Interesting... wondering what "misinformation" they're fussed about.

love the LED idea, and understand the price on the animation...

Thank you Moose!!

Thanks Moose! That must have been an amazing experience today!

They probably fussed about the joke someone made on here about "footings in the outfield" that would eventually support a roof...or Ricks's joke regarding the wrong cables for the "lo-def" scoreboard...haha

In all seriousness, that is a good question about the "misinformation" because to my knowledge, most of the information on this site has been very accurate and true.

The readers on this site are very well-educated on Target Field.

great job, Moose and Rick!

Great game by Swarzak! Now let's parlay him and Casilla for Freddy Sanchez! I am convinced this trade must happen. No longer can our middle infield be a continuous shuffle of Punto, Casilla, and Harris. I tried driving past Target Field again tonight but it is impossible to get a good view of the park as far as I can tell. I don't know how you hide a stadium but somehow they have found a way. Does anyone know when food selections are made for concessions next year? I really hope local food and breweries get representation. It pisses me off it's the Budweiser Deck. That's fine for St. Louis but why not the Summit deck, or Premium Grain Belt deck, etc.

Who was that wearing the Michael Cuddyer jersey in the 10th inning?

Seriously it's about time he got a clutch hit.

Cuddy was exorcising last nights demons...

Moose - thanks for the info. I suspect Kevin gave you the talking points about the no photo policy. What I reported from a few weeks ago was from someone who knew that Kevin had told me the protect the aha moments line. I also call BS on the "misinformation" line - wouldn't pictures be more likely to disprove misinformation, rather than the absence of them?

To get to 16K FSE from 11K would be terrific for the club (I thought they would get in the 13K-15K range tops). The 15% double up number seems low, given how fast the Home Plate Box seats got snatched up. I'll bet that didn't account for the folks that doubled up for 2009 so they could double again for 2010. Either that or there are a boatload of season ticket holders with more than 10 years that have more than 4 seats on their account. (On re-reading the Moose report, I see they actually haven't gotten to 16K yet - did he say where they are as of now?)

Did you happen to ask Kevin about the netting? Will it be the technology used by the Nats in their park?

Camden - in answer to a question you posted on the last thread - I don't know the actual number of tickets sold for TF. The only number I've ever gotten is the FSE sold for 2009 (11K), which was confirmed by a couple of surveys the Twins ran this year. I would love to know the actual number by plan type, but I suspect that's considered propriatary information.

I can also confirm the comment about the Flex40 plans - if you didn't have one in 2009, you can't buy one for 2010 (and, even if you had one for 2009, if you didn't return a signed acknowledgement form regarding the grandfathering, you can't buy one for 2010).

I really hope the Twins have something more creative to celebrate homers than a ribbon board display. The Mets have the apple, the Reds have the smokestacks, and Bernie Brewer proves it doesn't have to be expensive. HR celebrations are a feature of a ballpark that can really give it character and make it unique. I hope the Twins realize that and make it something memorable.

Entensify - The big bats on Target Plaza are going to light up and/or have some sort of light show when the Twins hit a HR.

First off, thanks Rick for "printing" my e-mail. It was a lot of fun, and later this morning, the rest of my trip begins, with a White Sox (boo!) game. I'm going to try to leave the internet alone for most of my vacation, so to answer those questions that have popped up so far:

I couldn't tell you what "misinformation" he was talking about. You would think photos would dispell misinformation, rather than continue it, but I suppose that is a different part of the policy, or a seperate piece?

No, I never got the "current numer" for FTE's. That's just kind of a wishfull thinking type, from what I could gather. We wer actually acompanied on the tour with a woman from the group sales department for the high rollers), and she said they were a bit surprised that so few had opted to double-up. I mentioned that there was concern that some would buy just for the secondary market, and that's what prompted the "even if we get to 20,000 FTE, they're still 20,000 single game tickets available," comment, and the note that there will be tickets that will never be available for season ticket holders.

Finally, I had a few questions (the netting behind the plate) written down, that I simply didn't have time to get to (even though the tour lasted an hour and a half (BTW, you can see my group on Web Cam 1 at 4:15 on the plaza walkway - they set up a walkway across the plaza to protect the decrotive concrete, and again at -- on the balcony of the Metropolitan Club)), because everyone else (the high rollers) had a lot of questions too. At times I wanted to ask questions, but felt bad about asking because it was clear that these people were going to be spending a LOT of money, and I was just looking at getting ballpark info for my own info.

Hope that answers some more of your questions...

Moose

Great job Moose. You should be a sports reporter or something. Enjoy your ballpark tour and come back with some good stories. Regarding the net material, I've been told that it will be the same netting as they have at the Dome.

Great job Moose. Hope you enjoy the trip to the other 4 parks this week.

yep, thanks for the report, really informative. too bad that sign won't be animated but at least we're getting that logo out there.

not to be a nit picky, but you spelled BemidJi wrong. he he

thanks moose!

awesome moose! many thanks!

i'm interested in knowing how the park "feels" to an out-of-towner. the cell in chicago felt like a park with broad-shoulders but no soul. it really seems like tf blends in well and enhances the skyline, but does it sing?

thx again moose!

well chicago is 'the city of big shoulders', i agree, every park has a feeling and it'd be great to know how TF came across. As for the cell, the place is 'nice', like everything is new and clean, but it feels like an unoriginal strip mall, very unauthentic. The biggest thing in there is a giant stanley tools advertisement.

Thanks for the info Moose!

Twinsbaseball.com has a new layout for their Target Field page. They also have some information on the different venues that can be used for meetings, receptions, and so on. There are a couple interior images on those pages, but they are so small that they really show no detail. Anyways here is the link, click my name

As for the non-animated sign, the Pohlands should really invest the money needed to make that sign shake hands. This is so unique and special to Target Field, but having it not move makes it just okay rather than great. The Twins are losing out on a great opportunity to really wow the fans.

Moose - Good job. I have a couple questions:

1. Can you elaborate on what the inside of the Met Club looks like currently?

2. 6'7"?!? Can you pull off a reverse dunk?

3. Did you get to visit the Champions Club or clubhouses?

Has anyone noticed that DSP has conveniently taken well over 2 months off since his last blog post? There's so much new stuff happening at Target Field every day...I just find this strange...why even have the blog?

Jeff - regarding the non-animated sign - while it might be nice, I think it's unfair to slam the Twins for not spending the extra money to animate it. First, we don't know the amount involved and an animated sign wouldn't be a top priority for me. Some are quite "gimmicky" and lose their appeal quickly. Besides, it's a nod to an era where not every sign had to flash to have an impact.

