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And you thought we were done with this silliness.

Out of respect to those of you with stadium fatigue, I've stayed out of the anticlimactic (and little-known) final stage of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium approval process. But for the record, we should remind everyone that the final bill must be approved by the Minneapolis City Council, and further, that two-day process began Thursday.

I'll let Minnesota Public Radio explain the details if you're interested. In essence, the council approved the bill in a preliminary vote, an outcome that has been considered inevitable since a majority of council members pledged support in March.

The final vote will take place Friday and is expected to mirror Thursday's 7-6 decision. Design and construction planning will begin immediately afterward.

Related: Grantland.com's Steve Marsh explains the stadium story through the eyes of a Minnesotan.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Because none of you have gotten your fill yet on the Minnesota Vikings' stadium story, I made a rare daytime appearance outside of NFC North blog headquarters for a visit with team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf.

I reported to the ESPN.com news desk that Mark Wilf hopes to begin the Super Bowl bidding for Super Bowl LI, which will be played about six months after the new facility opens for the 2016 season. The Wilfs made clear the team will play at least two more seasons, 2012 and 2013, in the Metrodome but that their 2014 plans could take a year to develop. (They will play the 2015 season at TCF Bank Stadium.)

But to me the most intriguing takeaway was what seems like a preference to outfit the stadium with a retractable roof.

The final stadium bill allows for that possibility if the Vikings pay for the upgrade, which could cost an additional $25 million to $100 million. It would enhance the Wilfs' hopes to draw a Major League Soccer team to the facility, but it would also mesh with Zygi Wilf's long-stated desire to capitalize on what he thinks would be the competitive advantage of outdoor games during the Minnesota fall and winter.

(I have no opinion on it as long as the press box is enclosed.)

Neither Wilf would commit to a retractable roof but here's what Mark Wilf said about it: "We're going to try to get the maximum number of features within the budgets that we can make this a facility that is going to be exciting to the fans. We know it's a competitive landscape to attract our fans to the facility and we're going to want to make it something special. To the extent that retractability can get there, we're going to try to do it."

It's worth noting that the Vikings' original plan for the suburban Arden Hills site included a retractable roof, one that would allow for the outdoor experience the Vikings once had at Metropolitan Stadium but also provide the flexibility to host games and events that require a roof, whether it is the Super Bowl or a Final Four or Grave Digger's next performance.

After I noted the possibility on Twitter earlier Friday, many of you asked about the rule at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Field that requires the roof to be closed when outside temperatures are lower than 40 degrees. All I can tell you is that the NFL's official rules on operating retractable roofs have no such requirements, at least not the set the league office forwarded to me Friday. The rules do, however, give the game-day referee the option to close the roof pregame because of precipitation or weather that is otherwise deemed hazardous.

You could have an interesting debate about the better home-field advantage: really cold weather with the roof open or presumably louder crowd noise with it shut. I don't know where the Vikings will land on that, and I'm not entirely convinced the Wilfs are prepared to kick in additional money for retractability after increasing their initial contribution to $477 million in the final negotiations this week. Just know it's very much on the table moving forward.

As we await what are likely the final steps in approving the Minnesota Vikings' new downtown stadium, let's take an early look at some of the questions that will remain after Gov. Mark Dayton presumably signs the bill:

What about the Minneapolis City Council?

Yes, it's true that the majority of the council's 13 members must approve the final bill before construction could begin. But that has been considered a formality since March, when Mayor R.T. Rybak announced that seven members had pledged support. Thursday morning, Rybak told Minnesota Public Radio that the bill contained "every single one of the things we asked for" and added: "I don't anticipate there will be a change [of heart]."

What will the new stadium look like?

The frantic pace of this legislation produced very few details on the design and features of the facility. There have been general terms that include 65,000 seats and 150 luxury boxes, but those are general estimates. The team released three images last month, one of which is reproduced in this post. But those are only concepts and a significant amount of architectural, engineering and design work remains to be done.

Where will the Vikings play during construction?

The team has said it will play in the Metrodome in 2012 and has expressed hope that it will be able to spend at least a portion of the three following years there as well before the new facility opens in 2016. But that timetable is subject to the unfinished work we just discussed. The expectation is that there will be at least one season, and probably a portion of a second, played at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Field. That will require a multi-million upgrade at "The Bank" to include, among other things, heating coils for the outdoor field.

What about a retractable roof?

