Metrodome collapse: Video from inside the stadium [UPDATED]

• actually it was  inflated October 2, 1981 then 48 days later it collapsed for the first time then it collapsed 3 more times within the first 5 years. Now it collapsed again in 2010.

• What a bunch of whiners...we live in Western South Dakota: it snows here (we've already had 2 blizzards); the wind blows here (45 mph is nothing - we'll have gusts to 80+); it gets to 115 degrees; the air temp gets down to -20 with wind chills in the -50s; and we play football outside, and soccer, and baseball, and softball, and track, and cross country. It amazes me that people whine about 18+ inches of snow that tore a hole in the dome, or the 45 mph winds that tore apart office buildings. Nothing will last forever and it is amazing the dome has survived the MN conditions as long as it has!

• Fake video. This is obviously computer generated footage. The only real footage was of the water splashing the ground at 7 seconds into the video. You can really tell by the lack of definition in the hanging monitors (around 27 seconds. Notice you can�t see the chords suspending them). The other giveaways are the quickly dissipating snow/water once it hits the ground the first few splashes. Good job, not great, but fake none the less.

• so, What is that running on the sidelines? Look Closely!

• OK, if they know this has happened before and need to spend money to repair it yet again, why not spend a few extra dollars to include a heating system that can be turned on when a blizzard hits. This would melt the snow AS IT FALLS, so no build up could occur because it would melt as soon as the snow hit it and would roll off the dome as water just like rain. OK, so you might raise the electricity bill a bit, but it would still be cheaper than rebuilding another roof again.

• I'm from Wisconsin, the snow was wet and super duper heavy. We only got 12 inches but Minnesota received 20 inches! No worries this has happened before, it will be fixed in a few days! Happy Holidays folks!

• i was on the field when it happened

• New design should have a hole in center, a plug if you will. Put up temp poles on inside to support weight. Pull plug in middle, catch snow in dump truck, drive snow outside, dump snow, come back and get more snow. Re inflate, enjoy game in safe environment... After game, if more snow, deflate and bring dump trucks back.

• oh and ur welcome detroit (speaking of toilets, JH) ur town stinks worse than ur football team. detroit, vadge flint, taint gary, butthole Al... "moran"? MORON! "whine"? MORON! the Vikings need to worry about getting a new stadium (or as Al would say, staydyum) not fixing the roof. pretty sure they won't have to worry about snow or cold in L.A. peace out, have fun not watching the Vikings in the playoffs...again

• i went by there today and it is in fact really collapsed. we need a retractable roof stadium in order to have football in this state, not that I care because I'm a Colts fan, but Vikings fans are fare-weather. Too bad the weather here sucks...Lacey and Mona: stick to pole dancing and leave sports to dudes that will tip you

• I lived in NY and PA and now I live in MN. Just in case most of you don�t realize, the Twin Cities is located about the same amount north as border between Vermont / New Hampshire and Canada. About 1 1/2 feet dropped in less than 24 hours. With the wind we are experiencing over 60 degrees below freezing. Enough of the weather report because this is not a normal day here, yet it is also not uncommon during the five or so months of winter. I have been to the dome a few times and you could feel the pressure of being on the inside of a big balloon. The internal pressure, structural support and curvature of the dome top has handled the extreme internal / external climate differences well over the years. The dome has hosted other sporting and local events besides football. However, even if the stadium was only used for football, does anyone think that the game would still be played in an outdoor stadium, with 30 below wind chill, and in 17 inches of snow? Ever run in 17 inches deep of snow or try to see the lines on the field? The game would probably start and end with a single call by the officials -- 'excessive piling on'.

• Um i have an idea...why dont we just rip the rag off the top and call it a day??

• Maybe they should play outside like real men. If high-school and college players can than so should the Vikings. I mean look at the packers they play outside. It would be smart to play outside because it would save them time and money.

• WHITE PRIDE!

• Reminds me of Brock Lesnar gettin dropped by Cain Velasquez..

• I am a lifelong Minnesotan who hates the Dome. It's outdated and ugly. The collapse is God telling us that we need to play football outside and turn our backs on the dome-wimp years. Bring it ON! And hey! Pittsburgh! It's moron not moran! And since I'm a man of the people, I have no problem being called a plebeian. And I do love your city, so no hard feelings fella.

• Anonymous; I meet you at a party once. I wanted to kill myself after you droned on and on and on, man are you exceptionally boring.

