Roof of Metrodome collapses; Vikings game off

Published 9:39 am Sunday, December 12, 2010

By Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Officials in Minneapolis say no one was hurt when the inflatable roof of the Metrodome collapsed overnight.

The roof collapsed under the weight of a snowstorm that dumped 17 inches of snow on the city Saturday. The executive director of the commission that runs the dome, Bill Lester, said a crew that had been clearing snow was pulled off Saturday night due to safety concerns. He said the crew stopped work well before the collapse.

The roof collapse has put the Vikings-Giants game in doubt. It had already been postponed to Monday. Now Lester says it may be moved to the University of Minnesota or to another NFL domed stadium.

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NFL Spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday the league is “exploring alternatives” to either playing the game at the University of Minnesota’s outdoor stadium or in another domed NFL stadium.

Metrodome officials told the league the roof wouldn’t be ready in time to play Monday or Tuesday.

The delay has given Vikings quarterback Brett Favre more time to heal his sprained shoulder and see if he can extend his NFL-record streak of 297 straight games started, but now Favre could have even more of a break.

TCF Bank Stadium opened on the Minnesota campus in 2009, and the Gophers have played two seasons there. It seats 50,000, down from the Metrodome’s capacity of 64,000.

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