The Metrodome Roof Came Tumblin’ Down On This Day In 2010

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was a polarizing place during its relatively brief existence from 1982-2013. For most, it was a boring and sterile building that never really had a prime in the first place and was clearly outdated by the mid-1990's.

As far as I am concerned, the Dome was great! Instead of VIP areas, suites, lounges and selfie spots, people went to the Metrodome to actually cheer on the team and-gasp- watch the game itself. I know, it's crazy.

The Twins, Vikings and Gophers petitioned for years to get new stadiums. The Twins' stadium was approved in 2006 and Target Field opened in 2010. The Gophers also had a new stadium approved in 2006 opened what was then known as TCF Bank Stadium (now Huntington Bank) in 2009.

However, the Vikings were still working their way through the legislature in trying to get funding for a stadium of their own, as their Metrodome lease expired in 2012. While they eventually had funding approved for the new stadium in the spring of 2012, it was an incident in 2010 that may have been a main catalyst in getting the stadium deal done.

On December 12th, 2010, Minneapolis experienced a major snowstorm. During the storm, accumulating snow and ice caused the Metrodome's roof to collapse, sending snow streaming into the building.

Pete Eisenschenk was a member of the Metrodome Operations team and is the guy you see cruising off the field on a forklift just before the snow falls.

From the Minnesota Vikings website (Vikings.com):

"I heard a slide on the opposite side of the roof, on the west side of the building, and that was followed by an immense explosion. All I could see was black sky. I was on that forklift and by the time I got to the ramp itself, the [roof] was down. I wasn't looking back. I was just in a hurry to get out of there.

The explosion was extremely loud. It sounded like a bomb going off because we had so much tension on the roof, trying to hold the roof up, so it just literally exploded. I think the ice, as it slid down it, it cut the roof and then it blew up, kind of like a ginormous balloon, if you will. […] I knew it could be a dangerous circumstance. That possibility was in the back of my mind, but at that given moment, I didn't think the roof was going to blow like it did in all honesty.

"What I did, as I took off on that forklift, I looked up at the field clock thinking, 'I'm going to die just after 5 in the morning.' That's what I thought: 'If I don't make this run, I won't make it out of here.' It was frightening."

The game planned for that weekend against the New York Giants was moved to Detroit's Ford Field and was played on a Monday night. That game is perhaps most remembered for it being the end of Brett Favre's streak of 297 consecutive games played, as he was dealing with a shoulder injury.

The Vikings' game the next week had to be moved to TCF Bank Stadium, which was no easy feat. First of all, the field was absolutely swamped with over four feet of snow- after all, no one expected anyone to use it until the following fall.

Second, the field was not yet heated, so the crew at TCF Bank Stadium covered the field with giant tarps and stuck big heaters under the tarps for three days. While that may have temporarily thawed the field before the game, it did nothing to keep it from freezing solid after the tarps were removed.

Third, the open-air stadium had been winterized, meaning the plumbing in the seating areas and even the locker rooms was not immediately fully-functional.

Fourth, there was a another big snowstorm during the game itself, which the Bears won 40-14.

After the Vikings' new stadium was approved, the team returned to TCF Bank Stadium for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.