Vikings Stadium Miscellaneous Discussion

[mullen]

the point is 3M stadium or U.S. Bank stadium will be fully capable of hosting many different events. to be functional every day of the year. which was the whole selling point of funneling so much tax money it's way.

3M or U.S. bank. my two favorites to get the naming rights!

[MNdible]

Per Zygmunt, it will be THE MOST FLEXIBLE STADIUM IN THE WORLD EVER. So anything is possible.

[612transplant]

To LeSueur--

I come here for updates, too, but it seems to be status quo to derail threads around here. I'm not pointing any fingers, but very few posters are immune. The mods can move the discussion wherever they see fit, but I do ask that they be "equal opportunity" about that and move the (numerous) other sidetracks that are not related directly to the specific thread. I'll point you in the direction of the Transportation subforum for a few good ones, if they have trouble locating them. Sorry....end rant.

[RailBaronYarr]

Again, is it complicated? Yes. But is MLB going to bypass markets with better facilities for New York or Florida? No.

The MLB is focused on showing off world-class MLB facilities. They've (rightly) recognized that the pastime of outdoor baseball, in baseball venues, is what sells the emotion of the game (the crack of the bat, smell of a hot dog, open air, etc that the Twins so marvelously marketed with Target Field). They will absolutely pass up a "better" facility (let's assume this stadium DID have an optimal baseball configuration) for any classic MLB park or city, New York, Boston, LA, etc included. That's why it wasn't worth it to the Wilfs to make a design that would accommodate an MLB-sized field - they knew if they put the extra money in they would still not likely host a big event like an ASG.

Sorry to anyone who thinks a discussion about whether the Vikings Stadium will or won't host an All Star Game is off-topic. People come here for updates on certain topics, but then also to discuss opinions on said updates or throw out possibilities. If a few posts makes internet life that rough, again, I apologize.

[ztr421]

So I have a baseball question related to the actual design of the stadium *ahem*...

Sometime in the past few months there was a bit of drama because the UofM was upset that the stadium wasn't going to be designed to accommodate their baseball games, so the designers confirmed that the stadium would have the convertibility option that was recently unveiled. But when did the UofM get to have a say in this, and why isn't it just being designed as a football stadium? I'm just curious, not meaning to sound accusatory toward the UofM...but I seem to remember a lot of criticism of the Dome and the awkward way the football-to-baseball conversion took out seats and left that big blank wall, so I was surprised that the Vikings would want to go that route again.

[Tyler]

- The awkwardness is when you're watching baseball. The football experience is minimally impacted.
- The dome is used for a bunch of baseball games now. Losing an indoor baseball facility would be a pain for U of M and others.
- The vikings spewed tons of crap about how they would hardly use the stadium, it would be a community asset, it would get use almost every day, etc. There is no way they were going to be able to prevent a baseball dual use given all that talk. It was a huge part of their marketing.

[mullen]

it's the only way to configure the stadium to resemble an acceptable baseball field. they need moveable seats. the U has a say because its in the language of the legislation. it has to accomodate multiple users, not just the Vikings.

[ztr421]

it's the only way to configure the stadium to resemble an acceptable baseball field. they need moveable seats. the U has a say because its in the language of the legislation. it has to accomodate multiple users, not just the Vikings.

Ah - I figured it was something like that. Thanks!

[Nick]

Summary of above:
Could the MLB ASG ever be held in the Vikings Stadium?
Um probably not.
Oh I looked it up definitely not. -Ze End

What he said.

Sorry, was on a hot date last night so I didn't get a chance to check the forum for a while. Can we all pretend to not take things SUPER SERIOUSLY HOW DAAAAAARE YOU INSULT MY HONOR all the time? I don't know why it's 2013 and people are still abrasively arguing on the Internet. Jeez.

[sanchopanza]

This stadium is really a winter baseball stadium for the upper midwest. The Vikings will just play in it 10 times a year.

Here is an excerpt from when the snow collapsed the roof in 2010:
Lester said the Metrodome typically hosts hundreds of college baseball games in early spring as teams throughout the Upper Midwest look for a place to play before the snow melts.

He said about 300 baseball games were scheduled for February and March in the dome, including about 40 University of Minnesota games and 250 small college games. A few high school games were also scheduled.

"We play a very heavy baseball schedule in February," Lester said, with games typically scheduled from 8 a.m. to midnight several days a week.

