Joe Kinsey, founder of Busted Coverage, visited U.S. Bank Stadium and Minneapolis last week for a media tour of the venue that is scheduled for completion in July.
Kinsey was impressed by several elements of the state-of-the-art venue.
Here are a few highlights from his **full recap**:
Under a section heading of, "What's so great about this new stadium? It's just a new stadium, right?," Kinsey wrote:
It's a dome, but there's going to be drama. What if I told you the stadium included five of the world's largest glass doors (ranging from 75 to 95 feet tall and extend 55 feet across) that the team will be able to leave open or close. The NFL has rules for opening roofs, so expect new regulation on massive stadium doors, which could allow plenty of wind into a stadium to effect a kick.
The south side of the stadium features an ETFE (ethylene‐tetra‐fluoro‐ethylene) roof, a first for sports facilities in the U.S. What's that? The short answer is that ETFE is a transparent material that allows sunlight into the stadium. There will be lots, and I mean lots, of natural light inside U.S. Bank Stadium. Between the giant glass doors and the roof, fans definitely won't feel like they're stuck in a dark bowl.
In addition to substance, Kinsey took special note of U.S. Bank Stadium's style, from club and suite spaces to the Club Purple area that will be a fantasy football hub for games.
Imagine taking a Vegas club, dropping it into the second level, giving customers a VIP club lounge to go with their purple couch and telling everyone to have a good time. Oh, and Club Purple also has an outdoor balcony with an insane view of Minneapolis.
Mortenson Construction General Superintendent Dave Mansell, a media favorite on multiple tours, also made an impression on Kinsey:
Dave Mansell, the construction manager for stadium builder Mortenson, is a Minneapolis treasure. ESPN should do a "30 for 30" on this guy. NFL Films should mic him for a couple days and make one of the greatest videos in NFL Films history. The guy is a quote box, most of which I can't repeat here. I asked Dave where he'll be sitting when he comes to Vikings games. His response: "I won't be here." Dave plans on handing the keys to the Vikings and not coming back. I also asked Dave if he tackles small jobs at home or if he farms it out after doing far more important things like managing the construction of a $1 billion stadium. Of course Dave handles the work at home. "You should see my kitchen. I have a great kitchen," he said.
