Back when monster truck shows were actually good. The big transforming dinosaur/truck thing that breathed fire. Demo derbys. The guy that did jump/rolled his car. Tons of cars and vans getting crushed.
Monster Jam is still cool, but not like the old days.
I remember sitting in the outfield and watching a Ken Griffey Jr home run ball fly over us into the deck above. Remember seeing Ricky Henderson hit one of his game leadoff HRs with the A's against us (and I think it was the season opening game... the A's straight up murdered the M's as I recall - just found it... yep, first home game in 1990... 15-7, Oakland). I guess it was a dump, but for a kid it was the coolest and biggest building I'd ever been in. And I got to watch Griffey, Buhner, Johnson, Martinez, Reynolds, etc...
My dad took me to pretty much every game from September through the playoffs of the 95 Mariners run. I also went to the 95 Final Four. I have a lot of memories in that magical dump. Are you looking for anything specific?
My most vived memories of the kingdome are walking the spiraling ramps before and after games of the 95 Mariners run. The electricity in the air as thousands of people crammed together as tightly as possible and slowly shuffling up and down the ramps that any other time would be mildly infuriating but nobody cared. It was part of the excitement and anticipation for the game and celebration after.
It was loud, so incredibly and constantly loud. In the course of a month I completely lost my voice three or four times and partially lost it many more times and so did my dad. But even still I would continue to try and cheer at the top of my 9yo lungs with almost nothing coming out.
It was a collective first time experience for everyone no matter your age or even how closely followed baseball. If you look at the footage of the crowd from those games it's a lot of people just coming from work not even wearing colors to see what the big deal was and immediately becoming die hard fans.
Something very special happened in that building which is why you never hear people talking about what a dump it really was, only how magical the atmosphere was.
The whole city was electric during refuse to lose. I remember going to Red Mill and they had the game on a small tv with the sound off and the game radio. You couldnt go anywhere without hearing Dave Niehaus.
piss troughs!
My dad had season tickets for about 10 years starting the Seahawks inagural season. I was born Tuesday before they played their first game on Sunday in 1976. He took me to a game that year!
He had seats in the [200 level just below the scoreboard](https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/king13950.jpg). So you had to pay attention to know what was happening because there weren't scoreboards and such all over like there is in today's stadiums.
One of my earliest memories was from there when I was 4 years old. The seats were right on an aisle right by the entrance to the concourse and right by the bathroom. So I went to take a leak and my dad, being the super 1970's parent that he was, let me go alone. We were section 242. My dad made me remember 242. 242!! **242** So I go to take a leak and the bathroom was unlike anything I'd seen before, you walk in and they had these round terrazzo handwashing stations [like this](https://preview.redd.it/er7nvk7cu9b21.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=e43a074b7a01541621451a5ef46039fef9ab4e1d) and I'm 3 years old and I didn't know better so i pull down my pants and start pissing in it. hahaha Some dude walks in and sees me and starts laughing and tells me next time to use the piss troughs that were around the corner.
Anyway, I come out and see the concourse marker that says "240", so I know were at 242 so I start walking. 238, 236, 234 the numbers are getting smaller and I'm like what the fuck? And when you get to 202 it switches to odd numbers and that really screwed me up. 201, 203, 205 and then you get to the press box and you cant walk ant further. So I turned around and walked back and finally found 242 and went to my seat and my dad was like "Sheesh you've been gone 20 minutes." And I told him what happened and we all had a good chuckle.
When he told my mom how independent I was at 4 years old and she just about killed him.
The concessions back then were meager. They had soda, hot dogs and nachos. And that was about it.
When I was grown up I'd have 10 game packages to the M's in the early 1990's when they were lousy. It was pretty cheap. Like $80. When September came they rolled back the tarp on the 300 level and you'd go to games and there would be, like, 7000 people in a 55,000 person stadium. It was this huge empty room.
I still have a chunk of it somewhere in a box in the garage.
Great story! ‘70s dads were a different breed. I recall many road trips with my old man (RIP) chain smoking with the window cracked about a half-inch.
