Meanwhile, the company recently put its name into the mix to bring a Major League Soccer team, not to the arena which once hosted the World Cup, but to a new stadium in Detroit.ANN ARBOR, Mich. did not return a call seeking comment about the dome’s future. An employee for the Silverdome said the roof was deflated intentionally, but it was later reported the roof was damaged by weather.Ī representative from Canada-based Triple Properties Inc. In early 2013, the dome’s roof, which had remained inflated until that point – a costly expense for the city prior to its sale – began to tear, and by outward appearances, has not been repaired or replaced since. After renovations, a push to resume hosting events was made a year later. The ‘Dome, as it was affectionately known, has hosted various events in recent years, but remains without a sports franchise to hang its name on.įormer Pontiac Emergency Financial Manager Fred Leeb auctioned the Silverdome in late 2009 for $583,000, or roughly one-hundredth the cost of the stadium’s construction. Then, the Detroit Lions packed up and moved back down I-75 to their current downtown Detroit home at Ford Field. Opened in 1975 at a cost of $55 million, the 82,000-seat Silverdome was a state-of-art venue which would go on to host many other marquee events such as Wrestlemania, many of rock’s biggest acts, the World Cup and even a Papal visit. The crowds on Bourbon Street (Saginaw St.) were crazy.”īengals fans reportedly outnumbered the 49ers faithful by a two-to-one margin, but were subjected to a halftime performance of “Hail To The Victors” by the University of Michigan marching band before watching their team lose the game. “I also remember the ice storm on Friday night and having to drive home from work and then turn around and go right back to the hospital. … To this day I call her ‘My Super Girl.’ (I) rode the shuttle from the Phoenix Center after spending the morning in the hospital. “My daughter was born the day before at (Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital) and I had passes to the game to do volunteer work in the concession stands. “I’ll never forget it,” he said via Facebook. Ironically, there was very little traffic after the game, as fans exited the stadium.įor Neil Baxter, the game was memorable for a different reason. Police also blamed uninformed bus drivers as well as scalpers and their potential customers for traffic delays. Bush, which caused lengthy traffic delays, forcing some ticket-holders to miss much of the game. One forecaster said Metro Detroit was spared from the brunt of a storm that hit other regions.Īlso well-remembered is a motorcade for then-Vice President George H.W. It also brought freezing rain, a negative-21-degree wind chill on game day, as well as ice and high winds. While just slightly more than a quarter-inch of snow fell on the big day, the game is largely remembered for the severe winter storm that preceded it.Ī storm sweeping the nation was predicted to dump up to 4 inches, though the area received just trace amounts of snow, according to the National Weather Service in White Lake Township. The city did its best to replicate Bourbon Street, issuing 26 temporary liquor licenses, and makeshift bars and restaurants filled empty storefronts. At the time, the Louisiana Superdome had held the game twice, including the year prior. The 1982 NFL championship game, won by Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers, was a landmark of sorts for the league, as Oakland County served as the pilot host for a Super Bowl in a snow belt city and was just the second dome to host. As the New York-New Jersey area prepares to host the first outdoor Super Bowl at a “cold-weather” destination, the Pontiac Silverdome, which played host to Super Bowl XVI more than 30 years ago, sits vacant with wind ripping through the remaining shreds of its unmistakable Teflon-coated fiberglass roof.
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