We should be thankful that the Twins have tipped their cap to the fans by having the sign in the first place and not taken the easy way out by creating advertising space in that prime area. I think the very fact the sign is there will wow the fans.

I still have a hard time with only 15% doubling up, but if so, that's at least 4000 prime seats (I suspect primarily in Home Plate Box) not available for seat selection, which helps explain why so many long-time account holders got seats a lot further back then they were expecting.

Moose - was this tour for potential CC/suite holders? Were there any questions that they asked you found interesting?

And Moose, I meant to mention this before - with all due respect, if you are 6' 7", you aren't the best candidate to report on the potential rail heigh obstruction issue. You need a short guy like me (5' 7") for that ... :)

If you had felt it was an issue with your height, the Twins would've had a serious problem on their hands ...

man, I'm in the mood for some good new pics, but i'm a freeloader b/c i don't live in the area

Moose, great report! Have fun on your ballpark tour!

I'm even shorter then jfh by only a inch but still ha (5' 6")! It would be nice if the twins update pictures would have pictures from the different sight lines, that would be cool to see instead of the virtual one, but i guess that might be better when the grass comes in next month.

BTW do they have a date the grass is coming? it would be cool to be down there seeing all those freezer trucks and seeing them lay it!

Also yeah why hasn't DSP updated?! i mean may 15th?! its almost the end of July! Too busy keeping people from taking pictures to take away from the "A-ha" moments

Thank god for this blog!

the week of august 24th for the sod is what moose heard on his tour

Another thing (sorry i keep getting a new thought right after hitting post), even tho i hate the target center, that roof is looking pretty cool! ha ok i'm done

thanks, must of missed it in there!

Just got this image from my season ticket rep. Thought I would share it with everyone.

It what ways was my post a slam to the Twins organization jfh? My words were neither hurtful or harsh. I stated that the Pohlads should spend the extra money to make an animated sign and that they missed out on an great opportunity. In no way is this a top priority of mine either, but since it is still possibly in the design or construction phase it might make it easier to change.

I was at the b ramp last night for the Fray concert, afterwards i went to the roof and the Twins sign was lit up.. it was pretty cool... damn that place had me and my liquid courage wanting to take a 10pm tour last night!.. but i showed restraint.

Thinks jtf is a older Luke with more connections...

Not trying to beat you with the image... just wanted to share it ASAP. Should I have sent it to you via email?

Jeff - I took "the Pohlads really should invest the money" as critism on the sign not being anamated and not sure how else to interpret it other than as an implied slam that the Twins are too cheap to do so.

If you said "I'm disappointed that they decided not to animate the sign", I would have thought differently.

That's a great night time photo...however, when there is a game being played and the ballpark lights are on, I would imagine that would dull the effect of the skyline lights.

This was talked about the other day regarding the gap in seats above the batters eye, left of the trapezoid, but is there a chance that with that viewing angle and the trapezoid that those would be very obstructed seats? Just a thought!

That is true Fred but you will still see that beautiful skyline of that downtown of ours!

that night image is incredible. i'll take two seats on the third baseline. AWESOME stuff

I have got to tip my hat to the people who update everyone on this site as well as others. It is nice that there are people out there who provide pictures of TF and what goes with it, especially to those people like me who do not live in the Twin Cities. This site is my only way to get updates for the ballpark since the Twins have done a lackluster job to say the least of updating us on the ballpark.

Looking at that night time photo brought to mind another question: I wonder how soon we can start seeing advertising on roofs of the buildings outside of the stadium ala Wrigley with the Budweiser "house" or the Citgo sign outside of Fenway.

Great night photo! Now, can we move the Multifoods tower over to the left about 2 blocks so we can see the Wells Fargo tower?

Someone paint a large PUCKETT mural on the side of the multifoods tower.

I don't think his neck would fit OG Jeff. Rick, hope I'm not stealing one of your A HA moments, but I don't remember seeing anything about this even though it looks like they set aside the $1M for it a month ago (click link).

I recall that a lot of money was set aside before "The Recession" for completing the bike trail connection to the river, but I also recalled that this section is delayed. Anyone have the details? Where is the supposed bike parking going to be? They had that at Wrigley when I went, and not only was it super convenient, it was FREE.

Oops, here's the link-

Wow, that night photo is AWESOME!!!

Well, I have a new background for the computer. That has to be the best pictures of Target Field to date. I can't wait until it includes all seats and some grass.

Looking at that night time photo brought to mind another question: I wonder how soon we can start seeing advertising on roofs of the buildings outside of the stadium ala Wrigley with the Budweiser "house" or the Citgo sign outside of Fenway.

I'd imagine we'll see something like that before the 2010 season is over and perhaps before it even begins. One question mark might be City of Minneapolis regulations on outdoor advertising. It seems as though the Twin Cities are not as permissive about this sort of thing in comparison to Chicago for instance, where it seems that there are many more billboards and ads painted onto buildings.

Jorge-

I share your suspicions about the City of Mpls...it seems they prefer to keep the mold of being "understated" and boring.

Looks like another bang-up pitching performance in Oakland. Ugh

I know you are into the free exhange of target field info Rick, it's just too much fun to be able to make fun of the Twins and the A-HA concept.

Looks like the beautiful night photo was taken from the club level, yes?

as for the "ads" on the buildings... I love that minneapolis has resisted the temptation to allow it... the downtown skyline is beautiful here... better than just about any skyline in the country... gorgeous.

that said... im 33 south sixth (the shatstack) put some sort of advertising on it's side, if done properly, it would look better than what is currently there... maybe something classy looking (not a giant pepsi ad or something)

Currently sitting at 15-1 and it looks like the boys mailed it in EARLY today (after the dreadful 1st inning followed by the equally horrible 2nd inning from Mulvey). This is unacceptable. Today would be a good day for Gardy to go Ape Shit Crazy in the Clubhouse postgame. Shut the clubhouse doors and let loose on the fellas.

it's like after last night they realized eh, now we're .500 between here and texas... that's good enough

"I share your suspicions about the City of Mpls...it seems they prefer to keep the mold of being "understated" and boring."

So ----- having advertising plastered everywhere relieves boredom? Has it really come to that?

"Currently sitting at 15-1 and it looks like the boys mailed it in EARLY today --- "

And what do the Twins have to say about it?:

"Morneau goes deep --- " ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!!! Is anyone else getting sick of the constant spin?

Dont read the comments on the story mplsgreg linked to unless you want to be depressed over the state of our society.

It was nice to see some rapid-fire seat installation today.