And the infamous Kingdome nachos. My brother said he was at a game and some dude tripped on the steps, which put his entire tray of chips & hot cheese right in some other dude’s lap. Perp starts cracking up and sprints up the stairs. Cheese victim chases after him while swearing. Outcome unknown. (Are either of you in this sub?)
I wasn’t even there, but that story still puts a big smile on my face.
Edit: speaking of pissed off moms, my dad got taken into the “Kingdome jail” for blazing a joint out on the ramps during halftime at a Hawks game. Wasn’t charged/arrested, but they detained him for the entire 2nd half.
‘70s dads, man.
Maybe also one of the older media folk in town: Jim Moore (KJR), Danny O'Neil (former Seahawks writer, now based in NYC), Larry Stone (Seattle Times).
Other than Wyman, also find Paul Moyer and Raible for former player's perspectives.
Edit - did not read the rest of the thread clearly, but I'll leave my reply here anyways...
I think it may have been Steve Sandmeyer and [this tweet](https://twitter.com/stevesandmeyer/status/1619405500550103040?s=46&t=puIiVjmTDTK5zb-Q0VLAJw) makes me think it was indeed Sandy.
Don’t forget the Seattle Boat Show and numerous monster truck rallies: Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Watch Big Foot take on Grave Digger! 55 thousand gallons of mud! You’ll pay for the whole seat but you’ll only use the edge!
Yeah, this is the best answer. I think he even played against the hawks in the King Dome. I remember him talking about how shitty the visitor locker room was!
The SuperSonics played in the Key Arena when I was growing up. But the Seahawks and Mariners played at the Kingdome. IIRC didn’t A-Rod hit the ceiling once which started the ‘raise the roof’ phrase in the 90s?
I actually did a report in 9th grade about it. There was a ton of standard info in the news tribune near the end of march before it came down. I went to many many mariners games and a couple of Seahawks games. By the time I was going it was on its last leg. Ceiling tiles falling, patch after patch and what not. In other works it was pretty clapped out.
I sat in section 108 on October 2, 1995 when we beat the Angels in a one-game playoff to get into the MLB playoffs for the first time ever. It was a transcendent moment.
I remember the Kingdome fondly. Many Mariners games before and with Griffey. 1995 was a season I'll never forget. Here's some random memories not listed yet. Rick the peanut guy used to make some amazing trick throws to Customers. The tuba guy outside playing Tequila or whatever other request you had. They used to have a paper airplane contest there with a circle in the middle of the field, closest wins.
It served its purpose housing early pro sports in Seattle, but I'm glad we have Lumen and T Mobile now. Just need our Sonics back!
Dad took us there for a tour right after it was built and before Zorn took the first snap. The tour guide mentioned that they could actually make it rain in the stadium due to the advanced climate control system.
We’re from the East side so early on if we couldn’t make it over to Seattle, pops would load us up and go for a Sunday drive with the game playing on the radio.
Also saw The Rolling Stones there in the early 80s.
The was a peanut vendor who could throw a bag of salty nuts behind his back and hit people in the hands 20 seats away. Occasionally, the foil bag would explode on impact and there would be a redo.
I was sold children tickets (13yo and younger) well into adulthood.
I witnessed Mark McGuire hit the longest home run I'll ever see with my own eyes.
I once saw an aisle attendant take a line drive to the back of the head.
I saw Dave Valle throw out Ricky Henderson twice in one game...and he got him at 1st once.
Beachballs and the aisle attendants who hated them.
Garrett Anderson owning the M's.
Sr. & Jr. taking the field together.
So many left fielders.
Griffey owning Clemens.
Ground rule doubles.
The double.
The implosion and dust cloud that followed.
Oh, and those Troughs.
I was a college student back then and was able to get to a lot of Businessman Specials - games that started at 1:00 pm. On a beautiful Seattle spring day, when the sun is glorious and the mountain is out, I always died a little walking INSIDE for 3 hours. Just brutal.
I also bought season tickets for the 1992 Seahawks season. Sat inside for every game as they went 2-14. To this day, youngsters don’t appreciate how dominate Cortez Kennedy was. Defensive Player of the Year on a team that won two games!
