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Twins are out of it around the All-Star break.
Vikings are out of it before the Twins are done with their season.
Gophers Basketball done before December 1st.
Tough road for MN Sports Fan
Twitter is abuzz with news that #Twins GM Bill Smith is out. I can now close my Twitter and blog accounts. I’d like to thank you all for your patience in this matter.
This must be what it feels like getting rained on in the squares of Wall-Street.
Written days before opening day. Published much later, how-d I do?
There’s something special about the Twins MLB club this year. It was prevalent last year, but this year it feels persistent.
They seem to be uber-talented and uber-lacking in the star arrogance. This seems like a club that wants to play together, be together, spend time together and win together. That’s a lot of ‘ethers.
As I observe, what I think I’m observing, I think of Kirby Puckett. I envision Kent Hrbek standing with Tapani, watching Al Nolen flub a ball, and doing that baseball guy thing as Puckett hits BP and not one falls in-field.
There is just something about this club, this year.
Something special.
Here is Mr. Baseball - literal.
I assume the MLB is denying that their logo is based on Killebrew due to licensing rights, TM and $. Read Harmon Killebrew’s accounts about it online, rather interesting.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110517&content_id=19180762&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
A few years ago I returned to school to get my BS in IT. I was already working in the field, but I needed that paper to open doors and kick a few in. Ultimately, school was a breeze, I was already doing and had been doing what I was studying for a number of years.
But one thing I regret, I should have opted in to exercise my unused NCAA years. Imagine me on the basketball court, with all of those 20 somethings. It would have been AWESOME. I am absolutely a terrible athlete. No matter how hard I try, I just suck. My brother Brad got all of the natural ability.
I just wish I had YouTube videos to share, me bumbling and stumbling down the court at Div-I tryouts.
Ah the thoughts that strike you at midnight.
Target Field, the MN Twins new ballpark is an amazing place to be. It truly surpasses any ballpark I have been.
In my life, I have been to both Chicago ballparks, Milwaukee Memorial, Milwaukee Miller park (tour), Fenway, Camden yards, Dodger stadium, that old SF park, Padre hole of old and the Metrodome. Speckle in a few college and town ball-ballparks and I’ve definitely seen a number of facilities.
Enough qualifications, enough posturing.
So what makes Target Field so special?
Is it the enormous HD screens and scoreboards? The gorgeous MN limestone that facades the structure? The historic treatments that preserve the 50 year history of the team? The statues of MN greats that adorn each gate or the too-many championship-season banners that blow in left field, more than were ever supposed to blow for this small-market, small budget team? Or is it perhaps the most significant of all, the return of outdoor baseball? For anyone who’s been to the Metrodome for baseball, it was a tolerated experience - you know what I mean.
It’s none of these. Instead, it’s the new era of social gaming.
Everywhere you look you see people in their seats, and if not, they’re standing, talking, socializing - all facing the field and all truly into the game, as a unified fan. The concourse is open air and open towards the field. When you leave your seat, you do not leave the game. Instead, you’re walking, interacting and in near-constant view of the field.
The concourse and deck railings that web through the park are solid with people at the rails, sometimes 3 to 4 deep. These socialites are not killing time, their not oblivious to the game at hand, they’re truly into the game, the experience and the new social experiment.
I have never been to a ballpark, stadium or concert hall that so captured the social aspects of humankind. In today’s society, as we become more disconnected and isolated, a game at Target Field is a literal slap in the social face that leaves the fan stunned and wanting more.
I wish that I was the one who designed this masterpiece.
- SD, 2010
Here’s a realistic idea to retro-fit the MN Vikings Metrodome stadium. They’ve done this at other stadiums – why not here?
October 2009, Steve Digre, steve@stevedigre.com
I’d love a new stadium, but with the economy, budget shortfalls and elections – I just don’t see $950 million being approved. This is an alternative. Let’s keep the Vikings.
The Metrodome stadium is now football only, so there is more freedom to modify it. The following proposal does lower general seating capacity, but it expands suites, provides premium and themed areas, and expands concourses. A lower total seating capacity may not be a bad thing during those 6-10 years when the Raiders come to town.
1. Leave the roof as is.
2. Extend the existing suites outward to consume the area used by the top 4 rows of the lower bowl. Build up the concrete to allow 3 rows of leather suite seating. Re-do the suite interiors.
3. Add 4 rows of seating laterally, along the sides of the field. In the process, modify the first 20 rows, to premium seating, with cushion seats, waitresses etc.
4. Create a ‘dog-pound’ like theme and call it ‘The Viking Ship’ in one of the end zones. Have big horns encapsulate it, like large wooly mammoth tusks. Throw a ships-mast up.
5. Put 2 big video screens at top level end-zones. Consume the top 8 rows. Yes, this will lose seating capacity. Get rid of the grocery store adds and run these screens left to right. They would be massive.
6. Float a New sound system.
7. Add HD lighting.
8. Replace all seats, 4” wider. This would alleviate some leg room issues, sort-of. Yes, this would lose seating capacity. (still flip-flopping on this idea)
9. Extend the buildings outer-structure 50’ beyond the existing ‘red’ support beams. The red beams would now be in the middle of the main concourse.
10. Double the bathrooms in the expanded concourse. Use the plumbing infrastructure and put second bathrooms on the opposite side of where the existing bathrooms are. Where there is now one bathroom, there would be a second with separate entrances on the other side.
11. Dig down to the lower concourse and open that area up. Put in bars, pro-shops, sit down restaurants, classrooms, etc.
12. Move all ticketing and entrances outward. Parking lots and existing sidewalks would need to be altered and would consume existing street and parking.
13. Locker rooms… (never been)
14. Get quality concessions.
15. Put a plaque out front with my picture on it.
$400 million. Public pays $200, Vikings pay $200.
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If you reference or copy portions of this article, please include my name and email, Steve Digre, steve@stevedigre.com.