I am against ads on the shitstack...As stated earlier, just some lighting effects could make it look classy, as seen on this link (I cannot remember who photoshopped this, but was someone who frequents this site...ads would make it look like shit (ala Citi Field) and ruin the most prominent building of the skyline from TF...

I am going to keep a list of things to implode in Minneapolis due to extreme lack of architectural sensitivity, in order of implosion. So far, I have:

1. The Dome
2. Block E
3. The Shitstack (including City Center)

What else?

Wow that picture looks amazing!

I wish the news story gave a diagram as to what changes are actually taking place. Besides moving the garage doors away from facing the Target Field entrance I didn't hear exactly what the changes will entail. If $700,000 is going to "beautification" what is the other $1.3 million going towards? I just drove by the park yesterday and I really don't think smell will be an issue. My issue is that I can't get a good view of the park driving past it as they have done such a good job tucking it away from public view.

Ask and you shall recieve...new pics on the twinks site

the seat installation pic really shows how cool the old met colors look in the metropolitan club from the field, i'm really happy they did that

someone asked on the 1st page of this entry why twins president dave st. peter hasn't updated his "supposed" blog in over two months. well, the answer is quite obvious. it is because just about every person in the twins front office (including that wunderkind billy smith) is an F-ING MORON! there you go. case closed.

i can't stop staring at that night photo of our ballpark...man i'm a rube.

Too bad the Wells Fargo Center is hidden by the Multifoods tower. That has to be the best looking, best lit building in downtown.

Heres something related to the bike trail I found click on the link.

Wow - I didn't know Rick had the option to edit people here.

Another depressing thing we can read is the 16-1 box score in tomorrow's paper along with the transaction to recall Jesse Crain from AAA.

In all seriousness...I have attached a link to an article (from CJ of all people) in the Star Tribune with some good photos of Killebrew and Carew posing in their old uniforms for their bronze statues at Target Field.

What was edited?

Onion-esque parodies get edited/deleted. But that's OK. It's Rick's site. He can do what he wants. Just like the Twins can do what they want in terms of access of information. You can't not diss Rick and then diss the Twins for the same thing.

Rick are you still working on moving the Page 1 2 3 thing to the bottom of the comments section? It would be much appreciated when scrolling between pages!!!

If DSP doesn't want to update his blog, perhaps we can more information by getting a reporter to ask him some questions. With the possible exception of Pat Forciea at his peak, I've never seen a sports executive in this town appear more on camera and in print, even when his comments are utterly pointless and unnecessary, than Dave St. Peter. This goes back to before he became President and has only gotten worse since then.

Here is a dumb question. Is the skyway crossing 7th Street from the parking ramp to the ballpark going have an opening on the ballpark side with turnstiles or will it be a dead end that forces people down the staircase to enter the park at street level?

love the 1700ft marker on the multi-foods tower... hell, i think a marker on ramp b, the skyway, target center... could be a decent gag in the neighborhood...

New construction gallery is up on the official Target Field website... nothing too jaw-dropping.

"What was edited?"

Well ----- I can easily recall an entire posting that was "edited" out.

It looks like a marvelous facility, but living 4 hours from Mpls, I always knew I'd see a game at the dome, no matter what the weather. I am afraid for a small market team playing in unpredictable conditions and with the price of gas, its only going to take someone once from outside the metro to "get burned" due to a partially played game or a cancelation to ruin the experience. I hope the metro fans can pick up the slack. I am still one who would have favored a retractable roof.

Mikey....Being that you live only 4 hrs from the Twin Cities, I'm going to assume you own a jacket, parka and umbrella....Plan accordingly and grow a pair.

how did the twins manage to make it 20 years as the upper midwest's team playing outside at the Met???

and Mikey... if it was that important... outstate folks should have called their legislators and demanded it, it was an option... $100 million from the state legislature to ensure we played under a hood - they balked, and we got lucky.

yeah mikey, we're Minnesotans, i think you'll be ok

why do they have the killer and carew posing in those, imo, craptastic 70's uni's? they should be in the 60's classics.

I have a Baseball question if that's alright?

Has there been any talk about a new ballpark for the Jays? Rogers Center is going to find itself at the bottom of the stadium quality list with the removal of the Metrodome and Dolphin Stadium (or whatever it's called these days). So long story short, will we see a new Jays' stadium in 10 years?

As far as A-HA moments, this is the first song that should be played at Target Field. (click link)

Andrew,

The Blue Jays have not announced plans for a new ballpark. I'm sure they will try to get something done once/if the economy recovers.

It's funny, I remember about 15 years ago SkyDome was considered one of the coolest ballparks in the Majors. It became outdated very fast.

great idea on putting giant distance tags on buildings downtown Rick. excellent thinking, has any other city done this? if it is original, we should defintely figure out a way to get this done, it would generate a lot of excitement for the opening when people ask why an otherwise boring facade has "1750 ft" on it.

If my memory is correct the General Motors building had a distance mark on it for all-star game at Comerica.

it looks like a few years back the blue jays bought the skydome and they now own it themselves, this would make me doubt that they would be asking for a new stadium. I think they will continue renovating the place to get it more up to date. Here's a link to an article on some renovation they did in 2005.

Yep

Looking at that night picture made me notice something I hadn't before...

Does anyone know how the height of the bottom of the grandstand compares with the height of the bottom of the second deck of the Dome? With the right field wall being the same height at both parks, the bottom of the grandstand looks a similar (if a bit lower) amount of distance above the top of the wall as compared with the Dome.

Then look at the height of the terrace and view sections in foul territory. That is quite a bit higher.

Again, I have no doubt that the grandstand is much lower than the second deck of the dome, but by how much?

Does anyone know where the retired numbers will be displayed? I wonder if they'll have another ceremony to unveil each one.

also, adding to Expectorate's question, how about the division and world series championship banners?

That is a beautiful nighttime skyline picture of TF! Hopefully the Twins can turn it around soon re: their pitching.

Makes me want to get the available seats in the 2nd deck, row 3....$20 a ticket for that view, DANG!

maybe the retired numbers and the championship banners presentation will be one of those A-HA moments!! :-)

A possible option for the Multifoods tower would be to arrange to have the lights in the office timed to come on at dusk and be in a configuration that would spell out Twins, TC logo, or the distance of 1750' in lights. just a thought as I looked at the nighttime picture.

MM - get the $12 seats and save $$$. Same view and a great baseball view!

clublevelfan....I agree with the $12 seats- those are getting pretty high up b/c thats where a lot of STH doubled up.

i wonder if they'll run the heating coils when it snows this winter to keep the snow off the field, or if they'll just let it be, maybe their decision will be different b/c it's new grass, hmmmm

thanks for the photo PNB, I knew I had seen that done somewhere before.