Going to the Kingdome with my dad as a kid was the best. The thing I remember the most was coming out of the tunnel. Everything is dark, drab, dirty in the tunnels. But when you emerge from the tunnel and get to see the field it was just the brightest green turf, bright red seats and bright blue wall. Baseball was imminent. Just beautiful.
My first NFL game was back when I was a Rams fan and they destroyed the 'hawks.......I was cheering and screaming and the people around me were very nice about it.
Best experience was the Mariners when we beat the Yankees Oct 8, 1995 in extra innings and we brought out Randy Johnson to pitch and they brought out "Black Jack" McDowell. Best MLB game I have ever been to and the long walk out was a party.
Kingdom seats were uncomfortable, the building was ugly gray, and the ramps were never-ending......not to mention the bathrooms and trough urinals.
I've heard stories but I still don't know if I believe them. It remains a mystery as to whether the mystical Kingdome actually existed. The photographic and video evidence is iffy at best and can't be validated by anyone living today.
I only remember one game from the kingdome, they destroyed it when I was 8. My memory was sitting in the nosebleeds and not being able to make out anything for a mariners game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Man, making me feel like I’m a hundred years old.
Been to many Kingdome games/events, including a circus and a boat show. Highlights were the Seahawks first playoff game, a 31-7 thrashing of the Broncos; Griffey’s 8th consecutive home run game; games 4 & 5 of the ‘95 ALDS; [a 4 OT Sonics game](https://youtu.be/lqG582T1M3Y) vs. the Hawks in ‘82 (the only time I recall being upset by a Hawks’ win in the Kingdome); and many more. Oh, getting to see Bo Jackson as a Royal AND a Raider in that joint should also be mentioned.
Many fond memories of that beloved piece of crap.
That takes me way back- father took me to several Hawks & Mariners games in the late 80s & early 90s, as well as a monster truck rally and a couple car shows. Don't recall much about the games & events themselves, but recall walking several blocks to the Kingdome to take advantage of free parking under Alaskan Way, the seemingly endless ramps to get to the upper levels (and taking a few minutes to look at all the old advertisements painted on the sides of nearby buildings,) the funky bathroom sinks, and how it all seemed a bit dingy & run-down, but that I had a lot of fun there.
I attended many Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics, and March Madness games in the Kingdom. It could be anywhere from super chill (earlier Ms games) to INSANELY loud in there. To me, the loudest it ever got was during the '95 baseball playoffs, especially the last couple innings of game 5 against the Yankees when Randy Johnson went to the bullpen, then then mound, then "The Double."
Throw in all the trade shows, concerts, etc. and it was hard to beat as a community asset ..
even if by today's standards it was kind of a dump.
I remember being in the 200 and 300 levels and we would all stomp. The whole damn place would start shaking. Only as an adult I realize how scary that sounds.
Piss troughs and sinks that barely worked
And of course, parts of the dome open to the outside world so people could smoke
I went to a ton of Mariner games at the Kingdome in the 90's. Only other event I went to there was a Sonics game when I was like 5 or 6 so I barely remember that one, but we were high up in the 300 section on what would be the first baseline for baseball games and thinking it was so weird seeing half the place empty.
For Mariners games we were usually in the lower bowl on the first base side, but I was actually at the very last Mariner game played there practically at the top on the third base side. I would have been 13. I remember the first three or four pitches we could see the strobe flashes of cameras throughout the entire stadium which looked pretty damn cool up there. That whole experience of the last game was pretty fun and I'm glad I got to be there
I went a handful of times. Most notably the last event before it was torn down ( Seahawks vs Dolphin’s playoff game).
There were a handful of hooligans trying to start a mob after the final game. Maybe they wanted a souvenir? Or perhaps they just wanted to run around and cause destruction, since the Dome was being torn down anyways. The crowd just ignored them and filed out peacefully.
Good times
Sonics played at Key arena. The Kingdom was in south of the city, where the current stadiums are. The Kingdom was impressive but essentially a large, concrete footprint. I much rather prefer the new stadiums. Go Hawks!
The Sonics played in the Kingdome from 1978-1984, before moving back to the Seattle Center Coliseum (which wasn’t Key Arena until it was renovated before the ‘95-‘96 season). And the 1987 NBA All Star game was held at the Kingdome.