• Just asking: Does the stadium have appropriate drainage to leave the roof open during extremely heavy snow fall? Shoveling the seats out would suck but it has to be cheaper than risking structural roof failure. I've never been there before but I see the outdoor stadiums managing... Was this snowfall so atypical in terms of weight per time to merit such a consideration?

• I am from Pittsburgh and it does get below 0 degrees here you moran....and during the 70&80's when we kicked all of your asses we played in an open stadium, with record snowfalls and wind chills. When that one was demolished another open stadium was built. I have been in Minnesota in the dead of winter and it sucks, but don't whine about playing in open domes you pansy asses....Look at the Chicago game today and tell me that wasn't brutal conditions...plebeians....

• Any of you who are not from Minnesota or have never lived here before should just stop commenting unless you have something positive to say. The Steelers are from Pennsylvania.....I might add that Pennsylvania does not reach below 0 degrees F so stop telling us all to "get over it," or "suck it up" because you have no idea how cold it gets every day here! Minnesotans are some of the toughest people I have ever met! Worrying about the roads being plowed in the morning before you have to go to work....then getting out there early in the morning to shovel yourself out so that you're not fired! You guys have no idea!! I couldn't tell you how many people we have gone out and helped get unstuck on your road because it is still not plowed! We live within five miles of downtown St. Paul.....and the roads still are not plowed???? This is serious stuff, we're not in any way being whimps....we live here every year because Minnesota is such a great place to live and we do "suck it up" because our state is awesome!

• The bottom line is, what if this had happened during a football game? Can you imagine the panic and chaos as thousands of fans flee for the nearest exits? And players could've gotten killed if they were on the field underneath where the snow fell through (Favre-sicle). Get a new roof that isn't inflatable or just play outside like Green Bay does. Wouldn't be the first time Brett froze his butt off during a game.

• Hey Anonymous: you sir, are an idiot.

• Browns, Steelers, etc. Many other teams play outdoors year round. Makes them - and their fans - tougher. Sorry about your dome and so glad no one was hurt but seriously, being cold hasn't tended to hurt the Steelers over the years. Hope you all get it up and running again soon. It's a cool building - just kind of glad that when we go to a game we can bundle up the kids a little warmer but not worry about them being crushed under a collapsing roof.

• It's 85F here in Los Angeles. It's a beach day for sure.

• mnfan....you think they go 20 years without fixing that roof or putting attention to it...really....dude your an idiot

• Why do I have a sneaking suspicion this was the result of a plan carried out by the Vikings to get support for their new stadium. Come on guys. Not gonna happen. I think you'll still be able to play with the saggy roof. Just play around the snow piles.

• Uh, Howard Stern, I mean genius. Actually I mean, you're a MORON!!! Lacie didn't say she saw the Dome collapse in the 70's. She said it collapsed in the 70's OR, OR, AGAIN, OR the 80's! Which meant she didn't know which decade it was. She just knew it was either one OR the other. That's why she wrote, "the 70's OR the 80's, AND that's why she used the word, "OR". She wasn't sure which decade it was!!!!! The 70's OR the 80's!!!!! Did I repeat it enough for you to get it through your thick skull???!! Get it? "OR"! "OR"! Understand? Did I make that clear to you, Mr. Brilliant? You're such a retard.

• Minnesota NEEDS the dome! Minnesota fans can barely keep their attendance up for their team now. Imagine if they had to watch a game in the cold. Next year, once Favre is gone and the fans go back to their lackluster support, them team will look to a real location to play for fans that truly care and for the right reasons!

• time for a new one

• It says no one was in the building but I see something streaking down the sideline at the beginning of the video.

• All right, first of all....WE LIVE IN MINNESOTA. The snow sucks, I know...I live in St. Paul and our street has three-four feet of snow covering the full length of it! In weather conditions like yesterday (having to shovel our vehicle all the way around the block to the garage) it is near impossible to keep up with that amount of snow without risking someone else's life. I like the way CW is thinking...looks like someone tried to get all of the snow to melt and run down the ceiling. It has nothing to do with people being smart or not, it's the weather..just because Minnesota is courteous enough to want their football team to be relatively comfortable while playing doesn't mean that we have to "suck it up" like everyone else. You think years with only a few flaws means failure???? What is America coming to? Come on, people...stop smoking your brains away.

• New Stadium anyone?

• Yeah to the people who say Vikings should play outside..... Majority of the games are played on days below zero... Temp today with wind chill -30! Not many fans would go watch a game today outdoors!

