some fun times there but there's really nothing about the building I miss. I guess if I had to pick something is it was warm on cold days.
 





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