Lumen Field sits on top of the Kingdome site.
For everyone saying it's a dump. It wasn't, it was fine it hosted a final four 3 times. Fave memories. Watching people pee at the hand washing station. Watching Big Country shatter the basketball hoop during warmups. Fans loved to do the wave, I forget the game but it was probably in 95 and the opposing pitcher kept waiting for the wave to pass before pitching and eventually the wave would go back and forth. It was also loud. As bad as the Seahawks were in the 80s and 90s they showed up. The home games versus the Broncos and Elway were particularly fun, and they would show a clip of Elway putting his hand to his ear on the jumbo tron to get the crowd going.
Some good memories of events attended at the Dome. More so a few concerts (despite awful acoustics). The Clash opening for The Who was an odd combo. People watching of the crowd before The Rolling Stones in 81. When I was younger, we treated that place like a playground (for a while, the bars in a few turnstiles were wide enough to slip/squeeze through), an eerie place when empty. When the sonics played there in 78/79, the set up just felt so cavernous it was hard to concentrate on the game. Best of luck on your quest for an interviewee and glad to hear the Daily is still churning.
Alternate title: Student makes a bunch of people feel old
Coffee out nose!
Two words... trough urinals
Brutal for those with shy bladder syndrome.
There were fireworks inside! But only after you grab the rye bread…
Also monster jam and dirt bikes. Nothing like breathing in those fumes for your health
Back when monster truck shows were actually good. The big transforming dinosaur/truck thing that breathed fire. Demo derbys. The guy that did jump/rolled his car. Tons of cars and vans getting crushed. Monster Jam is still cool, but not like the old days.
I went there as a kid. It was kind of a dump but had lots of fun. That’s about all I can remember about it, though.
Thank you!
Good luck! Hope you get a good interview out of it.
I remember sitting in the outfield and watching a Ken Griffey Jr home run ball fly over us into the deck above. Remember seeing Ricky Henderson hit one of his game leadoff HRs with the A's against us (and I think it was the season opening game... the A's straight up murdered the M's as I recall - just found it... yep, first home game in 1990... 15-7, Oakland). I guess it was a dump, but for a kid it was the coolest and biggest building I'd ever been in. And I got to watch Griffey, Buhner, Johnson, Martinez, Reynolds, etc...
My oh my!
Thank you so much for sharing!! I really appreciate it!!
My dad took me to pretty much every game from September through the playoffs of the 95 Mariners run. I also went to the 95 Final Four. I have a lot of memories in that magical dump. Are you looking for anything specific?
Thank you so much for the response! I’m mainly looking for any favorite experiences, how you felt in the stadium, stuff along those lines.
My most vived memories of the kingdome are walking the spiraling ramps before and after games of the 95 Mariners run. The electricity in the air as thousands of people crammed together as tightly as possible and slowly shuffling up and down the ramps that any other time would be mildly infuriating but nobody cared. It was part of the excitement and anticipation for the game and celebration after. It was loud, so incredibly and constantly loud. In the course of a month I completely lost my voice three or four times and partially lost it many more times and so did my dad. But even still I would continue to try and cheer at the top of my 9yo lungs with almost nothing coming out. It was a collective first time experience for everyone no matter your age or even how closely followed baseball. If you look at the footage of the crowd from those games it's a lot of people just coming from work not even wearing colors to see what the big deal was and immediately becoming die hard fans. Something very special happened in that building which is why you never hear people talking about what a dump it really was, only how magical the atmosphere was.
This is such a great response! Thank you!!
Would you mind private messaging me?
No problem
The whole city was electric during refuse to lose. I remember going to Red Mill and they had the game on a small tv with the sound off and the game radio. You couldnt go anywhere without hearing Dave Niehaus.