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has expressed strong interest in playing outdoor games when possible, and a retractable roof would probably help lure an MLS team to the facility as well. The $975 million bill, however, calls for a fixed roof. Legislators said the Vikings would have to cover the additional costs and maintenance of a retractable roof. At one point last year, team officials projected a $25 million difference between a retractable roof and a fixed one. That might be a low estimate, however; the Indianapolis Colts' retractable roof at Lucas Oil Field was estimated to add $75 million to the project. I don't have an updated figure for the Vikings' stadium, but I wouldn't be surprised if Wilf at least considers the upgrade.

Good morning to all. As we suggested late Wednesday night, Minnesota lawmakers did indeed work through the night to continue pushing the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill to completion. In the end, it looks like the Vikings will get final resolution on their decade-long quest for a new facility by the end of Thursday.

Here's what happened between the time we signed off and now:

• Critically, the Vikings agreed to increase the private contribution to the project from $427 million to $477 million, a $50 million raise that lawmakers put into the final merged bill. My guess is the Vikings knew all along that this might happen at the final moments and budgeted accordingly, but in the end, as team spokesman Lester Bagley said: "The Vikings and [owning family the] Wilfs have stepped up. The Wilfs have stepped up and made a huge commitment to Minnesota and a huge commitment to Vikings fans."
• The House of Representatives approved the bill after hours of debate at about 4:30 a.m. ET. The final vote was 71-60.

That leaves two final steps, both of which are expected today. The Minnesota Senate will take up debate and voting at some point Thursday morning. If the bill passes, as expected, it will be sent off to Gov. Mark Dayton for his signature and the legislature will adjourn for the year.

"We're not quite there yet, but this was a big day," Bagley said Thursday morning. Referring to the upcoming Senate vote, Bagley said: "We're one step away."

Again, we'll save the grand conclusions and analysis for when this bill is fully completed and executed. But I think it's fair to say that it's very likely the Vikings will get their stadium and will be removed from the NFL's list of relocation candidates for the next 30 years. Stick around for coverage through the day here on the blog. (And then we'll get back to our regular offseason routine of making stuff up.)

OK gang. We're approaching the NFC North blog witching hour, when anything I try to write will come out in some form of primitive English that makes no sense and offers no one any deeper understanding of the issue at hand.

As of this posting, it does not appear there will be an final resolution of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium issue overnight.

The conference committee charged with merging the two stadium bills has yet to formally meet and announce a final bill. Its most recent start time was announced to be 1 a.m. ET, with a cut-off time of 2 a.m. ET. Without the conference committee's official blessing, the bill can't be sent to either the House of Representatives or the Senate for final confirmation. As of late Wednesday evening, the plan was for the House to debate and vote on the bill overnight, with the Senate following on Thursday morning.

Regardless, Thursday would be the final day that voting is allowed by law in the 2012 legislative session.

There was ample evidence, however, that the conference committee had largely negotiated and settled upon a bill during private meetings Wednesday. It was briefly posted on the state web site around 10:30 p.m. ET before being taken down for further revision. Assuming its numbers were accurate, the Vikings' share was pegged at $477 million -- or $50 million more than the team originally committed. The state would pay $348 million and the city of Minneapolis $150 million. The Vikings would also contribute an average of $13.5 million in operating costs over the course of a 30-year lease.

The Vikings have not yet said whether they will agree to raise their commitment. A team spokesman said chief stadium lobbyist Lester Bagley would make "team comments" directly to the conference committee when it convened.

Legislators appear to have backed the Vikings into a corner. Would they really walk away from the deal over $50 million? But even if the Vikings don't immediately agree, House leaders were expecting to take a vote sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

The Senate would then pick up the bill Thursday morning. So let's reconvene then, shall we?

Good evening, everyone. Just wanted to set the table for you as best we can on what might be another late night of Minnesota Vikings stadium intrigue.

The legislative conference committee is scheduled to open its formal discussions on merging the two stadium bills at 10 p.m. ET. As we noted earlier, there have been private meetings going on for most of the day and it's reasonable to assume much of the heavy lifting has been done already.

Indeed, both the state House of Representatives and Senate are scheduled to convene at 11 p.m. ET, presumably to be in position to approve the merged bill passed out of the conference committee. If that all happens, the final step in the process would be to send the bill to Gov. Mark Dayton for his final signature.

The big question is whether, or how much, the Vikings have agreed to raise their contribution. Both versions of the bill called for a higher total than their original $427 million. The House asked for $532 million and the Senate asked for $452 million. Again, it's reasonable to expect the total to wind up somewhere in between if a deal is to be completed Wednesday night.