On may way to work this morning I noticed a bunch of flagpoles have been installed on the back of the left field deck. you can see them if you zoom in on the webcam.

hey! there's a NOrthstar train sitting in the station! What do I win??

Ha Dan i like that idea, then that building can have purpose! ha I can't wait till single game tickets go on sale and i cant wait till opening day!!! only 33 games left in the dome :)

Greg-you win the satisfaction of seeing the first train in the station and maybe a cookie who knows haha

Are those flags in LF just going to be Red/Blue or are they going to have every team or do something special like that?

Hey greg it's no fair if you can see them from your window (just a guess).

I'll second the cookie I guess. Next time your in Roseville stop by HOM and I'll get a you a hot fresh one. Not one of the cold ones that the rest get.

Damn, now I really want to know what B.W. McEvers discovered that was too earth-shattering to be immediately published!

Camden- Can i get a cookie for the idea? i live in Shoreview and work in Roseville ha

Sure why not.

The Sooj likes food anyway back to baseball

Ahh...anyone as excited as I am that the Twins called up Crain? Now that's what I call bullpen relief....

I believe my link pretty much sums up the Twins philosophy when it comes to their big league and farm rosters.

Does anybody know when the Ballpark LRT station opens up?

I believe it opens up in November when the Northstar Line opens. They are supposed to be working on it over the next few weeks to get it ready to roll.

I'd be okay with the Multifoods Tower or some of the other skyscrapers doing some gimmicky stuff like having lights turned on to mark the distance from homeplate on a one off basis or maybe to show someone's jersey number if in another decade or so we have a Justin Morneau night, for instance. However I am against doing anything like that on a full time basis. It would seem a bit too cheesy as a regular deal.

Flag poles going up in left field, it looks like. Classy.

Nick it's only 15 posts back, by mplsgreg.

Mikey - You can't be serious

Yeah I have to learn to read one of these days. Technically I did give an opinion of it though, which counts as adding something to the... ok, I'm joining Luke in the dregs.

I've been thinking about how some worry that TF will end up being a bandbox. With NYS, the 8 feet or so in right center that are pushing up the home run totals can at least be moved back if they want to. With the wall already so high at Target Field, that can't quite happen. But also, you really have to wonder if hitters will have higher averages with so little foul territory available. In a place like Oakland, fielders have forever to run before there's no more room on foul pop-ups. It can't make a whole lot of difference, can it? Are we going to see an entire team built for average and not power or power and not average? Or (let's be honest) will we continue seeing a team built for budget?

I was contemplating the foul territory myself - as the park started construction and the renderings first became available, I had assumed that there would be not only less foul territory than the dome, but SIGNIFICANTLY less. But - awhile back on this site there was a schematic of TF and the dome right on top of each other. The distance from the plate to the backstop looked only slightly less at target field. Also it looked in some places (down the baselines) like there was MORE foul space than at the dome (past the bullpens, the dome seats seem to "jut into" the foul territory sooner than the field boxes do at TF). Does anyone know precisely the difference in 'foul terriroty area' between the two?

. . . I meant past the DUGOUTS, the dome seats seem to "jut into" the foul terriroty . . .

I am sofa king wee todd did

Expectorate - I know they're using retired numbers as gate numbers (Gate 6 Oliva, Gate 29 Carew)...but that's not much of a display. Maybe they should do something on the overhang over in right field. Put the numbers there (I doubt Jackie Robinson's 42 will be a gate number at TF, so they have to put that somewhere).

Or behind the trees in the batter's eye. There won't be foliage there for a while.

i was under the impression that only wrigley had less foul territory than TF will

that overlay should be here

it looks like someone did say that about the foul territory on line 29 in this attached thread, is it true?

Here's another question-to-contemplate-in-the-middle-of-a-.500-season-on-a-day-when-division-rival-pitcher-hurls-a-perfect-game (and please forgive me if you've already discussed this):

What do you all think the "catchy nickname" for Target Field will be? You know - Jacobs Field (when it was called Jacobs Field) was 'The Jake,' Bank One Ballpark in AZ was 'The BOB,' etc. Any thoughts?

BTW, the best such "catchy nickname" I've heard about is not even a baseball stadium. It's the University of San Diego's basketball arena, Jenny Craig Pavilion. Better known on campus as - you guessed it: 'The Slim Gym.'

In my mind it can be only 1 thing: The Bullseye

The House that Rubes Built

The Quarry

(I know, lame.)

Thanks for starting to talk about that right field wall, I have first row tickets next year on the wall and can't wait! But can anyone tell me why we have not seen any pics from the right field looking at home plate taken yet? I know I am just asking about my intrests her,e but i see all types of pics, and never from the grandstand.

Mike I hope and pray that your being sarcastic there.

Speaking of the trap, I was on the phone today, looking out the window (I work in Multifoods and have an office overlooking the ballpark...nice gig), and saw a group of people walk up the ramp to the top floor to look at the park. On the other side of the lot, by the trapezoid, I saw a security guard intercept them. After a minute or two, the group of 5 turned and walked away. I was kind of surprised and disappointed that they're not letting people on the roof of the B ramp or whatever it is.

I was up on the B ramp the other day with my two sons. We were up there about 5 minutes when security pulled up. The guy opened his window and very politely said, "Not too long up here, OK?" He drove away, we stayed up there another 15 or so minutes, and left. The vibe I got was that they discourage prolonged gawking, but understand the curiosity.

If you're outside up there, the wall is too tall to get a really good look anyway, unless you're Moose's height or taller, or unless you bring a small stepladder (which I have seriously considered).

Or be an idiot like me and pay $10 for parking and stand on your bumper.

I simply hope they call it "The Field"

We have "The X", "The Barn", "The Dome", and we had "The Met".

Hopefully TCF Bank Stadium will become known as "The Bank"

Minnesotan's seem to like things short and simple.

Won't happen. It'll just beTarget Field, Target Center doesn't have a nickname Im aware of.

TCF Bank Stadium is known as The Vault.

Target Field should be called The Bullseye.

I have seen Twins hitters watch more strikes and swing at more balls than any other team I've followed...it is brutal. For example, Gomez watched ball one strike one then watched strike two then fouled a chin high pitch off. Just sharing my thoughts...

who says TCF Bank Stadium is known as The Vault? The Bank makes way more sense... and no use trying to nickname Target Field yet. it's not like it's a long name that needs to be shortened. besides, nicknames don't work that way. it has to come organically

Twins Field.

Screw Target.

