The Pontiac Silverdome opened in 1975. in Pontiac, Michigan. For the next 26 years the venue was home field to the NFL's Detroit Lions. It also hosted the Detroit Pistons for a time as well as several college and minor league teams. But personally the Silverdome became a favorite of mine as it was the site of Wrestlemania III.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL-SxOAJfQo

It's hard to believe that 30 years have passed since March 29, 1987. It's one of the few Wrestlemanias I can still remember the exact date of. While Andre the Giant and Hogan headlined the event, Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage nearly stole the show with an insane, non-stop 14 minute thriller that saw many tide changes and two counts. But most of all, WMIII was remembered for being big. Everything about it was big. Even Andre, normally billed at 7'4”, gained an extra inch and was 7'5” for one magical night. There was a lot of exaggeration and years later just about everything has been called into question. Some say that the claim of 93,173 fans in attendance wasn't true and that they couldn't have fit more than 78,000 to 80,000. And it's been pointed out that Andre had lost several matches cleanly prior to this. True, but to the best of my knowledge the statement that the Giant never lost in the WWF is also correct.

Anyway, after WM III, the Silverdome continued to hold many other events. It saw Super Bowl XVI in 1982. The NFL's championship game would return to Michigan in 2006 but this one was held at the Silverdome's replacement, Ford Field, in downtown Detroit. Almost everything has a life span and that's especially true of sports arenas. After the Lions left in 2001, the Silverdome closed in 2006 and was briefly reopened in 2010. Its doors were shut for good in 2013 and has been awaiting demolition ever since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1omCkYTa7Ko

I'm not sure when exactly the fabric roof came down but it's sad to see the tattered pieces strewn about. Pretty sad. Now it just looks like a dead outdoor football field. If it's any consolation, the next dome to host a WrestleMania, Skydome in Toronto, is alive and well as the Rogers Centre.