In case you hadn't already heard or you had no idea what it meant, the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis Minnesota collapsed on Sunday. It had been leaking since two feet of snow were dumped over the area on Friday. I lived in Minnesota for years, and am a huge fan of the Minnesota Vikings, the principal professional sports team that uses the facilities at the Dome (the Minnesota Twins played there until Target Field was built last year).
I'm not shocked in the least bit. Why? You might ask. Because, I would tell you, whatever engineer designed that building was a moron. The roof is made of Teflon cloth, which is space age enough, I suppose, but what supports it? What keeps it from sagging in the middle? You would think steel girders of some kind would provide the structural integrity to hold the roof up in adverse conditions, or at least some kind of flying butress system that would support the weight from outside, using steel cabling to connect to the panels. But no. The roof of the Metrodome is supported by air pressure. This brilliant idea means that the roof has collapsed no less than 5 times since the Dome was built.
I could go on about this a lot longer, because there are many implications behind this newest occurrence, some good, some bad. Hopefully it means the Vikings will get a new stadium with a retractable roof that can support its own weight. The terrible thing, for now, is that the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants that was supposed to be played at the Metrodome on Sunday will now be played tonight, in Detroit. Anyone who knows anything about football knows what a huge unfair advantage that is for the Giants. And how badly it screws other teams over. The Vikings don't really matter because they are essentially mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but what about NFC East teams like Philadelphia and Dallas? Or teams with better records than the Giants, like New Orleans and Atlanta? Suddenly the Giants have to play one less away game than everybody else.
Not fair. Anyway, here endeth the rant. Enjoy this aerial photo of the Dome's collapsed roof for a moment before you head to the next blog:
47 comments:
I have trouble believing they didn't plan for the possibility of SNOW when designing that roof. It's not like this stadium is in Florida where the chance of snow is limited.
I don't get it, but the video of the collapse is kinda cool
That's exactly my point! What kind of moron builds that kind of building in a place where you are guaranteed to get FEET of snow EVERY year? Thanks Vicki.
Wow! That was a spectacular collapse.
I don't know what the weather in the winter is like in Minnesota very well but if it's anything like the weather we get here that just doesn't make sense to build something so prone to collapsing.
Yeah, I agree.
They were playing that video all yesterday during the NFL coverage--wild.
I think it is a hint that Viking games should be played in outdoor stadiums--like in the old days.
The Giants would have won it anyways! (and I am not a Giants fan)
Watched the video yesterday morning - almost surreal. Yeah, seems like a bad idea to me.
I saw that!! You sound just like my husband--and my seventeen-year-old son. I think you'd all get along. lol
I have to agree, it's hard to imagine not planning for snow. That video is unreal.
GO DOLPHINS--er, uh, next year.
That was unreal. The Vikings have no home now. The guy that designed it, knowing the weather Minnesota gets, well, maybe he thought he was all that. It turns out at least in this case, he wasn't. The picture after the fact. UNBELIEVABLE!
Oh man. I heard about it but didn't see it until now. I bet the New Meds boys will be sad!
Isn't the point of a roof to keep out the bad weather? It looks like it was built out of that parachute material we played under in gym class. Sad--the home field advantage is so important in football.
wait!
they have SNOW in minnesota????
when did THAT happen?
YES-- we were totally having this conversation yesterday while watching the Brownies play-duh!
hope nobody was hurt!
I didn't realize the roof had collapsed several times before. That's crazy...On a sidenote, as an Eagles fan, I need to be a Vikings fan for today. This is a big deal given my hatred for Brett Farve. So Go Vikings!
Favre probably won't even play, but I hear you Lisa, this game in Detroit is so unfair for people like you. The Eagles are getting screwed here!
Wow! We've had the same problem with our inflatable soccer domes. Snow can make a mess of all kinds of things. But disasters like this can be avoided if someone uses his brain first in the decision making process.
I guesss as so long as no-one was hurt!!
Take care
x
Well, at least the engineer can take credit for a FFFU (full-fledged f* up) instead of a half-assed one.
That's the best silver lining I could come up with. =)
This really does blow.
I've made cakes like that.
I did always think it looked like an extremely flimsy roof to have over a place that houses thousands of people at any one given point in time.
But it makes for an awesome video though!
Hello, Minnesota, snow, what fool came up with that design?
hi mr matthew! i saw that on tv when me and my brothers got watching football. yikes! it got collapsed down so much times. how come the didnt change it out after that first time. we got some cousins that live there and wow their soooo mad cause they got season tickets and for sure theyre not going at detroit for that game. they said the tickets at detroit are free. that picture looks like something my brother cooked one time. ack!
