With the status of the Metrodome still up in the air, unlike the, you know, ROOF of the Metrodome, it's looking more and more like TCF Bank Stadium will host the Vikings final home game of 2010. The Vikings are committed to playing their game that celebrates the 50th Anniversary Team at home in front of their fans, and have been in contact with TCF Bank Stadium officials to start getting the Gophers football stadium ready for use.
Although it has not been confirmed by the Vikings or the NFL, multiple Minneapolis media outlets are reporting that TCF is being prepped, and the Metrodome will not be ready.
If it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, ladies and gentlemen, it's a duck. More thoughts on the potential of an outdoor game after the jump. But first, take a look at one of the best homefield advantages in the history of the NFL:
The Vikings belong outside. I grew up going to Met Stadium as a kid, and it was part football, part hero worship, and part A Christmas Story all rolled into one. Met stadium was a convoluted erector set of a baseball stadium that could barely fit an NFL stadium into it, and the field was a long way away from the seats we got waaaaay down the first base line (about the 20 yard line), but I loved it.
As a kid you could go down by the first base dugout and watch the teams come out for warm ups. The Vikings would come out in their uniforms, no warm weather stuff on their half of the sideline (Both teams were on the same sideline, split at the 50), and go through their warm ups like it was August. The opponent would come out, head towards their sideline warmers, jump up and down to get the blood flowing, and hurry through their pre-game warmups. 9 times out of 10, the Vikings had won the game before the coin flip.
I remember one time against San Diego, the Chargers were already on the field, cowering against the wind and elements and struggling with the weather as they were going through their warmups. The Vikings came out like it was nothing, started their calisthenics, and then moved to individual drills like it was no big deal. The Chargers were shaking their heads in disbelief, and psychologically, the game was already over.
Everyone talks about the home-field advantage the Vikings have in the Metrodome, but how many Super Bowls have they gone to since they moved inside? What's that? None. In the Met, they went to four Super Bowls in 21 years.
With an entire generation-plus of Vikings fans growing up watching their team in the warm confines of the Metrodome, this will probably be a hard sell, but I LOVE the fact that the Vikings will probably be returning outside to play football.
For the celebration of the 50th Anniversary team, this just feels right, like coming home after being away for many years..
I hope outdoor football becomes permanent for the Vikings. In Minnesota.