Granted the Gophers will now use Siebert field for their games but it is still alot of baseball.

Peewaukee (WI) High School has rented the Metrodome on Saturday (5/25) from 2:30 to 7:30.

[RailBaronYarr]

Gophers had Siebert Field before, they just upgraded the playing surface and seating/food infrastructure. The number of games played in the new stadium will likely be the same as before.

[go4guy]

Gophers had Siebert Field before, they just upgraded the playing surface and seating/food infrastructure. The number of games played in the new stadium will likely be the same as before.

The last few years before the new stadium was built they were not able to play at Seibert because the structure was in such bad shape.

[612transplant]

They've (rightly) recognized that the pastime of outdoor baseball, in baseball venues, is what sells the emotion of the game (the crack of the bat, smell of a hot dog, open air, etc that the Twins so marvelously marketed with Target Field).

Outdoor baseball? They've hosted numerous AS games in indoor facilities, or in retractable roof facilities with the roof shut. How is the Vikings stadium hypothetically any different?

They don't care about the game being indoors or outdoors, unless the weather's bad: then they want it indoors. The Twins were able to market Target Field because the Metrodome was such a worn and tired baseball facility, and-- if you'll recall-- marketing Target Field was probably the best spin-doctoring in local sports history: Let's lobby for 10+ years for a new stadium that is a.) retractable roof, and b.) on riverfront property, and then pretend like the outdoor ballpark next door to the trash burner is what we wanted all along, when it's the only thing we end up getting....

[612transplant]

Can we all pretend to not take things SUPER SERIOUSLY HOW DAAAAAARE YOU INSULT MY HONOR all the time?

Where did this happen?

[Ubermoose]

Outdoor baseball? They've hosted numerous AS games in indoor facilities, or in retractable roof facilities with the roof shut. How is the Vikings stadium hypothetically any different?

While they will be able to host college baseball and many high shool games, this is not a major league baseball stadium. It barely makes the credentials for college baseball. It is too small of a field for the major leagues. They will never host an all star game. The only stadium that will host an all star is Target Field next year. Beyond that, you can wait unil about 2045 for another one. They pretty much use these as a reward for new stadium construction or major stadium upgrades. There are 30 teams in baseball, so you can bet that every couple of years there are stadiums having work done or being replaced. There are a few exceptions, usually the iconoc stadiums like Wrigley Field or Dodger Stadium, but not many.

[nordeast homer]

I'm certainly not trying to put anyone down, but why would anyone ever think they would play an MLB All Star game here? In order to play a game like that, the stadium would have to be the HOME of a professional baseball team. It's a non-starter.

[612transplant]

Ubermoose, if you read the entire discussion, you'll find that you've pretty much summarized my own position on this.

Nordeast Homer, no reason to worry about put-downs. I posed the question *very* speculatively-- it is something that I thought would be cool to see, not necessarily likely. I even acknowledged-- in my first post-- that I do not know if there is a set rule in the commissioner's office about AS venues being home venues of MLB franchises, or whether it is implied, and something that can be avoided.

At any rate, it's been correctly pointed out that the dimensions of the field don't allow for major league play, which I was not aware of when making the post. I still think it'd be a cool venue to host an AS Game in besides that, but I've pretty much just been arguing in hypotheticals, not necessarily expecting it to happen....

[Rich]

The NBA routinely holds its All Star Game in non-NBA venues. The 2010 game was at Cowboys stadium. It's also been at the Silverdome, Hoosierdome and Astrodome.

[nordeast homer]

With regards to the clear panels on the stadium, does anyone know if these will be inserted into a frame like window, or will this be stretched over a frame like you would with a fabric? All of the images make it look rigid, but if you look at other facilities that use it, the product looks more like a fabric. Any insights?

[Rich]

There's a lot of insight in this article, written by a member of the Stadium Implementation Committee. Here's a key quote:

"It’s important to note that there was no committee like this one when the Metrodome was built. In fact, the visionaries, who probably met at the Minneapolis Club, didn’t want development around the stadium for fear that it would distract people away from the core downtown with its burgeoning restaurant and theater district. They wanted fans to drive in, tailgate in the vacant lots and drive out again. Until fairly recently city ordinance discouraged retail development in Downtown East."

Read the whole thing.

http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy ... e-together

More stuff here:

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/PeoplesStadium