1 Jack Morris' 10-inning shutout and Gene Larkin's RBI in the Twins' 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, wrapping up a Series that baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent called "probably the greatest World Series ever.''
1a Kirby Puckett's incredible Game 6 performance of the 1991 Series: a home run to win the game in bottom of the 11th after making a leaping catch to save at least one run in the third inning. He also had an RBI triple and scored, plus a sacrifice fly, a single and a stolen base in what many believe was the greatest single-game performance by a Twin.
3 Game 7, 1987 World Series, because there's always something magical about Minnesota's first major pro sports championship, especially one achieved with six players — Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Frank Viola, Tom Brunansky, Tim Laudner and Randy Bush — who matured from a 102-loss rookie season in 1982.
4 The heartbreak of the 1998 NFC title game, when Gary Anderson, who during the regular season had become the first NFL kicker to make every attempt, missed a 38-yarder as the Vikings lost to Atlanta 30-27 in overtime. Fans thought the team that went 15-1 during the regular season was Super Bowl-bound.
5 The impromptu celebration at the Dome after the Twins' 1987 American League Championship Series victory in Detroit. The late-night crowd filled up the place to welcome the team home, and many of the Minnesota players on that team say that night is their lasting memory of the postseason.
6 Adrian Peterson's NFL single-game rushing record of 296 yards vs. San Diego on Nov. 4, 2007. Peterson had 30 carries and three touchdowns.
7 Michael Jordan's 45-point night on Nov. 8, 1989, in the Wolves' first regular-season home game in front of 35,427; the team set an NBA single-season attendance record at the time of 1,072,572.
8 Brett Favre's first home game of 2009 when his last-second TD pass to Greg Lewis beat the 49ers 27-24.
9 Michigan's 38-35 comeback victory over the Gophers in 2003 after the Wolverines trailed by 21 points in the fourth quarter. Minnesota entered the game 6-0, and a victory just might have propelled the Gophers to their first Rose Bowl since 1962.
10 The Twins' incredible Game 163 against Detroit in 2009, when they overcame deficits of 3-0 in the second inning and 5-4 in the 10th, winning 6-5 in the bottom of the 11th when Alexi Casilla's single scored Carlos Gomez.
11 Dave Kingman's towering pop fly that went through a vent hole in the Dome ceiling and never came down on May 4, 1984.
12 Duke's victory in the 1992 Final Four, the first of two NCAA championship basketball games played at the Dome. The Blue Devils defeated Michigan's fabled Fab Five.
13 Herschel Walker's first carry as a Viking, a 47-yarder against the Packers in which he lost his right shoe. He had 148 yards on 18 carries, but it was mostly downhill from there for Walker, who had been acquired in a blockbuster deal with Dallas that is roundly regarded as the worst trade in Minnesota sporting history.
14 The big stage provided by hosting Super Bowl XXVI on Jan. 26, 1992, although the memory is diminished by Washington's one-sided, 37-24 victory over Buffalo. The Redskins had a 24-0 lead early in the third quarter in a game best remembered for Thurman Thomas missing his team's first two plays because he couldn't find his helmet.
15 The Minnesota Strikers defeated Tampa Bay 1-0 on May 28, 1984, in front of 52,621 — the largest soccer crowd in state history.
16 The 1985 MLB All-Star Game, enabling the Dome the claim the distinction of being the only facility to host a World Series, Super Bowl, Final Four and MLB All-Star Game.
17 Lou Holtz re-energizing the Gophers fan base, attracting 62,446 to watch the Gophers lose a tough 13-7 game to No. 3-ranked Oklahoma in the third game of the 1985 season.
18 The Vikings looked like a Super Bowl team when they dismantled Dallas 34-3 on Jan. 17, 2010, when Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes, three of them to Sidney Rice. It's the last playoff victory for the Vikings — and definitely the last one ever at the Dome.
19 While the Dome was mocked in some circles, not so by high school football players, who viewed the Metrodome as a mecca for the annual Prep Bowl. The move to the Dome in 1982 provided a huge boost to the quality of high school football in the state. In perhaps the greatest Prep Bowl game, Blaine's Tommy Newman scored on a two-point conversion with two seconds left for a 25-24 victory over Cretin-Derham Hall in 1988. Cretin's quarterback, Chris Weinke, would go on to win the Heisman Trophy at Florida State.
20 Chris Darkins rushed for a Gophers-record 294 yards in a 39-38 victory over Purdue in the 1995 Big Ten opener.
21 Dwyane Wade's emergence on a national stage, becoming the fourth player to record a triple-double in the NCAA men's basketball tournament as he led Marquette to an 83-69 upset of No. 1 Kentucky in the 2003 Midwest Regional final. Wade had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
22 The Chuck Knoblauch hot dog game on May 2, 2001, in which the one-time Twins All-Star returned as a Yankee and was pelted with Dollar Dogs from Twins fans while playing left field.
23 The addition of air conditioning in 1983, enabling fans to watch games during hot, humid days in relative comfort. At the very least, it gave Dome bashers less to complain about.
24 Kirby Puckett's public memorial service after his unexpected death following a stroke in March 2006, only eight days shy of his 46th birthday.
25 Of the many milestones achieved in the Dome, here's an important piece of trivia: The Metrodome has been the site of the most 3,000-hit games in the majors: Dave Winfield in 1993, Eddie Murray in 1995 and Cal Ripken Jr. in 2000.
