Anyone read this?

[GullGuide]

Twin Cities man sees swastika in Metrodome roof

Associated Press

May 19, 2005

Fans attending games at the Metrodome probably don't spend much time staring at the ceiling, but those who do might see a swastika in the dome's roof supports.

A Twin Cities man hopes to make a documentary about the swastika — formed by cables that come together to keep the air-supported dome's roof in place. He's created a Web site about it, arguing that "the flag that flew over Auschwitz should not fly over'' the NFL, Major League Baseball and Minnesotans.

Dome officials say there's no truth in Tim Anderson's argument that the German designer was a Nazi and therefore sought to create one of the world's largest swastikas.

"The cables are used to keep the roof down,'' said Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, the Metrodome's operator. "It's just happenstance that it makes that pattern.''

Lester says the pattern was pointed out long ago — the Metrodome opened in 1982 — but he hadn't heard about it for years until Anderson interviewed him about a year ago for his documentary. He called Anderson's theory "a bunch of malarkey.''

In response, Anderson said Lester can't acknowledge there is a swastika in the roof.

"If he were to admit that it was there, then he'd have to do something about it,'' Anderson said, adding that he feels fans who cheer for the Twins or Vikings are being "tricked'' into cheering for the Nazi cause.

The pattern may not be around many more years. The Twins, Vikings and the University of Minnesota all are pursuing new stadiums of their own.

[Gissert]

The first time I ever went into the dome 20 odd years ago, I noticed that straight away.

I never hopped on the conspiracy bus, however.

[GullGuide]

Same here Gissert.

Being the history buff that I always have been, it was one of the first things I saw and I was like "NO WAY!!, how could they let that one slip by?!" I remember hearing about the supposed German designer many years ago, so this whole thing is really not new news to me. But for someone to plan a documentary?...lol...should be quite interesting.

In all reality, before Hitler came along, that was a symbol of luck for many different civilizations around the world. The Nazi's just bastardized it into a whole new meaning.

[Gissert]

Everytime I see it on TV, I point it out to people. You'd be surprised at how many never noticed that before. That thing is readily apparent on TV, but even more jarring in person. It just jumps out at you. I had the same thought as you regarding how that slipped by. It had to really stick out on the blueprints, you'd think.

I am a history buff as well, so I am always seeing stuff that triggers my curiosity.

I saw a documentary on the Hood vs Bismarck a few weeks ago, and that caused me to go out and by the old Johnny Horton CD with "Sink the Bismarck." Now my 3 and a half year old daughter is begging for "Bismarck" and "Battle of New Orleans" whenever she is in my truck, LOL. Oh well, that got her of her Blue Oyster Cult "Godzilla" for a little while.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Dude, BOC rocks!!!

The longer I stare at it the more I don't see anything jump out at me.

[genegodawa]

Puttin' on a little of The Red & The Black by BOC right now.

[Gissert]

What a great site! Fishing - Baseball - Odd designs in teflon roofs - and BOC!

It is so funny to hear a three year old playing with her toys, singing quietly as kids do when they think they are not being watched. Even funnier when the kid is singing "Pick up bus, throw back down in town- Oh no, go Tokyo, Godidda!"

She also knows most of the words to "In Thee."

[genegodawa]

Lots of good fishing songs for her to learn too...especially those by Da Yoopers.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Rush Hemispheres was my daughters favorite album when she was a youngun. She's 19 now and I'm not quite sure what you call the music she listens to.

[genegodawa]

My favorites as a college kid were Uriah Heep and Yes - and they still are. My dad, a polka/big-band lover, used to call my music "noise". As in: "What kind of noise is that?" or "Turn that noise down!" So now my son is into his brand of screamin' bands and I tell him "lower that, will you?"

[GullGuide]

All noise is good noise....except for rap...lol.

LOL...My dad also had the ORIGINAL Johnny Horton album with all those songs on it....all I can say is that I know most of those by heart...lol.

Here's another funny- When my "nerd" friends and I get together and have our "Axis and Allies" all-nighters, complete with lots of beer, lol, "Sink the Bismark" is always in my head during naval battles...LOL. I'm going to freak them out next time and start humming it while they roll the dice...whooohahahaha

[genegodawa]

Don't know this Horton guy, so I'm gonna have to check it out.

As far as "noise" goes, I call it "rap dump".

[hanson]

Don't know this Horton guy???

'The Battle of New Orleans'

'North to Alaska'

'Johnny Reb'

Good Stuff!!

By the way, I never noticed the swastika before. If I did, I just didn't pay attention to it. From an engineering standpoint, that configuration seams like a great way to bring those 4 long sections of roof together.

[Gissert]

The Underwood Legion has one of those internet jukeboxes with a ton of stuff on it. Lots of blues and 70's rock and lot of country on there. Whenever someone plays Johnny Horton, fans of both types of music all start smiling.

[GullGuide]

Here's a little info on Johnny Horton-

Quote:

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Johnny Horton had several top ten songs in the late 50's and early 60's and was on the verge of becoming one of the top stars of the 60's when he met with tragedy.

He was born John Gale Horton in Los Angeles in 1925. He was raised in Tyler, Texas. Horton worked in the fishing industry in Alaska and California, and attended Seattle University. He worked for a while as a carpenter, and played basketball at Baylor University. He worked at a local radio station in East Texas and at the Hometown Jamboree in California. He did some recording with little success for the Abbott, Mercury, and Dot labels and picked up the nickname the Singing Fisherman. Horton became a regular on the Louisiana Hayride.

Johnny married Billie Jean Jones, the widow of country music legend Hank Williams. He sang country songs and signed a recording contract with Columbia, where he would achieve his greatest success. Some of his first hits included Honky Tonk Man, I'm A One-Woman Man in 1956, Coming Home in 1957 and All Grown Up in 1958. He topped the country charts in 1959 with When It's Springtime In Alaska.

Johnny Horton then began to record a series of saga songs that crossed over to the pop charts. He covered Jimmy Driftwood's The Battle Of New Orleans in 1959. The song topped the country charts and it reached number one on the pop charts, where it remained for a solid six weeks. The song was a tribute to the final battle of the War of 1812. He also recorded Sink The Bismarck in 1960, a song that was suggested by the film of the same title; it went top ten country and pop. Johnny Horton was a star. He sang the title song for the John Wayne movie North To Alaska and it too made the top ten in both charts during the same year.

On November 5, 1960, while North To Alaska was still climbing the charts, Horton was killed in an automobile accident in Milano, Texas following an appearance at the Skyliner in Austin. Following Horton's death some of his earlier hit songs made the charts once again. Albums of his recordings were compiled and issued in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's, and they are still selling.

His biography was published in 1983 under the title Your Singing Fisherman.

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I was always told he died in a deer hunting accident, guess that was wrong.