Why I Still Miss The Metrodome [OPINION]

When it came to cheap tickets, cheap concessions and cheap parking, there was no place like Dome- the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

As a teen and young adult, I could drive to downtown Minneapolis and park a couple of blocks away for $5 (or free if you could score a meter).

I'd walk right up to the ticket window and buy an upper level seat for $5, or If I was feeling like a big spender, I could grab a box seat for $30-$40. Throw in a few $1 hot dogs and I was all set.

The Twins in the 2000's were an exciting franchise to follow, a perennial underdog who needed to grit n' grind its way to every win they got. From the "Soul Patrol," to "The Piranhas," the Twins were an easy team to root for.

The home field advantage was unparalleled, with the white roof giving the home outfielders a distinct edge and the crowd's echoes off of the roof making for a tough place for opponents to play.

Speaking of the fans, they were actually there to -gasp- watch baseball!

Let's face it, if you were willing to spend a beautiful Minnesota summer night indoors, you were there to watch a baseball game. It wasn't just a chance to take a selfie for the 'Gram.

The Dome was home to almost all of the iconic moments in Minnesota sports history: the '87 and '91 World Series, Game 163, the 1998 and 2009 Vikings seasons and so many more.

The ability to host dozens, if not hundreds, of college baseball games during the winter and spring was also a major advantage to the Dome over Target Field. Now, US Bank Stadium might host 1/3rd of the games the Dome used to, forcing local college teams to spend money to travel to warmer climates every season.

Target Field is a great stadium, with beautiful sightlines and all the bells and whistles a casual baseball fan could possibly want. But it's not the same.

Tickets are markedly more expensive, especially if you want to sit in the lower bowl of seating. The fans, in general, couldn't care less about the actual game on the field being played and need to be protected by netting as opposed to looking up from their cell phones for a few minutes.

Concessions and parking are much, much more expensive. The home field advantage is nearly non-existent. The team has generally not been competitive for the ten seasons that have been played at Target Field.

Obviously the Dome was not without (many) flaws, but it made a trip to the ballpark predictable weather-wise, affordable and unique.