Maybe the engineer was from Miami and the snow thing didn't occur?? ;) It blows your mind sometimes, doesn't it? What were they thinking?
--Hilary
I was hearing about this on the radio this morning and wanted to see the video. As always a blogger friend comes through. It looked like a movie special effect -- pretty wild! Not good planning for sure.
Lee
Tossing It Out
on one hand, it's pretty awesome because the snow storm was Epic. The snow is up to the windows in my office. It's crazy!
On the other hand, though. It's just embarrasing. It's like a visual representation of the whole Vikings season
Okay, I know nothing about how to build a dome. But I do live 1 1/2 hours from the dome and 22 inches in 24 hours BLEW every record out of the water - the most ever recorded (this is Eau Claire, WI) was 15.5 inches in that amount of time.
So, yes, we're used to snow. But as someone who hasn't been able to even convince a plow to come to her house in the last 48 hours because they're refusing to plow, the snow is so high - this is ridiculous.
And I know people are going to worry about football. But if anyone has some time to the think about people who can't get to a store to get food or medicine, farmers who can't get food to their animals, and anyone who has insufficient housing with snow past their windows and winds bringing temps. to 35 below - we'd sure appreciate it.
Um-that's not a rant. It was just a request. :)
erica
You know, I wondered that too. About the middle support especially after they said, on the news, about how this isn't the first time. Well...firstly, someone should have spoken up when this thing went up the first time. But after it fell in once, you'd think someone would have raised their hand. You know? How many times does this thing have to fall in?
I saw the video last night but I hadn't seen the picture of the outside! That is nuts!!
OMG! Who makes a freaking roof out of fabric? LOL
I can understand building a roof like this somewhere where the weather is generally hot and dry, like, say, Arizona or Nevada. But in Minneapolis? Where it rains and snows and ices? That just doesn't seem very smart.
Unbelievable. Truly, unbelievable.
Whoa, no I hadn’t heard. The is a awesomely eerie video.
I visited St. PAul on business a few years back and saw a Twins/Royals game. It was quite an experience seeing a roof supported by air. Saw the clip on ESPN last night. Good thing no one was on the field at the time.
One of the top 5 blizzards of all time here!! WOOT WOOT!! I was expecting something epic like that to happen and Minnesota, you did not disappoint! I heart/loathe you.
Fortunately it didn't happen during a game, with the stand full of people.
Pro-soccer in Europe, South America and Africa has had some really bad stadium collapses and stadium fires that killed lots of people.
Cold As Heaven
Hmm. A little common sense in the planning of that dome might have helped, LOL!
Fun fact for you: the owners of the Vikings are a Contracting company owning brother team from North Jersey who are avid Giants Fans. I guess they don't care who wins the game either.
Interesting. I knew the Wilfs were from Jersey, but had no idea they were Giants fans.
I am a Giants fan and remember the announcers talking about that a few years ago during a game at the meadowlands. They were joking about the one brother standing on the sidelines instead of his season pass heated box.
I guess that he really doesn't care who wins or loses those games.
Wow, that's really scary. I hope noone got hurt - sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!
That video is crazy! I don't know why no one thought about the possibility of snow.. seems like common sense.
Wow! That's crazy. I know nothing about football or architecture, but seriously...it doesn't take a genius to figure out that if the roof keeps collapsing, maybe they should come up with a better system.
Seems to me they need some new engineers...
My first thought was, thank goodness that didn't happen in the middle of a game! But man, that video is wild. Can't speak to the unfair advantage as I don't know much about the Giants of Vikings or even football, but it does seem like it might be disappointing to fans.
mer mer mer snow, mer mer mer roof collapse, mer mer mer something about unfair advantage...
did you just say a buncha stuff about the NFL???
j/k--that happened at the Superdome during Katrina. Roof leaked.
that's all I got. Geaux, Tigers~ ;p
You have every right to complain about how unfair this is toward the Vikings and how much it helps the Giants. Heck I complained and whined cuz I'm an Eagles fan. I hope Peterson has 250 yards and 3 tds. :) That would definitely help me in fantasy, lol
I saw metrodome from work yesterday. I have to say that with the roof collapsed it makes it look like a really cheap stadium. Going to Twins games at Target field is way better than the Dome.
hadn't seen the arial photo - kinda cool actually - and thank you. I've often wondered what idiot came up with that idea- so glad I'm not the only one
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