Report: Bears-Vikings heading outdoors

[News Bot]

Though Bud Grant may not be coming out of retirement, tolerating the bone-chilling cold like an animal who has white hair not just on his head but all over his body, the Vikings will play a home game outdoors for the first time since December 20, 1981.* (They lost to the Chiefs that day, 10-6,…

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Source: ProFootballTalk.com

 

[longtimefan]

Thought it was winterized?

O well

Like to see Brett play

 

[News Bot]

Vikings pull plug on Metrodome, turn “full attention” to TCF Bank Stadium

The Minnesota Vikings have announced that the Metrodome, their home since 1982, will not be available for Monday night’s game against the Bears. “With Mall of America Field at the Metrodome now unavailable, we have turned our full attention to the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium,” the Vikings said in a statement released tonight.*…

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Source: ProFootballTalk.com

 

[Forget Favre]

I wonder how many lbs of snow fell in the MetroDump and what it would have done to players or anyone had it fallen on them?

 

[Kitten]

Thought it was winterized?

O well

Like to see Brett play

I thought it was winterized too, guess they unwinterized it or something. That stadium is small. I wonder how they are going to accomadate all the original ticket holders.

 

[longtimefan]

what is winterizing a stadium?

 

[Kitten]

what is winterizing a stadium?

I'm not sure all it involves but I would think in the least it would mean covering up the seats/ field, closing up the concession stands and such and generally locking the place down for the winter as nobody really plays there out of season anyway. I wonder how fast it can be un-winterized?

Edit: Did some research on winterizing

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/109345819.html

Workers have been busy winterizing Minnesota's first outdoor major league ballpark in three decades, draining fixtures in restrooms and concession stands, and wrapping all those outdoor TVs with special blankets.

TCF Bank Stadium will host Vikings game | mndaily.com - Serving the University of Minnesota Community Since 1900

In addition to the biting cold and the snow piled up from a two-day blizzard that dumped 17 inches on the Twin Cities over the weekend, workers at TCF Bank Stadium must also de-winterize the facility, which was shuttered for the season after the Gophers football team finished its season.
About one quarter of the field had been shoveled by Tuesday afternoon, Gophers football spokesman Andy Seeley said.
“We have to get all the systems in the stadium back online -- all the bathrooms, all the concession stands and everywhere the fans would be,” Athletics spokesman Garry Bowman said.

I think (don't have a source) they drain the pipes in the bathrooms and such so they don't freeze and burst. Winterizing and de-winterizing a stadium is no easy task. Snow removal alone will be time consuming.

 

[ivo610]

one of the biggest issues is going to be getting the field ready as its not meant for this cold of play

 

[ivo610]

also wondering how you tell 20,000 fans or so that they dont have tickets. No wonder they have problems selling season tickets.

 

[Kitten]

also wondering how you tell 20,000 fans or so that they dont have tickets. No wonder they have problems selling season tickets.

That's a very good question. According to one of the above sites I posted, that stadium seats 15,000 less than the Metrodome. Somebody is going to get shafted? Bears fans?

 

[longtimefan]

They are asking fans to come and shovel out the stadium

Lets see how many show up

 

[ivo610]

so are we... guess 10x as many packer fans show up?

 

[Green_Bay_Packers]

I got about 5 Vikings fan, thats my guess