I'll keep an eye on it for a while but I'm not committing to sitting it out through the duration. Stay tuned on that.

*Update: The merged bill is complete and has been posted online. It pegs the Vikings' total at $477 million, or $50 million more than they had originally committed. It's not yet clear if the Vikings have agreed to that total.

Just to respond to those who have been asking: As of about 4:15 p.m. ET, the Minnesota state legislature had not called a formal meeting of the conference committee charged with merging two versions of the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill and sending it off for a final vote and signature of Gov. Mark Dayton.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that a private, closed-door meeting with some committee members has been going on for most of the afternoon. But it is unclear what, if anything, has been accomplished.

None of this would be pressing if it were not for the time element involved. By law, the 2012 session has only one day left for voting after Wednesday. That day be designated any time between Thursday and May 20. Regardless, there isn't much time left to finish the reconciling project.

I gave in at about 11:30 p.m. ET on the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill deliberations. As it turns out, the Minnesota state Senate approved a version of the bill at about 1 a.m. ET after about 11 hours of debate. Here are accounts from the Associated Press, Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press.

While there are several important steps remaining, this vote puts the Vikings on the verge of concluding a decade-long drive to replace the Metrodome. I'll save all of the grand conclusions and analysis until the process is complete, but it would be surprising to see the stadium bill break down at this point. Both houses of the state legislature are now on record supporting it, and we already know that Gov. Mark Dayton is ready to sign a bill. Only a bit of sausage-making remains.

Let's quickly address where the process goes from here.

1. The Senate version of the bill and the House of Representatives' version will be sent to a conference committee, as early as Wednesday, to reconcile significant differences in the language. This is not unusual in terms of lawmaking.
2. The most contentious difference, and one in which the Vikings likely will exert some lobbying influence, is how much the team must pay toward the $975 million project. The original bill called for $427 million. The House raised it to $532 million and the Senate to $452 million. Common ground must be reached to move on.
3. The Senate added a set of user fees to augment the original funding sources, and those fees are probably one of the reasons the bill passed the Senate. According to the Star Tribune, the fees include: "a 10 percent fee on the sale or rental of stadium suites, a 10 percent fee on parking within a half mile of the stadium during NFL events and a 6.875 percent fee on team jerseys and other league-licensed products sold at the stadium." The Vikings are opposed to user fees because they cut into team revenue they would otherwise receive on sales of those items.
4. Assuming the conference committee agrees on one unified bill, it will be sent back to both houses for a vote.
5. If approved in both houses, the bill will be sent to Dayton for his signature.

My understanding is that all of this must happen in the next two working days of the legislature. By law, the legislative session can't extend beyond 120 days and Tuesday was day No. 118. As the world turns ...

OK, I'm calling it for the night.

The Minnesota state Senate is approaching its 10th hour of discussion on dozens of proposed amendments to its version of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill. There is no end in sight, and I've made the executive decision against the diminishing value of a live reaction post whenever the bill is voted on, presumably sometime in the middle of the night.

If you want to check for results, our ESPN news desk is manned for 24 hours and will update the news story on our NFL index page. I'll be back Wednesday morning to discuss whatever news might have happened overnight.

I will say that as I sign off, stadium supporters have just won an important tug-of-war over the issue of user fees. The Senate originally approved an amendment that would include user fees on all things bought in and around the stadium to help fund the project. The Vikings were adamantly opposed because it would cut into their revenues and likely would have killed the bill. The Senate then held a re-vote on the matter, removed the amendment and left proceeds of electronic pull-tab games as the sole source of the state's funding portion. But the user-fee issue is important to many lawmakers, and it wouldn't be surprising if it worked its way back into the conversation in some way.

If the Senate approves the bill overnight, it will next go to a conference committee later this week to reconcile it with the version the House of Representatives passed Monday. By law, the state legislature has two more working days in its 2012 session before it must adjourn.

I'm keeping an eye on the Minnesota Senate's debate over its version of the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill, and the first few hours was notable for one key amendment.

The Senate joined the House of Representatives in increasing the Vikings' portion of the $975 million project, but at a much lower total than the House. The Senate bill transfers only $25 million from the state obligation to the Vikings, putting the Vikings' portion at $452 million.

The House version, passed Monday, increased the Vikings' total by $105 million. In essence, the Senate has set the parameters of a reasonable final negotiation if its bill passes and gets sent to a conference committee, where it would be reconciled with the House version.

