November 21st

End of an Era

This Saturday night marks the last time that the University of Minnesota will play host to a football game off campus and at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. This, as marked on the plastic collector schedule glasses handed out on every soft drink sold at the Dome this season, is "The End of an Era", and for many it's an Era that couldn't have ended sooner.

The Era, of course, is the non-collegete indoor football environment that's perfect for a NFL team like the Vikings, whom the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was built for, but not the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Like most Gopher football fans I could go on a five-page rant on why the Dome isn't and wasn't a good home for Goldy, but it's nothing that hasn't been discussed and voiced over the last 26 years.

It's sad to say, but there's a generation of Gopher Football Fans, not to mention all the University Graduates, that haven't experienced a home game outside and on campus. The last graduating class to walk from their doom room to Memorial Stadium, and maybe stop at Stub n' Herbs for a burger and beer before hand, are in their mid to late 40's and might have taken their kids to a Gopher game at the Dome or had one already graduate from the U without knowing the experience of a home game on campus.

While I don't remember a whole lot about "The Old Brickhouse" I do remember my dad taking me to a few games at that big stadium across from "The Barn" and sitting on a wooden bench. Most of my Gopher football memories revolve around going downtown to the Dome. I wasn't at the Nebraska slaughter in which the starters were still in game in the fourth quarter because 'Huskers coach Tom Osborn (well known for running up the score) wanted his running back to get 30 carries, but I do remember Ricky Foggie directing the offense, Darryl Thompson running out of the backfield, "Air Wacker" and those 56-52 games against Purdue, handing Wisconsin there only loss in 1993, beating Iowa for the PIg and seeing the Iowa bumble bee vans parked on the street outside the Dome, along with all those night games in the mid 90's, the 4th quarter collapse against Michigan in '03 and several other both good and bad memories that would fill more then 10 pages.

The question that has been asked over the last quarter century plus is, "Why did the Gophers move to the Metrodome when they already had a stadium to play in?" I don't know if there's really been a good answer given, by either the University or somebody else, but surly if the U knew then what they know now, either Memorial Stadium, or a renovated one would still be standing across from Williams Arena in Stadium Village.

As it stands the U will have that on campus stadium across from Williams Arena, just on the other side so to speak. While it might be a sign of the times, or the only way for the University to get public money to build the stadium, current season ticket holders who want their same seats, or to upgrade to better ones, have to pay a per seat charge. To be guaranteed a seat between the 40 yard lines is $500, and between the 20 yard lines it's $250 per seat. The New Yankee Stadium in New York, along with a few other new stadiums, have adopted this same "Fee" and in some cases it's been more. It's been suggested that this "Fee" is the team's/University's way of coming up with their share of the money, otherwise they would've had to ask for more public money and the stadium bond/bill might not have passed, etc... but no concrete reason has really been given. The bottom line is Gopher football season ticket holders who want to either keep their same seats or upgrade to better ones will have to pay either $250 or $500 per seat per year for the privilege of close good seats. (Unlike the one-time fee that was associated with the Williams Arena renovation back in the early 90's to guarantee first deck seats.) An interesting question is, what if you decide to pay the $500 for two-years then change your mind? Does that mean you're moved out of those seats and to the back of the season ticket holder line and reassigned seats in the back row of the end zone?

That along with several other questions have yet to be answered regarding TCF Bank Stadium, like if Alcohol will be served only in the suites or if the whole stadium will by dry?

Back in the days of Memorial Stadium (and Williams Arena) the ushers would give the adults a pass (allow them to leave) at halftime to walk across the street to Stub n' Herbs so they could get a "beverage" and get back in to watch the second half (I believe it was the firehouse with Williams Arena). Chances are that probably won't happen, as Stub n' Herbs is a few blocks away, so maybe it's fitting that for the final Gopher Football game at the Dome the adults will be able to enjoy a "beverage" to not only rejoice finally getting out of downtown and back on campus, but to celebrate and remember the past 26 years of Gopher Football and "The End of an Era" at the Dome.