This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It will be the last time that the Vikings play football there. The Metrodome will cease to be in a couple of months. Construction on a new stadium started a couple of weeks ago. When the Metrodome comes down only memories will remain.
The Vikings held a fan vote to determine the best Vikings players to play in the Metrodome.
The All-Metrodome team:
QB Daunte Culpepper
RB Adrian Peterson
RB Robert Smith
WR Cris Carter
WR Randy Moss
WR Anthony Carter
TE Steve Jordan
T Gary Zimmerman
T Tim Irwin
G Randall McDaniel
G Steve Hutchinson
C Matt Birk
DE Chris Doleman
DE Jared Allen
DT John Randle
DT Kevin Williams
LB Chad Greenway
LB Scott Studwell
LB Ed McDaniel
CB Antoine Winfield
CB Carl Lee
S Joey Browner
S Robert Griffith
Ret Percy Harvin
P Chris Kluwe
K Ryan Longwell
ST Chris Walsh
The Vikings experienced their "glory days" from 1969-76. They reached four Super Bowls. Three in a four-year span from 1973-76. While the Vikings never made it to the Super Bowl during their time indoors at the Metrodome, they had some great teams. 1998 and 2009, in particular. The Vikings had some fantastic football players take the field in the dome. This All-Metrodome team is a great team. Cris Carter, Gary Zimmerman, Randall McDaniel, Chris Doleman, and John Randle have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Adrian Peterson, Steve Hutchinson, and Jared Allen will be. Kevin Williams might be. Joey Browner should be.
The Merodome was a dump but it was home. Many of the best memories probably came form that magical 1998 season. 15-1. Rookie receiver Randy Moss made an already explosive offense nearly unstoppable. The Vikings scored more points during that season than any team in NFL history. That season had many of the best memories. It also had the single worst memory. Kicker Gary Anderson's missed field goal in the NFC Championship game was his only miss of the season. Adrian Peterson gained an NFL record 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers in 2007. That was in the dome. Peterson and Moss were instant highlights. Every catch by Cris Carter was art. There were two plays of 99 yards from scrimmage in the dome. One for the Vikings and one against. Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett ran through 99 yards of Vikings defenders on a Monday Night in 1983. That was the Metrodome's inaugural season. A quarter century later the Vikings had one of their own. Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian combined for a 99 yard catch and run against the Chicago Bears in 2008. Great players. Great times. Only a Super Bowl was missing from the Metrodome years.
I was only in the Metrodome once. It was in 2001. It wasn't for a Vikings game. It wasn't even for a football game. I was at the 2001 NCAA Final Four. I saw Duke, Arizona, Michigan St., and Maryland play basketball in the place that the Vikings called home. I watched basketball but imagined football. I was in the home of the Minnesota Vikings. I also visited the site of their previous home. The Mall of America is on the land that once held Metropolitan Stadium. Both places hold memories. I hope to finally see a Vikings game in Minnesota when their new home is finished. I've put it off for far too long.
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