We are fortunate to have a good "corporate name" to our ballpark. Target Field is definitely one of the best corporate named venues out there. As Rick and others have previously discussed, the name could have been MUCH worse. It could have also been better obviously, but considering the current economics of sports, I think the Twins are fortunate to have a solid partnership with Target.

If anything, its going to be generically referrered to as "the new ballpark" or the "new stadium" - or on the national stage, "the new Twins ballpark" for the first year or two.

On another note I see the LA Angels unveiled the 2010 All Star logo tonight. Really makes me anxious to see what the Twins have in plans for their 50th season logo and/or Target Field Inaugural Season logo. I am sure those plans will be unveiled before the final series in the Metrodome if they are not leaked out prior to that.

I know the Twins "officially" unveiled the 2009 Metrodome logo around Thanksgiving time last year but the logo was printed on the calendars which were given out on Fan Appreciation Weekend in September.

the bullseye sucks just like it did months ago when tf was announced and someone on here had a photoshop orgasm with that name.

joe's bat's waking up!!!

dammit!!!!!!!

After the late might A's collapse, I knew I had to be smarter and stay awake for the end. For those sleepers, bottom 9 and nathan was in...gave up 2 runs so we're going to extras. Yikes Twinks

"who says TCF Bank Stadium is known as The Vault? The Bank makes way more sense" - post 155

I am a student at the U (I can provide proof) and most people that I know call TCF Bank Stadium The Vault.

I like "Twins ballpark" --- the corporate pukes can call it what they like but must we follow suit? Lets take a poll and call it whatever the majority says.

could be worse... Petco gets called "the litter box" by it's detractors... i kind of feel bad though a bunch of fans have started a movement in New York around "I'm calling it Shea" and now there's "I'm calling it the Jake" "I'm Calling it Comiskey" "I'm calling it the Murph" etc... kind of wish our park had a real name for us to call it...

everyone waking up- don't look at the paper...
i sarcastically mentioned my excitement for the bullpen relief Billy gave the club yesterday. For those unaware, he brought up the best pitcher we have- Jesse Crain. Well Crain was lucky enough to get in in during his first game back and he pitched...well...he pitched the Crain way- game over.
We need to get this guy off our team and need to go after a 2nd basemen, I am sick of watching Casilla sit at the plate with the bat on his shoulders.

Why is it that when I see the name B.W. McEvers I picture the cartoon caricature of the old guy on the "Monopoly!" box?

I think we've just solved the Twins' pitching problem (click link).

How about "The T"?

Click my name for Charley Walters' (aka the God of sportswriting) column today. About halfway down, the announcement that Dennis Alfton and 11 members of the Metro Sports Facilities Commission (basically the entire commission) will be fired on Feb. 1.

This bothers me a little. They will still have the Dome to run, even though its just the Vikings. Which leads me to think that they know in some covert fashion that the Vikings might be leaving town after their lease expires in 2011. Or, they know in some covert fashion that a new stadium is in the works. Either way, the MSFC doesn't really serve a purpose.

Hasn't it really been the Vikings that run it anyways. Just hand them the keys (hypothetically) and be done with it.

I wonder where Walter's got his scoop? The little birdie?

I meant to type Walters not "Walter's".

Be done with what? The vikings don't want that god awful stinkhole. Not even for free.

That thing is a blight on our skyline. It's like a giant padded toilet seat.

I've asked Walters in the past where he gets some of his tidbits. He says he is usually on his phone most of the day, making about 45-50 calls.

Hey Luke, reread that article. The Commission isn't being fired, it's the staff members. The Commission will still exist. Given the fact that the Twins and Gophers will be gone from the Dome, they probably didn't need that level of staff.

The force is weak in young Luke, it is.

Well, I wasn't sure, there aren't very many people at the MSFC, I thought there were only seven members...so to me, it wasn't sounding good.
click my name for the current list of commissioners. There are seven. And there are four "higher-ups' including Bill Lester. So, when I read Walters' column, it sounded like they were putting the kabash on the whole commission.

Can someone explain the catwalks to me in relation to getting to the view seats? From the article above:

"Also, those catwalks do go over the warming shelters. You will have to enter the Home Plate View sections above the warming shelters THROUGH the shelters, then go to these catwalks to get to your seats."

I'm in the view seats...how hard is it going to be to get to the upper concourse? My sense always was that we were going to take stairs up directly from the upper concourse, which would then land us at row 1. We would still have access directly to the concourse just like the metrodome today, there would just be an extra set of stairs. Am I going to go through a maze to go get a beer?

What are the new flagpoles along the stands next to the scoreboard intended for? Are they going to be pennants of all of the AL teams or something else?

Multifoods Tower Getting Makeover?

MINNEAPOLIS--Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but the consensus among Minnesota baseball fans is that the Multifoods Tower is an eyesore to an otherwise sparkling skyline.

The 668-foot-tall skyscraper, now known as 33 South Sixth, will predominate the skyline for spectators next year at Target Field. Known by many as the "ugly brown box," its tenants--led by Target Corp. and including Meagher & Geer and Stoel Rives--are petitioning the building's owner to update the west-facing fasod.

"We've contacted several architectural engineers to develop concepts that will allow the tower to retake its place of prominence in downtown Minneapolis," noted Danielle Sweda, Facility Operations Manager at Target Corp. "We believe this will assuage the anxieties of those who feel the building detracts from the overall experience at the ballpark."

A popular option among focus groups has been replacing the east and west walls of the tower with sheets of untinted window glass, Sweda said. This would allow Target Field spectators to "see through" the building to catch a glimpse of the much-applauded Wells Fargo building. Sweda said such an option has its drawbacks, however, as interior restrooms would need to include transparent walls and stall dividers. "In the wake of the Erin Andrews incident, there are obvious privacy issues that would need to be worked out," she said.

Other possibilities include installing the west exterior with Kasota limestone, which was used extensively on Target Field, and covering the length of the west side of the building with a giant retractable shade imprinted with the Minnesota Twins' season schedule, in effect, hiding it during game days.

Still, both Multifoods Tower tenants and Minnesota Twins officials and fans hope something can be worked out.

"We want this to be the best stadium in not just Major League Baseball, but all of sports," remarked die-hard fan Rusty Kuntz. "That can't happen unless the Multifoods Tower is revamped--or better yet--imploded."

"Randy Kuntz"???? really??? really?

reads like a poorly written onion article...

Yeah, spelling facade correctly would've helped also.

