Old Time Football. The Way It Was Meant To Be Played.

The Vikings announced yesterday that they will play their final home game next Monday night against the Bears at TCF Bank Stadium (pictured), the home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Metrodome clearly won't be ready for any football in the near future, and this Monday night's game was also a special night to honor the 50th season of Vikings football. The team clearly doesn't want to do that in a place like Detroit or Chicago.

The Vikings have a myriad of problems to deal with in order to get the game off: five foot snowdrifts in the ballpark; 14,000 fewer seats than the Metrodome; concession stands that aren't suited for night football; alcohol is prohibited to be served there, as it is a college park; and of course, playing a game in frigid temperatures at night outdoors.

The club will foot the bill for getting TCF Bank Stadium back into playing condition, and that might be as much as $700,000.

The game coincidentally will be played on the 29th anniversary of the final game the Vikings played outdoors in Minnesota. It was the final game ever played in Metropolitan Stadium in 1981, a 10-6 loss to Kansas City before the Vikings went indoors to play at the Metrodome.

Here's more from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Old time football in Minnesota in the cold. Brings back pleasant memories from my youth of seeing the crazy guys with no shirts on in zero degree weather rooting for the Vikings. Bring it on!