What ever happened to the Pontiac Silverdome? *2023 Update*

[@darryljorden9177]

The site where the 49ers dynasty began. Super Bowl XVI.

[@Davidjon1946]

Indeed! Montana vs kenny Anderson both Bengals 49ers superbowl games entertaining. John maddens first ever superbowl in the broadcast booth as well .

[@junkbox_]

Strange how Wrestlemania wasn't mentioned as it was the event that broke the 90,000 mark. It was an insanely popular Wrestlemania. In it's final days shortly before it was demolished, there was a soft proposal to repurpose the building as a retail concourse. Maple Leaf Gardens was gutted and it reopened as a grocery store in 2013, many months behind schedule following nearly a decade of turnover process and various stages of construction along the way. Also, Maple Leaf Gardens has a hockey rink/basketball court on the 2nd floor, similar to how that one Silverdome proposal had all of the above on a lower level. At MLG today there is a grocery store on street level, with sports facilities upstairs on the second floor. In the retail store of old MLG Center Ice is marked into the floor. Some people don't realize that there is still hockey at MLG. Due to mass-perversion and serial-diddlers (with 100s of registered cases) using MLG as their playground for many decades, much of Toronto wanted MLG razed because of it's sordid multi-generational history of being the location of so many crimes against unchaperoned children involved in junior hockey programs.

[@chriskay1449]

Because it didn't actually break 90,000. That was a number that was made up by WWE and they wee actually close to 80K attendance.

[@travishall4740]

He mentioned it during the beginning

[@principalmcvicker6530]

You should do one of these on the Kingdome

[@detroittigers1282]

I’m 41 and grew up with Silverdome, the 90s were by far greatest era this team had post merger. I went to an NCAA Regional there in 1991, Duke, UConn, St. John’s and Ohio State, Duke won the regional and eventually the NCAA Final Four. Silverdome also played host to the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, to this day the last NBA ASG in Detroit, also hosted the 1988 NCAA Regional with Kansas, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Purdue. Kansas defeated Kansas State in the Midwest Regional Final and eventually the NCAA Final Four. Also hosted 3 games of the 1988 NBA Finals vs Lakers, Pistons won 2 of 3 there before losing series in seven. The Lions originally wanted to stay at the Silverdome in Pontiac, they just wanted a better deal from the city owned stadium. In August 1996 they announced they were moving back to Detroit in a joint stadium venture with the Detroit Tigers. Since the Lions lease at the Silverdome was through 2006, Comerica Park opened first in April, 2000. Ground broke on Ford Field, the Lions current stadium, in November 1999, opening on August 24, 2002 in a preseason game. The Lions had pay city of Pontiac off for breaking their lease 5 years before expiring.

[@scooterbee2777]

I grew up watching Barry run through defenses in the 90s at the Silverdome. Played a few games there in high school in the early 2000s...man that turf was brutal! Like being tackled on straight concrete. I'm not sure how the pros could do that every week.

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

Still not leveled yet?? Maybe an Amazon facility would work

[@ken12603]

It been leveled and replaced with an Amazon warehouse over a year ago.

[@chrisbunka]

@@ken12603 Off Opdyke Road and at the exit of M-59. I live in Auburn Hills myself.

[@ken12603]

I loved going out through the emergency door over the revolving door because when you went out those doors, the air would push you through it, it was fun.

[@detroittigers1282]

Yep I miss that!

[@MGAF688]

@@detroittigers1282 You must be talking about the Metrodome.

[@TheKevinNewsom]

I always thought the Silverdome was beautiful. It met a fate unworthy of its glory.

[@trickolas78]

Beautiful stadium. Much better than Ford Field and 2nd only to the Astrodome is prestige

[@dvferyance]

It still had a long life. Much longer than the RCA Dome or the Georgia Dome.

[@thephantomeagle2]

In 1985 there was a major roof collapse which was much much worse than the Metrodome collapse. Almost all the roof panels came off and it looked like huge spiderweb. This was the second bit of roof damage, the first being in 1976 during a thunderstorm, though that was much less of a problem. The was around 140 tons of snow on the field and in the seating area, where over 2500 seats were destroyed.. After the initial collapse they lowered the lights as a precaution. It took over a week between snow storms and wind for most of the panels to fall. They didn't even enter, aside from lowering the lights for over a month, just in case. A few player were scrimmaging and had to run for cover when they heard loud popping sounds. There were also several parties, but they were unaffected and the partiers left after the initial collapse. This was the impetus to build "The Palace of Auburn Hills" which was the first privately financed NBA stadium built. It's name was never sold off. The Pistons are now downtown along with the Red Wings, Pistons, Lions and Tigers, all withing blocks of eachother.

[@chrisbunka]

Little Caesars is very nice. Saw the Pistons play their very first-ever Detroit regular season game in since the move to Oakland County.