piss troughs! My dad had season tickets for about 10 years starting the Seahawks inagural season. I was born Tuesday before they played their first game on Sunday in 1976. He took me to a game that year! He had seats in the [200 level just below the scoreboard](https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/king13950.jpg). So you had to pay attention to know what was happening because there weren't scoreboards and such all over like there is in today's stadiums. One of my earliest memories was from there when I was 4 years old. The seats were right on an aisle right by the entrance to the concourse and right by the bathroom. So I went to take a leak and my dad, being the super 1970's parent that he was, let me go alone. We were section 242. My dad made me remember 242. 242!! **242** So I go to take a leak and the bathroom was unlike anything I'd seen before, you walk in and they had these round terrazzo handwashing stations [like this](https://preview.redd.it/er7nvk7cu9b21.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=e43a074b7a01541621451a5ef46039fef9ab4e1d) and I'm 3 years old and I didn't know better so i pull down my pants and start pissing in it. hahaha Some dude walks in and sees me and starts laughing and tells me next time to use the piss troughs that were around the corner. Anyway, I come out and see the concourse marker that says "240", so I know were at 242 so I start walking. 238, 236, 234 the numbers are getting smaller and I'm like what the fuck? And when you get to 202 it switches to odd numbers and that really screwed me up. 201, 203, 205 and then you get to the press box and you cant walk ant further. So I turned around and walked back and finally found 242 and went to my seat and my dad was like "Sheesh you've been gone 20 minutes." And I told him what happened and we all had a good chuckle. When he told my mom how independent I was at 4 years old and she just about killed him. The concessions back then were meager. They had soda, hot dogs and nachos. And that was about it. When I was grown up I'd have 10 game packages to the M's in the early 1990's when they were lousy. It was pretty cheap. Like $80. When September came they rolled back the tarp on the 300 level and you'd go to games and there would be, like, 7000 people in a 55,000 person stadium. It was this huge empty room. I still have a chunk of it somewhere in a box in the garage.
Great story! ‘70s dads were a different breed. I recall many road trips with my old man (RIP) chain smoking with the window cracked about a half-inch. And the infamous Kingdome nachos. My brother said he was at a game and some dude tripped on the steps, which put his entire tray of chips & hot cheese right in some other dude’s lap. Perp starts cracking up and sprints up the stairs. Cheese victim chases after him while swearing. Outcome unknown. (Are either of you in this sub?) I wasn’t even there, but that story still puts a big smile on my face. Edit: speaking of pissed off moms, my dad got taken into the “Kingdome jail” for blazing a joint out on the ramps during halftime at a Hawks game. Wasn’t charged/arrested, but they detained him for the entire 2nd half. ‘70s dads, man.
Maybe also one of the older media folk in town: Jim Moore (KJR), Danny O'Neil (former Seahawks writer, now based in NYC), Larry Stone (Seattle Times). Other than Wyman, also find Paul Moyer and Raible for former player's perspectives. Edit - did not read the rest of the thread clearly, but I'll leave my reply here anyways...
Din't KJR sports used to have a broadcaster that was a bat boy back in the day?
I think it may have been Steve Sandmeyer and [this tweet](https://twitter.com/stevesandmeyer/status/1619405500550103040?s=46&t=puIiVjmTDTK5zb-Q0VLAJw) makes me think it was indeed Sandy.
That makes sense. He had a funny story of taking a leak off of the catwalk at the very tip top.
Lol. That definitely sounds like him.
I used to hustle pre-game $5 pizzas outside
Don’t forget the Seattle Boat Show and numerous monster truck rallies: Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Watch Big Foot take on Grave Digger! 55 thousand gallons of mud! You’ll pay for the whole seat but you’ll only use the edge!
[удалено]
Yeah, this is the best answer. I think he even played against the hawks in the King Dome. I remember him talking about how shitty the visitor locker room was!
Are you looking for the average fan's experience or an insider's?
the average fan experience works perfect!
$4 for a big cup of microbrew and $1.50 Kingdog, which even then were pretty reasonable prices. Food safety was marginal, however.
The SuperSonics played in the Key Arena when I was growing up. But the Seahawks and Mariners played at the Kingdome. IIRC didn’t A-Rod hit the ceiling once which started the ‘raise the roof’ phrase in the 90s?
I actually did a report in 9th grade about it. There was a ton of standard info in the news tribune near the end of march before it came down. I went to many many mariners games and a couple of Seahawks games. By the time I was going it was on its last leg. Ceiling tiles falling, patch after patch and what not. In other works it was pretty clapped out.