I like Target Field Being "The T" and TCF Bank being "The Bank" but if it is in fact "the vault" i guess that's fine

the vault is a stupid nickname and i doubt will actually get any traction, sorry gopher fans just my opinion

as far as TF is concerned, at this point I really don't see any type of nickname getting seriously going, I think it is going to be called Target Field, personally that is fine with me, and until further notice that is what I will be calling it

Linc,

I believe this earlier post is not all true: "Also, those catwalks do go over the warming shelters. You will have to enter the Home Plate View sections above the warming shelters THROUGH the shelters, then go to these catwalks to get to your seats."

Here is my take on the catwalks:

1) They are wider than they appear in the photos posted on this site. As posted, they appear to be single lane.

2) There is one concourse that serves the View Level and the Terrace Level. These catwalks are suspended above that concourse. I remember them hanging above the concourse, not above the warming shelters.

3) The catwalks do not run the entire level. They primarily connect the View sections in the areas where concourse space is lost because of warming shelters and/or scoreboard control room. I would guess that their primary purpose is to provide more walking space in this area where the concourse space is diminished. I don't believe that they are out by sections 301 to 305 or maybe 306.

4) In my opinion, the only purpose they serve is to be a "Mini Concourse" for the View Level, connecting the various sections. They will allow people to move from one View section to another without going up and down the stairs. I am guessing their use will be limited to the fans that enter a section on the wrong isle of their section or for the food and beverage vendors working the crowd that don't want to go up and down stairs between sections.

5) As I recall, in the area served by the catwalks, at each portal to the View Level seats, there is a set of stairs down to the concourse as well as a level walkway to the connecting catwalk.

The nickname I liked the best was Chase Field when it was known as the "Bob" (Bank One Ballpark).
Not sure if the locals there still refer to it as that...even though the title sponsor has changed (who knows, maybe Chase is called "The Vault).

Naming a stadium "The Vault" or "The Bank" or "The X" etc. reminds me of sports broadcasters and fans nicknaming players by their first initial and part of their last name. (i.e. AROD, JKIDD, TMAC, DWADE, KROD...)

They all feel extremely lazy. I understand that sports fans aren't the most creative group of people, but can we at least try to come up with something unique and clever? Perhaps a nickname should just develop organically over time rather than playing off the type of industry the corporate stadium is named after.

I also agree with B.W. McEvers. Us fans don't have to call it by the corporate name.

Long live Twins Field!!!

Haha T-Feel.

Well --- if I have tickets to the game I'll be on my way to the ballpark.

yeah but that reasoning works in atleast one case though, cuz the metrodome could be

MMM-DOH!

probably the exact phrase that was said by a lot of people when it was first built

Why not "The Bull's Eye" - Should be pretty obvious once the plaza is finised.

Looking at the Webcams today it looks like seat installation continues to move along through the Home Plate Box sections. Anyone know when all the seats are scheduled to be installed?? It would sure be neat if they were all in before the field goes in the last week of August (gives them roughly 4 weeks)...

1.) new gopher football stadium = brickhouse II. learn some history. it shouldn't be called anything else. to do so would be an insult to the long and great history of gopher football while on the U of M campus.

2.) new twins ballpark = twins ballpark. no need for a forced nickname.

there you go. problem solved. now everyone get back to work, quit using up your workplace bandwidth and actually earn that paycheck! productivity people! productivity! there are many graduating 22 year olds who would love your job (or any job) right about now.

;-)

later,
beta

You gotta love the constant spin --- from the Twins site:

"Liriano looking to give taxed bullpen a break"

At the risk of sounding negative, isn't Liriano one of the big reasons the pen is so taxed? Are we all complete mindless twits or is that just what the Twins take us for?

Haha, that's great. "Long and great history of Gopher football." Long, yes. Great, not so much. That nearly 50-year gap in Rose Bowl appearances is a tad long. But it is history, I'll give you that.

I think the nickname of any stadium or arena ought to be determined in an organic fashion as something that just catches on naturally. It's just like giving a person a nickname like "Red" or "Lefty" because they’re indicative of some natural trait as opposed to sitting down and saying "what sort of nickname should we give to Phil?" and then running through a list. Any concerted effort to come up with a nickname that requires really thinking about it, and suggesting and then seconding or denying a potential moniker, results in name that's very contrived and unnatural, thus defeating the whole exercise since a nickname ought to fit like a glove.

I don't think there will be a nickname that will stick - "Target Field" or "the Twins game" or simply "the ballpark" will be what everyone uses. It's not like you can come up with anything like "the BOB" that fits.

If Land O Lakes had the naming rights and Billy doesn't improve the bullpen, we could call it - wait for it - the LOL! field. (A texting joke for anyone under 50).

You know, thinking about TF nicknames for a minute, Twins Ballpark or Twins Field might actually end up as a generic name on MLB video games next year. Some corporate sponsors will not allow their names on video games, because it would be considered advertising, and they probably wouldn't get money for it, unless the game manufacturer comes ton an agreement otherwise. The same concept applies to brand name products that are sometimes blacked out on TV shows (unless a particular product is a sponsor of the show).

Max - I was noticing pretty rapid seat installation myself. When they have the right metal for the seat supports, there's no stopping them.

Brickhouse II...I like that. Although maybe not entirely true, as they used other materials for the exterior of TCF stadium (i.e. the stuff that all the county names are engraved on) as opposed to all brick.

I regret never attending a game at the original Brickhouse. I saw it once, in 1991, about a year before the wrecking ball hit it (I was however, lucky enough to sit in the original Mariucci Arena, before it became the Sports Pavillion). The only reason I went to the Brickhouse was because I was going to a swim meet at the Aquatics Center, that had been built right in the center of the stadium.

I want t-bone. I'm a t-bone kinda guy. Love that t-bone.

The student section at TCF Bank Stadium is called "The Vault", or at least the drive by the spirit squads is in that direction. The building however, is "The Bank".

A new gallery on the official site. There is a pretty cool picture from the Budweiser Deck.

Personally I'll probably say just call it TCF. "Well I got lucky and was able to snag some tickets for the fist game at TCF." Target Field I don't see myself calling it anything different(and haven't when talking about it with others.) It doesn't condense well. If your going to call it something else it has to be shorter, The bullseye, nor anything else I can think of, doesn't accomplish that.

nick in co: i will forgive your ignorance to perhaps "youth" in regards to gopher football history since 1882. there may be some "breaks" in there (i will give you that), but i will still call 6 national championships (including 3 in a row) and 18 big ten titles "great". it is a far, far better overall record than our two big ten football neighbors becky and the hogeyes.

peace out brotha! :-)

beta

I can't wait to see how good my cardinal red badger jersey looks against TCF's bricks, I figure we'll inhabit atleast half the stadium when we play this year, like usual. I think they made a mistake and put the W upside down there on TCF's seats, about what I would expect from U of M grads.

