The HHH Metrodome - "Kinnick North"

[EMik21]

As some of you may know, the Metrodome, aka "Kinnick North" has been deflated and mostly gutted as of today. I just wanted to say that it may not have been the best Stadium to play in, but growing up with that place, I definitely have a ton of memories from there.

My dad took me to many Twins games growing up (the Dome is the same age I am) which allowed me to see many future Hall of Famers, a few MVP's, and a couple of Rookie of the Years actually play in their "rookie years", as well as Championship Twins teams in both '87 & '91.

I am not a Vikings fan, but we also made a few trips up there as they are my dads team, and that place would get loud for their Vikings.

While we all lived at home yet, we used to make it a family event and go to the Iowa and Minnesota football games every other year, and we were able to see some dang good Iowa Hawkeye football teams, and games, one of which being a Big Ten Championship.

The last time I was there, I was able to watch my younger brothers college baseball team start their season up there just before heading to Florida for spring. It was pretty cool to see him play where Kirby Puckett, Jack Morris and Joe Mauer played, and then see him turn a few double plays and then just about hit one out of the "Homer Dome".

If you were never able to experience 50,000+ wave the "Homer Hanky" at a Twins game, the deafening sound at a Vikings or Twins game, or the invasion of thousands, and I mean thousands of Iowa fans every other year to "Kinnick North", you missed out.

Anyways, sorry this is so long, but I just thought I would share a few things that I was able to see and experience up there and will miss. Thought I would post and see if anyone else had some good memories of going up there as well.

 

[atxhawk]

Iowa was 2-0 in the games I got to see there, including the infamous goalpost game.

 

[Xerxes]

Kinnick North, don't have a lot of great memories of that place really. More disappointment. Watched Iowa lose the outright B1G championship there in 1990, get clobbered in Fry's last game in 1998, and a heart-breaker in 2000 when Iowa was closing in on a 4-4 conference record that season and the wheels fell off in the 2nd half when the secondary lost Sanders.

Much more fun in 2002, 2004, missed the game in 2006 thankfully, but more fun in 2008.

However the lasting memory I'll take with me from HHH is what happened on January 17, 1999. NFC championship game. Not a Vike fan at all but got some really good seats with some buddies who were huge Viking fans. Almost sold my ticket prior to the game because people were offering well over $100 for nosebleeds but a buddy's Dad got them for us for a pretty steep price and didn't charge us so I just kept it.

I have never, ever seen a place as electric as that in my life. The entire first half was so loud at times it was painful. But in the second half, excitement slowly turned to nervous as the Falcons just wouldn't go away. You could feel it, sense it, almost like in was fate and nobody could stop it. Then Gary Anderson missed that chip shot FG late and everything turned. Fans instantly started turning. Literally 20 seconds before attempt, everyone was saying, "this is it, Super Bowl!!!" and so on. But once that ref signaled no good, it was like everybody watching a train wreck in slow motion.

You probably know the rest, Atlanta scored late, OT, Atlanta's 2nd possession was a slow but steady march to FG range and Morton Anderson ripped the heart out of roughly 60,000 people. I have never seen anything like it. Everyone just lowered their heads and headed for the exits. There were some boisterous fans hollering here and there about sitting on ball late in regulation but most just walked quietly. Like a funeral. I was afraid to say a word because I was one of the few that wasn't upset. Waited roughly and hour and half to get out of the parking lot and another 3 hours back to our college town and barely a word was spoken.

 

[woodyk1]

 

[SmokeTownHawk]

That first pic reminds me of the day I was in Indy when they deflated the RCA Dome.

Wonder if any Iowa fans up north were able to secure any mementos of the Homer Dome?
One of the best times I had with my kids was taking them to a preseason Vikings game in the dome a few years back.

 

[homes]

Those photos make Mpls look friggin freezing - oh, that's right, it is friggin freezing up there - and those pics are in July, right?

 

[HawkeyeShane]

Was it on purpose this time?

 

[Saginawbay]

Not 100% sure, but might be only stadium to host, World Series,Super Bowl, and Final Four.

 

[HawksMN]

Try not to overglorify a bonafide dump guys.
Place was known mostly for the mile long men's trough urinals.