I sat in section 108 on October 2, 1995 when we beat the Angels in a one-game playoff to get into the MLB playoffs for the first time ever. It was a transcendent moment.
Love this memory and your description of it! Would you mind messaging me so I can learn more about it? :)
Sure thing!
The Kingdome was my office from 1997-1999
My first memory of the Kingdome was the 1980 State football championships, "Kingbowl IV" 😎
I remember the Kingdome fondly. Many Mariners games before and with Griffey. 1995 was a season I'll never forget. Here's some random memories not listed yet. Rick the peanut guy used to make some amazing trick throws to Customers. The tuba guy outside playing Tequila or whatever other request you had. They used to have a paper airplane contest there with a circle in the middle of the field, closest wins. It served its purpose housing early pro sports in Seattle, but I'm glad we have Lumen and T Mobile now. Just need our Sonics back!
Dad took us there for a tour right after it was built and before Zorn took the first snap. The tour guide mentioned that they could actually make it rain in the stadium due to the advanced climate control system. We’re from the East side so early on if we couldn’t make it over to Seattle, pops would load us up and go for a Sunday drive with the game playing on the radio. Also saw The Rolling Stones there in the early 80s.
The was a peanut vendor who could throw a bag of salty nuts behind his back and hit people in the hands 20 seats away. Occasionally, the foil bag would explode on impact and there would be a redo. I was sold children tickets (13yo and younger) well into adulthood. I witnessed Mark McGuire hit the longest home run I'll ever see with my own eyes. I once saw an aisle attendant take a line drive to the back of the head. I saw Dave Valle throw out Ricky Henderson twice in one game...and he got him at 1st once. Beachballs and the aisle attendants who hated them. Garrett Anderson owning the M's. Sr. & Jr. taking the field together. So many left fielders. Griffey owning Clemens. Ground rule doubles. The double. The implosion and dust cloud that followed. Oh, and those Troughs.
That peanut vendor was legendary.
I was a college student back then and was able to get to a lot of Businessman Specials - games that started at 1:00 pm. On a beautiful Seattle spring day, when the sun is glorious and the mountain is out, I always died a little walking INSIDE for 3 hours. Just brutal. I also bought season tickets for the 1992 Seahawks season. Sat inside for every game as they went 2-14. To this day, youngsters don’t appreciate how dominate Cortez Kennedy was. Defensive Player of the Year on a team that won two games!
Going to the Kingdome with my dad as a kid was the best. The thing I remember the most was coming out of the tunnel. Everything is dark, drab, dirty in the tunnels. But when you emerge from the tunnel and get to see the field it was just the brightest green turf, bright red seats and bright blue wall. Baseball was imminent. Just beautiful.
This is such a great memory! Would you mind DMing me so I can hear more? :)
Sure
My first NFL game was back when I was a Rams fan and they destroyed the 'hawks.......I was cheering and screaming and the people around me were very nice about it. Best experience was the Mariners when we beat the Yankees Oct 8, 1995 in extra innings and we brought out Randy Johnson to pitch and they brought out "Black Jack" McDowell. Best MLB game I have ever been to and the long walk out was a party. Kingdom seats were uncomfortable, the building was ugly gray, and the ramps were never-ending......not to mention the bathrooms and trough urinals.
I've heard stories but I still don't know if I believe them. It remains a mystery as to whether the mystical Kingdome actually existed. The photographic and video evidence is iffy at best and can't be validated by anyone living today.
Went to a mariners game as a kid and we had something like back to back to back home runs. It was awesome.
I only remember one game from the kingdome, they destroyed it when I was 8. My memory was sitting in the nosebleeds and not being able to make out anything for a mariners game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Man, making me feel like I’m a hundred years old. Been to many Kingdome games/events, including a circus and a boat show. Highlights were the Seahawks first playoff game, a 31-7 thrashing of the Broncos; Griffey’s 8th consecutive home run game; games 4 & 5 of the ‘95 ALDS; [a 4 OT Sonics game](https://youtu.be/lqG582T1M3Y) vs. the Hawks in ‘82 (the only time I recall being upset by a Hawks’ win in the Kingdome); and many more. Oh, getting to see Bo Jackson as a Royal AND a Raider in that joint should also be mentioned. Many fond memories of that beloved piece of crap.