As far as stadium names go, the coolest name of all...Camp Randall

wow...another twins lost....but im not surprised...we need to fire that fat bill smith and trade for freddy sanchez or orlando cabrera..

hey dirwin7 - go suck a fat one you dirty, alcoholic, cheese eating, polka dancing, piece of wisky dick trash!

you are not getting anywhere near brickhouse II lest you want to be physically assaulted with a process that involves a football and your rear-end! hope you and the rest of beckyland who move to minneapolis for real work after college enjoyed the friendly confines of the metrodump while it lasted. brickhouse II is golden gopher country once again. the gophers are going to beat becky's ass this year.......in football, basketball and hockey. you heard it hear first.

ski-u-mah! ski-u-mah! go gophers!

;-)

beta

twins are tanking....odd though this usually happens in september!

We'll see 2 years after the new stadium is open and its a .500 year how filled the outdoor stadium is on a cold rainy May Saturday downtown. Yeh, Twins survived 20 years at the Met, I worked there. I am sure things are exactly as they were in 1968 with competition for the sports dollar and what the paying sports fan demands...like a retractable roof. I'm sure there are enough fans in the Twin Cities to support the Twins even though it is the smallest market in the US with 4 major sports teams. I'll stay here and watch college hockey in a facility WHERE I WON'T NEED A COAT!!!

I have a coat and I'm not afraid of using it.

Denver is smaller.

betaband,

You and Goldy(A nice little furry feminine name for a mascot I must say, I don't even have to make it up!) can do whatever work needs to be done on each others rear-ends involving footballs, but myself and the rest of Badgernation (contrary to brewster's insistance, there actually is no gopher nation, maybe something more along the lines of unincorporated underground gopher village) will be trailblazing back to Madtown with Paul Bunyan's axe. Just to remind you it's pretty heavy,(I know you haven't picked it up in awhile 2004,2005,2006,2007,2008...2009!) so we'll need our energy. Luckily we'll have plenty left over after breezing past that high school team you typically put on the field. In your defense though, it's probably not your fault, because you're all probably pretty exausted from saying that really long, corporate,(only one in the bigten) and lifeless name for a field over and over again in your heads while spinning on your gopher wheel. Twin Cities Federated Field, Twin Cities Federated Field, spin, spin, spin...

On Wisconsin!

May I ask, are the dimensions at the Metrodome inherantly bad?
I know we have a LF Power Alley that is 385. But I believe Colorado, for instance, has a LF Power Alley of 390?? But everyone loves Coors Field, and we don't like a power alley that is five feet shorter?
There are other parks in MLB that also have bigger power alleys than the ones at the Dome...
So, are the Dome dimensions all that bad???

the days of half the bleachers being badger or hawkeye fans are over, so good luck even getting inside the stadium with your red becky badger jersey. and the weather discussion is played....so played.

dirwin - you are correct, Camp Randall is the coolest name for a college stadium.
However, it must be noted that we actually were able to incorporate the logo in our seats, and actually coordinate it enough so that the correct colors were situated in the correct way (they did that at Maricucci Arena and Williams Arena as well). As far as I know, Camp Randall nor the Kohl Center have not incorporated the Wisconsin "W" into their seats.
Hey, even some high schools do that in their bleachers.

Hey dirwin,

How many national titles have your beloved bagets won?

Nuff said.

Rick - your comments regarding the weather and winning percentage are dead-on correct. Let's hope management understands this as well.

(If anyone doesn't believe this, look at the Nationals attendance, even in the opening year of the new park)

The Gophers are like the Pirates of college football. They were good once, but they've been so bad for so long the only argument that can be made is the "history" argument. Just think how much people hate the BCS, and think how much more they'd hate football if something happened like in '61 where the Gophers lose the Rose Bowl and then win the National Championship. Of course they've only been to two, and once was because Ohio State declined the invitation. The Badgers, despite the lack of championships, have been to 6. I'll take that. And I will be at TCF Bank stadium, wearing my cardinal and white. But I won't break out the profane cheers.
Maybe. On Wisconsin.

half filled with badger or hawkeye fans is one thing... but it was really great when it was half-filled with BISON fans. An FCS team so good that Timmy Brew won't play them again... LOL

as for the digs about the weather, I for one can personally attest to NOT going to Twins games in the summer because the weather is too beautiful to go inside and miss... on average i skip a chance to go to one or two games a year because it's 80 degrees and sunny out. so it cuts both ways, but now, on a a friday night like we had last night, I'll make my way to TF and wait til the first inning is over and buy one off a scalper.

Legacy - I think the argument could be made that Minnesota sports in general are like the Pirates. They were good at one time in history, not so much anymore.
Sure the Gophers won the Rose Bowl...never even got close once they moved to the Dome.
Sure the Vikings were once the Purple People Eaters and a force to be reckoned with. But four Super Bowl losses? And lets not forget the 41-0 loss against the Giants. Nuff said.
I know we're the self-proclaimed State of Hockey, but Lord Stanley's Cup has never made residence here.
And we are fast approaching the 20 year anniversary of our last World Series title. And the next year, the 25th anniversary of our first.
The NBA probably should never have come back to Minnesota. The Lakers were a championship team, moved to LA, and proved they're STILL a championship team. The Timberwolves...let's not even go there.
And the hockey Gophers won a national title when? Seven years ago now?

i love how you can immediately see who the real transient interlopers are on this site when we start talking college sports. people's true colors always come out. here's looking at you: dirwin, the legacy and any other becky badger or hogeye mouth breather who may be lurking. ;-)

the legacy: yeah, 6 rose bowl appearances vs. 6 national championships. you will take that anyday huh?! ahhh okay. well, i guess some bowl "appearances" as opposed to actual "national championships" are really all that becky badger has to fall back on in 120 years of college football. so have at it.

cj - oh and congrats on your best ever ndsu football team (filled with a good number of minnesotans and not north dakotans btw) in school history beating the worst ever gopher football sqaud in 127 years by a mere 6pts in a game that was still in question until the end. all i can say is: simply amazing! why am i even responding about a school called ndsu?!?

oh this is soooo much fun!!!! i can do this all day if that is what is required.

;-)

LOLMFFAO Beta...

Go Trojans! (USC, not Wayzata)

lol beta... the joy for Bison fans (all 30,000 of us in the dome) who make up an alumni network of 30k plus in the Twin Cities was how most of the players were snubbed by the Gophers because they weren't "D-I talent" and then beat the players who were "better" than they were...

