MNF at TCF
A week ago today, TCF Bank Stadium sat covered in up to twenty inches of snow. Tomorrow night, "The Bank" will host a historic Monday Night Football game. After much hard work and preparation on the part of numerous volunteers and officials, football will now be played in Minneapolis for the celebration of 50 years of Vikings football. Enough cannot be said about the significance of this game, which is the first Vikings home game played outdoors in nearly 30 years. On top of this, the game is set in primetime as a nationally televised game. As a natural Minnesota sports fan and student at the University of Minnesota, the result of the game is probably the least important aspect of the night. The 50 greatest Vikings in history will be honored tomorrow night, and I can't think of a greater site to host such an event. This will most likely never be seen again, and I'm glad I can say I witnessed it.
The actual game provides a less exciting storyline, pitting the dismantled Vikings against the division leading Chicago Bears. To put it in perspective, Rookie 6th round pick Joe Webb will start at Quarterback for the Vikings, in a game that would mean nearly nothing if it weren't being played on Monday Night Football at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings were allowed on the turf at TCF on Sunday for the first time, after preparation for the game lasted the entire week. Although long hours were spent on field preparation, Punter Chris Kluwe was less than pleased with its condition, stating on his Twitter account how the field was as hard as concrete, and that players could severely injure themselves. League officials and experts claim the opposite, and feel that the field is ready to host such an important event. It should be interesting to see how the frozen tundra of Minneapolis treats these visiting professionals in a Monday Night showcase.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday Sound Off 12/12
Bursting Our Bubble
Twenty inches of snow and an already postponed Vikings game was just too much for the Metrodome to handle, as the roof collapsed at approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. The Minnesota Vikings had already postponed their matchup with the New York Giants until Monday due to the blizzard conditions in the Twin Cities, making travel for the Giants extremely difficult. In the early morning after this announcement was made, the Teflon roof of the facility came crashing down under the enormous amounts of snow that had accumulated during the storm. After the roof flattened, the fabric of the dome began to tear and allow a large amount of snow to spill into the stadium. Indoor cameras were able to capture the event as the prospect of playing an NFL game in the dome the next day became unthinkable. The NFL then decided that the best viable option for completing this game would be to have it played at Ford Field in Detroit, the home of the Detroit Lions. The idea of hosting the game at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium came up as well, but was shot down due to the unpreparedness of the stadium, and the amount of time allotted to complete the game. So the game will thus be played at a seemingly neutral site in Detroit at 6:20 central time Monday night.
The interesting part about this whole occurrence really isn't about the collapse of the Metrodome, but the timing of it all. Quarterback Brett Favre told Ed Werder today that he would not have played if the game would have been played as scheduled. Now, with the game not being until Monday night, Favre's prospect of playing is given another day. The other dimension of this comes in the outlook of the NFC North. With the Vikings sitting home on Sunday, unable to be in action, they were able to watch the two teams ahead of them lose. Both the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers lost on Sunday, which makes the Monday night game at Ford Field even more important for the Vikings. With a win, the Vikings would move to 6-7, and hope to welcome the division leading Bears to the repaired Metrodome next Monday night. Although the Vikings must win out to have any chance at making the playoffs, I think their main concern right now should be what this collapse does for their hopes of a new stadium. Los Angeles is calling, and their stadium doesn't have a huge hole to fill.
Twenty inches of snow and an already postponed Vikings game was just too much for the Metrodome to handle, as the roof collapsed at approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. The Minnesota Vikings had already postponed their matchup with the New York Giants until Monday due to the blizzard conditions in the Twin Cities, making travel for the Giants extremely difficult. In the early morning after this announcement was made, the Teflon roof of the facility came crashing down under the enormous amounts of snow that had accumulated during the storm. After the roof flattened, the fabric of the dome began to tear and allow a large amount of snow to spill into the stadium. Indoor cameras were able to capture the event as the prospect of playing an NFL game in the dome the next day became unthinkable. The NFL then decided that the best viable option for completing this game would be to have it played at Ford Field in Detroit, the home of the Detroit Lions. The idea of hosting the game at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium came up as well, but was shot down due to the unpreparedness of the stadium, and the amount of time allotted to complete the game. So the game will thus be played at a seemingly neutral site in Detroit at 6:20 central time Monday night.