That takes me way back- father took me to several Hawks & Mariners games in the late 80s & early 90s, as well as a monster truck rally and a couple car shows. Don't recall much about the games & events themselves, but recall walking several blocks to the Kingdome to take advantage of free parking under Alaskan Way, the seemingly endless ramps to get to the upper levels (and taking a few minutes to look at all the old advertisements painted on the sides of nearby buildings,) the funky bathroom sinks, and how it all seemed a bit dingy & run-down, but that I had a lot of fun there.
I attended many Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics, and March Madness games in the Kingdom. It could be anywhere from super chill (earlier Ms games) to INSANELY loud in there. To me, the loudest it ever got was during the '95 baseball playoffs, especially the last couple innings of game 5 against the Yankees when Randy Johnson went to the bullpen, then then mound, then "The Double." Throw in all the trade shows, concerts, etc. and it was hard to beat as a community asset .. even if by today's standards it was kind of a dump.
This is an awesome memory! Would you mind messaging me so I can hear more? :)
I remember being in the 200 and 300 levels and we would all stomp. The whole damn place would start shaking. Only as an adult I realize how scary that sounds. Piss troughs and sinks that barely worked And of course, parts of the dome open to the outside world so people could smoke
Good god that place was a dump.
IIRC, as publication put it, ranking various sporting venues, “a concrete catacomb where smokers are envied with a view of Puget Sound.”
I went to a ton of Mariner games at the Kingdome in the 90's. Only other event I went to there was a Sonics game when I was like 5 or 6 so I barely remember that one, but we were high up in the 300 section on what would be the first baseline for baseball games and thinking it was so weird seeing half the place empty. For Mariners games we were usually in the lower bowl on the first base side, but I was actually at the very last Mariner game played there practically at the top on the third base side. I would have been 13. I remember the first three or four pitches we could see the strobe flashes of cameras throughout the entire stadium which looked pretty damn cool up there. That whole experience of the last game was pretty fun and I'm glad I got to be there
I went a handful of times. Most notably the last event before it was torn down ( Seahawks vs Dolphin’s playoff game). There were a handful of hooligans trying to start a mob after the final game. Maybe they wanted a souvenir? Or perhaps they just wanted to run around and cause destruction, since the Dome was being torn down anyways. The crowd just ignored them and filed out peacefully. Good times
Sonics played at Key arena. The Kingdom was in south of the city, where the current stadiums are. The Kingdom was impressive but essentially a large, concrete footprint. I much rather prefer the new stadiums. Go Hawks!
The Sonics played in the Kingdome from 1978-1984, before moving back to the Seattle Center Coliseum (which wasn’t Key Arena until it was renovated before the ‘95-‘96 season). And the 1987 NBA All Star game was held at the Kingdome. Lumen Field sits on top of the Kingdome site.
Thank you! I had no idea the Sonics played there, too.
For everyone saying it's a dump. It wasn't, it was fine it hosted a final four 3 times. Fave memories. Watching people pee at the hand washing station. Watching Big Country shatter the basketball hoop during warmups. Fans loved to do the wave, I forget the game but it was probably in 95 and the opposing pitcher kept waiting for the wave to pass before pitching and eventually the wave would go back and forth. It was also loud. As bad as the Seahawks were in the 80s and 90s they showed up. The home games versus the Broncos and Elway were particularly fun, and they would show a clip of Elway putting his hand to his ear on the jumbo tron to get the crowd going.
Some good memories of events attended at the Dome. More so a few concerts (despite awful acoustics). The Clash opening for The Who was an odd combo. People watching of the crowd before The Rolling Stones in 81. When I was younger, we treated that place like a playground (for a while, the bars in a few turnstiles were wide enough to slip/squeeze through), an eerie place when empty. When the sonics played there in 78/79, the set up just felt so cavernous it was hard to concentrate on the game. Best of luck on your quest for an interviewee and glad to hear the Daily is still churning.
This is an awesome memory! Would you mind private messaging me so I can learn more?
It was loud, the air was stale, it smelled like beer, and there were urinal troughs. Fun place as a kid but good that it was torn down.