I'm a proud Minnesotan and all... but I'm an equally proud NDSU alum, and love mocking the Gophers and getting their fans all riled up... the only time i cheer for the gophers is when they play UND in hockey...

Go Twins.

Back to the issue of a Target Field nickname, I suggest this: "The Big Boomerang." If you look at the canopy - its shape and crosssection - it looks like a boomerang. I'm calling it "The Big Boomerang."

luke,

Do the Gophers have the 'M' in their stadiums to remind their fans that is actually their stadium and not someone else's when they are either vacant or filled with other teams fans? We don't really need the reminder.

Beta,

You lost to the Bison, you are right, why are you talking about that? I would be far too embarrassed. No offense Bison in the forum, and congratulations by the way.

By the way, unlike Bumhouse II, Camp Randall is a real stadium, we don't have seats, we have bleachers!

And as far as Gopher Football is concerned, it's simply a matter of "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" It's been almost half a century since the Gopher football team made even a ripple in the pond. Since the last championship - National, Big Ten, or otherwise was nearly 50 years ago, Gopher fans really have nothing to get puffed up about, especially when arguing with Badgers and Hawkeyes. Those schools have been to the Rose Bowl, taht is to say, a PROMINENT bowl, within our conscious lifetimes. The Gophers have to look back at ancient history to lay claim to anything good.
In that light, 6 Rose Bowl appearances does indeed trump 6 ancient national championships.
Moving to Gophers outdoors isn't the complete answer to the puzzle either. The Gophers were strong in another era, when southern schools wouldn't recruit talented black athletes like Carl Eller, Bobby Bell, and Sandy Stevens. They came and played for Minnesota because they would be allowed to play here. Southern schools which are now prominent have become so in large part due to their acceptance of black athletes, thereby increasing the size of the talent pool from which to choose.
Why would a kid in Florida want to freeze his tail off in Minnesota to play for a humdrum program when he could be playing for Florida, Florida State, or Alabama?

I'm going to guess dirwin lives in Minnesota. which makes me wonder why he would choose to live here over his loved Wisconsin.

and the bank has majority bleacher seating

Yup - I would say TCF Stadium has at least 75% bleacher seating...maybe even closer to 80%.

my seats are in! now i just hope there will be some good baseball to watch in it next year. grr.

careful dirwin. lest you forget that your supposed "wonder coach" bo ryan and his little badger crew lost to big, bad ndsu (as cj - and his vast network of ndsu alums in the twins cities! - likes to believe) in basketball just a couple years ago. so as you said above congratulations to any bison basketball fans in the forum on beating wisky dick in their other supposedly superior sport of college b-ball.

i am not surprised you conveniently forgot that little piece of history though. like the traditional loud-mouthed becky fan you choose to remember becky football & basketball over the last 10-15 years and oh so conveniently forget their horrid, horrid past in both sports for 40-50 years as well. hey pot, meet kettle.

anyways, keeping being a douche about minnesota sports on a minnesota sports forum and i will keep calling you out. go talk smack on a brewer board if you need that validation. as i said i can go back and forth all day.

winona mike - you sir, are a fool. 6 bowl appearances in their history by becky (3 of which were "ancient" as well - your term not mine) vs. 6 national championships in gopher history. last i heard teams play for national championships, not arbitrary bowl appearances where fans can go get drunk and party in RV's. i will chalk up that bit of lunacy to living too close to both the wisconsin and ioweee borders. the pig stench wafting over from pig farmer land is likely getting to you. also, what kid would want to come freeze his ass off in wisconsin or ioweee when he could play at florida, florida state or alabama?!?! same logic applies there brotha.

just getting started. who is next?!? ;-)

Luke, the Kohl Center does indeed have a "W" in the seats - Wisconsin's W Crest, at the end of every row. Click link for image.

As for Camp Randall, well, it doesn't have seats. As college football ought to be.

hey rick - is there something up with the formatting? it seems when you create paragraphs while composing a post they are not transfering over once you actually hit "post". instead it is all being jumbled together into one long paragraph.

just an fyi.

thanks,
beta

rick - please ignore my last post. the issue i just described and noticed before seems to have "gone away" on its own.

My college football team is better than your college football team? Man something needs to happen with Target Field or the Twins need to make a move and stop choking.

Betaband,

If I were you I would keep my napoleon complex in check while talking about any coach, because lest YOU forget, your coach is looking for any and every opportunity to get the hell out of his dead end job as fast as possible.

Twinlves,

i grew up in MN, live in chicago, am moving back to MN soon.

I meant, installing two different colors of seats to make the logo within the seats. Click my name for the 3D seat locater for TCF Stadium, you'll see what I mean.

you need to check yourself dirwin. because you obviously have no idea what in the hell you are yapping your gums about.

What does is say when "youth" has to be my alibi for ignorance about the greatness of Gopher football, and I'm 30 years old? Don't get me wrong, I'll be in the cold ground before I cheer on Wisconsin, but I'll just tip my cap to my seniors and wait for a season that doesn't end in getting humiliated by Iowa. That should be pretty soon without the teflon sky.

mikey: retractable roof? forrrrgetaboutIT! we're lucky to even have a new stadium considering how many Minnesotans didn't want to pay anything for a new ballpark. Are Minnesotans really so soft now that they are scared to go to an outdoor baseball game in April or May?

Retractable roofs are stupid, so are badger fans. If they think a stupid bowl game is more important than a National Championship, I guess there is no hope. Nothing good comes from Wisconsin, except maybe some beer (Not Miller that stuff is terrible, and cheese curds, but you can get that at the Minnesota State fair, so they can just join Canada for all I care.

I have been reading this blog for a long time now and love the work you do, great job! I am a huge Twins fan and can't wait for TF.

That being said, I am also a proud Badger alum. I find it funny when people make the argument "why did you move back to MN for a real job if you're from Wisconsin??" First off, MPLS is a large city with many jobs. That, in no way shape or form, makes the Uof M a better school and UW. Don't compare cities (if you've ever been to Madison, you'd know MPLS doesn't hold a candle as a college town). I agree that outside the city of Madison, the state of WI is a dump (save northern WI cabin towns).

As for sports, gopher fans know they've been inferior to the Badgers for the last 10-15 years (fewer in bball, but that was with Clem...). I personally could care less about NC's or Rose Bowls in the 1960's. This is 2009. I think TCF is going to help the gophers a ton. It would be a blast to see a ranked gopher team take on a ranked badger team sometime in the near future. It would be even sweeter to use the axe to chop the goal post at TCF after the badgers win again.

Either way, thats my story. By the way, how 'bout them twinkies??