• can we tear this down already? srsly it has and always will be a dump

• livesinwi- congrats on the packers having an open stadium...we play there too. im just saying the majority of football teams dont deal with that extreme of weather and for everyone to just assume a roof is a bad idea...is crazy. maybe mn is ahead of the game by not making the fans "suck it up" we get to enjoy ourselves and not worry about frostbite the whole time. If our roof had an issue in the early 80's and has gone 20+ years with no issues, I would say that is a success! My own roof on my home needs attention more often than that!

• wow! and yes this is the REAL dome!

• Pontiac Silverdome collapsed as well in a bad wind storm. It blew off and part of it caught up in electrical wires. why not figure out a different way? the domes are dangerous..what if that dome was full of people? would have been a disaster zone!!

• WHITE POWER!!

• Looks like a lot of water to me. Are those heaters on the field? I wonder if the idea to melt the snow last night backfired. All that water had to pool some where.

• The dome had problems with the roof giving out in 1981, 82, and 83...It also had some minor damage in 86...You would think by now they would have figured out a better plan! I mean come one people...We do live in Minnesota and we all know how bizarre the weather can get!

• @Down3Earth: Okay, it has only happened two or three times in 30 years but there is also the danger to consider. A collapse of this order almost certainly puts extra strain on the entire infrastructure. Then there's cost...for what it costs to fix this three times they could have just opted to build a solid roof to begin with. The inflat-a-dome was sold to the state on the idea that it would be lots cheaper. Turns out it IS NOT cheaper at all. Once you figure in the repair costs AND the lost revenue (!!!!) you've already PAID for a solid roof more than once or twice, yes?

• @mngal the packers play outside in that cold of weather every season. the players take it and the fans suck it up. there are other teams that play in that cold of weather too.

• I'm wondering "what kind of safety factor the engineers placed on the roof when they designed for loads like snow"? Hmmmm

• Seriously, lacie - two incidents on 30 or 40 years is not enough to warrant a new roofing system. I'd say it has pretty durable to survive in this environment.

• Um....the dome wasn't built until 1982, so this didn't happen back in the 70's. But yes, the roof has been deflated before. Hopefully it'll only take a week or so to fix!!

• Minnesota is full of very very smart people but I think the smart ones stay away from the state jobs because this decision to use an inflatable dome was dumb from day one. In fact, when the idea first got floated and the dome was under construction some people sold tee shirts with an image of the Dome and the IDS Tower directly behind it and the shirt said "WORLD'S BIGGEST TOILET". The dome has collapsed on several occasions. Another "bright idea"...MNDOT saw the raised dots that LA used on their freeways out in CA and decided to put them on MN highways, and of course the first snowfall the plows promptly plowed ALL OF THEM UP!!! (LOL) Like I said, MN has very smart people, just not in the state jobs where decisions like this one (inflatable dome roof) are made.

• Lacie, you're a genius. The Dome opened in 1983. How many times did you see it collapse in the 1970's?

• We had quite a bit of snow though. I'm surprised the roof has lasted this long through this storm. It is quite a shame though. ):

• and for those of you stating you want outdoor football in mn....realize todays game would be held at -22 degrees....just saying!

• Anonymous, you're an idiot. Go to the Dome once.

• for those of you thinking it should have held more weight...do you understand how much snow we got in less than 24 hours!?! no melting or clean up could have occured in yesterdays blizzard. nice try though! I am sad our dome is down. hope they can repair it quickly!

• Anonymous: Have you ever even been to the dome? Looks pretty real to me...You realize that if you went there you could see it IN PERSON...would that be what you need?

• This video looks fake. I live in Minnesota and that just isn't how the Dome looks.

• at least it wasn't during a game

• See...football should be played OUTSIDE!!

• Cut the roof off and play outside,like Bud Grant would have you bunch of purple pansie eaters

• No people in the middle of the field, that looks like equipmnet of some sort. However at 0:09 someone is really putting the hammer down in a mainanance vehicle to get out of the way before the roof let go. I wonder if they needed a clean pair of shorts after that...

• they need a better roof concidering this also happened back in the 70s or 80s u think they would have got a roof that could stand a lot more weight or at least now they can figure out a way to melt it with today technology so it cant happen again

• I'm from Minnesota and a fan of the Vikings, this breaks my heart. I've been to the dome many times and to see this happens leaves me heartbroken.

• are there people standing in the middle of the field??!

• wow tht sucks for the vikings...... i tought the metrodome could of held more snow

TotalComments: 61