MINNEAPOLIS -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made his third trip to the Twin Cities in the last 10 months Sunday afternoon, flying in for the debut of U.S. Bank Stadium as the Minnesota Vikings played host to the Green Bay Packers. And Goodell -- whose 11th-hour trip to the Minnesota State Legislature proved pivotal to the approval of a funding bill for the stadium in April 2012 -- issued praise to Vikings ownership at the culmination of their 11-year effort to reach this point.
"They knew exactly what they wanted to do. Obviously, there are ups and downs during that period of time, (but) they were never deterred in reaching their vision.