The interesting part about this whole occurrence really isn't about the collapse of the Metrodome, but the timing of it all. Quarterback Brett Favre told Ed Werder today that he would not have played if the game would have been played as scheduled. Now, with the game not being until Monday night, Favre's prospect of playing is given another day. The other dimension of this comes in the outlook of the NFC North. With the Vikings sitting home on Sunday, unable to be in action, they were able to watch the two teams ahead of them lose. Both the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers lost on Sunday, which makes the Monday night game at Ford Field even more important for the Vikings. With a win, the Vikings would move to 6-7, and hope to welcome the division leading Bears to the repaired Metrodome next Monday night. Although the Vikings must win out to have any chance at making the playoffs, I think their main concern right now should be what this collapse does for their hopes of a new stadium. Los Angeles is calling, and their stadium doesn't have a huge hole to fill.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday Sound Off 12/5
Your "Kill"ing Me
Minnesota Gophers Athletic Director Joel Maturi confirmed that Jerry Kill has been selected as the next head coach of the Golden Gopher football team, after signing him to a five year contract Sunday night. The decision came after a fairly long campaign, from which names like Mike Leach and Randy Shannon surfaced in. All of the speculation and conversation came to a close, as Gopher fans collectively let out an exhale of disappointment. Social networking and forum discussions reeked with questions as the decision was first made public on Facebook and Twitter. Jerry who?
Jerry Kill coached Northern Illinois to a 10-2 record this season, which was good enough for a berth in the Mid-American Conference Championship game. In three seasons with the Huskies, Kill's record was 23-16 overall. Furthermore, his tenure in Illinois led to three straight bowl appearances and his resume portrays him as a very traditional college football coach. His previous stops include Saginaw State and Southern Illinois. Although be it in weaker programs, Kill is a proven winner, as 14 of his 17 seasons as a coach had more wins than losses. He even brought his Northern Illinois Huskies to TCF Bank Stadium this fall to play the Gophers, where they prevailed 34-23.
The Verdict
My verdict sits on the fence as of now, and only time will tell whether Maturi has succeeded in finding a program boosting head coach. I can sympathize with those Gopher fans who feel they have been betrayed by their own university, because of the statement that came promising a big name coach. You can also look at this move in an optimistic way, seeing the promise in a coach with energy and a proven history of winning. We can all hope that a big star will walk into that press conference tomorrow at 2, but that just is not the reality of our situation. Maturi did what he thought was the safe move for a struggling program, he grabbed an upstart proven winner from a lesser conference, and gave him his shot at glory. Only time will tell us if the guts shown by Maturi will result in success. He had better hope for the best, or it could be his own head.
Minnesota Gophers Athletic Director Joel Maturi confirmed that Jerry Kill has been selected as the next head coach of the Golden Gopher football team, after signing him to a five year contract Sunday night. The decision came after a fairly long campaign, from which names like Mike Leach and Randy Shannon surfaced in. All of the speculation and conversation came to a close, as Gopher fans collectively let out an exhale of disappointment. Social networking and forum discussions reeked with questions as the decision was first made public on Facebook and Twitter. Jerry who?
Jerry Kill coached Northern Illinois to a 10-2 record this season, which was good enough for a berth in the Mid-American Conference Championship game. In three seasons with the Huskies, Kill's record was 23-16 overall. Furthermore, his tenure in Illinois led to three straight bowl appearances and his resume portrays him as a very traditional college football coach. His previous stops include Saginaw State and Southern Illinois. Although be it in weaker programs, Kill is a proven winner, as 14 of his 17 seasons as a coach had more wins than losses. He even brought his Northern Illinois Huskies to TCF Bank Stadium this fall to play the Gophers, where they prevailed 34-23.
The Verdict
My verdict sits on the fence as of now, and only time will tell whether Maturi has succeeded in finding a program boosting head coach. I can sympathize with those Gopher fans who feel they have been betrayed by their own university, because of the statement that came promising a big name coach. You can also look at this move in an optimistic way, seeing the promise in a coach with energy and a proven history of winning. We can all hope that a big star will walk into that press conference tomorrow at 2, but that just is not the reality of our situation. Maturi did what he thought was the safe move for a struggling program, he grabbed an upstart proven winner from a lesser conference, and gave him his shot at glory. Only time will tell us if the guts shown by Maturi will result in success. He had better hope for the best, or it could be his own head.
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