[@kmacadaeg7]

It’s a Amazon Warehouse now. I live by there. So sad😔

[@TyphoonTTD]

It wasn’t in Detroit. 😂

[@danporter2345]

Hogan. Andre. That's the 1st thing that pops in my head w/this venue

[@lancedrake3443]

So many memories for me. Saw Lions, Panthers, Express, Pistons, my high school play for state championship a Metallica/GNR concert and even roller bladed a few times. Was so sad to see it go. Ford Field is great, but not the same environment.

[@dyingearth]

I foresee the same fate with A's current stadium.

[@matthewkester3677]

the Oakland Coliseum is doomed once the A's leave

[@jonathanphillips-yakym3646]

Same. Bet Oakland will have issues voting to tear it down. That’s why they already have a somewhat plan to put a temporary soccer field in the parking lot

[@donkraemer50]

When Hogan slammed Andre and 93,000 Hulkamaniacs went wild, the foundation and building structure was permanently damaged. It never recovered

[@MGAF688]

Whatcha gonna do brother?

[@christopherpellerito5883]

Regarding your *2023 Update*: the Amazon fulfillment center on the former Silverdome site opened in fall of 2021! Really an amazing transformation, if you drive through the area today (or even just look at it on Google Earth) you'd never suspect that it was built on the ground where the 'Dome once stood. I'm subscribed and enjoying your content for now, but I would suggest backing off the jackhammer pace of new content and put a little more TLC into each one.

[@detroittigers1282]

And to update your video, there IS an Amazon Warehouse there, place opened a couple years ago. I drive by on occasion, there’s like one sign I think for entrance 5 as the only symbol that the Silverdome was ever there, otherwise the place looks nothing like before, like I couldn’t tell where the field was located, that is a lot of land with the parking on site.

[@matthewkester3677]

they tore it down?

[@luisvaldes1568]

Go Lions!

[@msn64man1]

Sadly it was demolished and a Amazon werehouse was built in its place

[@jonathanphillips-yakym3646]

Sounds about right 😂

[@ernokirnyan9984]

Congrats Michigan for letting your greatest historical stadiums demolished and building up warehouses and hotels in their places. Basically the same as in Europe, money and politicians...

[@ministrydrummer]

You got your numbers mixed up guy. Wrestlemania 3 had over 93,000 people. The pope had 80,000 people.

[@scottyleitch3214]

great video. great stadium. Steamboat beat Savage and Hogan slammed Andre. Pope John Paul II said hello. the lions won a single playoff game. this venue still achieved legend status thou. the photo @ 9:03 is after the first collapse in the 80s. keep up the stadium content!

[@donkraemer50]

I laughed at 'the Lions won a single playoff game'😅

[@r24765]

Love the videos man. Love the old stadium nostalgia

[@billnotice9957]

Funny. Pontiac city council turned down 18 million in cash for a 425K sale 3 years later.

[@7mileDem]

The Silverdome was 16 miles north of Detroit City limits, the land is an Amazon warehouse now.

[@scottyb2688]

soccer on top hockey arena an multi use arena on second floor same as they did with kemper arena in kansas its got a basketball arena on top level an a running track an four courts on the bottom floor it used to be a 18,000 seat single level arena that was divided

[@DebitAdams]

I heard it was going to be multi purpose and have baseball and then they changed their mind due to extra costs.

[@BaseballPlayer0]

there ws only 1 wrestlemania held there. u added an s, making it plural. u were wrong

[@jonstefanik9400]

Indeed a Amazon warehouse did go up on the site of the Silverdome.

[@ConfidentBald-sx9nx]

“Two tiered approach”

[@lionsfan7500]

Great video Ginger! They originally named the Silverdome "Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium" so I'm personally glad it got a name change. The Silverdome was special and almost every season the Lions were pretty bad except for a stretch in the 90's. But it seemed if though the Silverdome was magical because no matter how bad some of the Lions teams were, every year they would have a couple major upsets in the dome. The Silverdome also hosted some pretty major events. It hosted Superbowl 16, a NBA All-star game, The NBA Finals, The 1994 Word Cup, Mass from Pope John Paul 2, Wrestlemania 3, one of the last concerts by Elvis, and so much more. It was a very special place and even though it had to go and be replaced, it's still a shame how the Silverdome spent its final years. I really enjoyed this video Ginger it was sentimental for me.

[@penciltucky]

The Hoosier Dome in Indy also had this type of roof. The revolving doors kept the air pressure in.

[@johnwiesner9590]

The Lions rarely sold out games at that stadium, including a playoff game against the Packers in 1993. This meant that their home games were not televised in the Detroit area.

[@Coonkilla445]

Home of Superbowl 16

[@Gravyballs2011]

I remember going there to roller blade in the 1990s. Could really get some speed around the bends.

[@Coonkilla445]

How could you not mention superbowl 16.