The Vikings are on record saying they won't pay $105 million more, but that doesn't mean they can't be squeezed for something more than their original commitment. More to come.

Just to update those who have been asking: The Minnesota Vikings stadium bill that was supposed to hit the Minnesota Senate floor at 10 a.m. ET had not done so as of 1:30 p.m. ET. The Senate is in recess for a private meeting of Republicans, who you can assume are hashing through their caucus position prior to a debate and vote. The length of the meeting suggests there are serious issues that need resolution before the debate begins, but it's also quite possible that the politicos are just taking a siesta after a long night of lawmaking. We'll let you know if something develops.

*UPDATE: The meeting adjourned at about 1:40 p.m. ET, or three minutes after this post was published. The Senate is now preparing to take up the debate in an afternoon session

It's a bit late for this old-timer, so I'll do my best to type this post with no factual errors and a minimum of typos. Let's review what you should know about Monday's activities on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives:

• The Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill was approved by a vote of 73-58.
• The bill moves on to the Minnesota Senate for debate and a vote, possibly as early as Tuesday.
• A number of amendments were debated and several adopted during debate that began at 3 p.m. ET and continued until about 11:30 p.m. ET. The most significant: The state's share of the $975 million deal was lowered from $398 million to $293 million. The extra $105 million was added to the Vikings' share, raising it from $427 million to $532 million. Like everything else in the bill, that change is subject to negotiation. It seems unlikely that the Vikings would agree to raise their share by that much, if at all.
• If the Senate approves its version of the bill, a House-Senate conference committee would form to create a single bill that would be sent back to both floors for final approval before sending to Gov. Mark Dayton later this week.

We'll stick to our strategy of avoiding predictions. It goes almost without saying that the relatively comfortable margin in the House bodes well for its continued success in the Senate, but politics can change in a hurry. One thing is for certain: I haven't watched this much public access TV since "UHF." Good night everyone. I'll be here all week.

By all accounts, it's been a raucous day at the Minnesota state capitol, where an unlikely intersection between state lawmakers, Minnesota Vikings fans and unemployed union construction workers is taking place.

Tailgaters have been on site since early Monday morning, and the Vikings held an early afternoon rally with Gov. Mark Dayton and four players, including quarterback Christian Ponder. (Video here from 1500ESPN.com's Tom Pelissero.) The state House of Representatives formally took up the bill at 3 p.m. ET, but debating the stadium bill has proved difficult given the volume of chants from fans just outside the chamber walls. Eventually, according to onlookers, House Speaker Kurt Zellers asked that the doors remained closed so the debate could be heard by all members.

If you're following the play-by-play on Twitter or via the House's closed-circuit feed, you know that members approved an amendment that increased the Vikings' share in the $975 million project from $427 million to $532 million. It's doubtful the Vikings would go for that change, but it's important to note that amendments are always subject to negotiation when a final bill is drafted. It wouldn't be surprising to see the bill changed in other ways as well.

In the end, however, the goal for stadium supporters is to continue to push the ball down the field. In the end, that would mean approval in some form from the House and moving on to the Senate. Again, the House could be hours and hours away from a final vote. Stay tuned.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Good Monday morning to everyone. The Minnesota Vikings are hoping that Monday afternoon and evening are good to them as well.

Yes, the first floor vote of the Vikings' stadium bill is scheduled to take place Monday in the state House of Representatives. If it passes, the state Senate likely will schedule a vote on its version of the stadium bill later this week. If it fails in the house, the bill almost certainly is dead for this 2012 legislative session and the situation will take a closer step toward Armageddon.

This issue is so hotly contested that debate could extend well into the evening and late night, so there is no way to know when we'll have any news to report. We'll of course be monitoring it while also keeping an eye on what is expected to be a large contingent of Vikings fans essentially tailgating at the State Capitol in a uniquely football lobbying campaign.

Catching up on weekend news from around the division:

• Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Gov. Mark Dayton and others participated in one of a series of stadium rallies over the weekend in the Twin Cities, notes The Associated Press via 1500ESPN.com.
• Frederick Melo of the St. Paul Pioneer Press looks at the difficulty of passing the stadium bill without support from House Speaker Kurt Zellers. Last week, Zellers said he would vote against the bill.
• Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune profiles Vikings rookie tight end Rhett Ellison, whose father Riki is a former NFL linebacker.
• The best advice Vikings safety Harrison Smith ever got is among the tidbits unearthed about him by Pioneer Press columnist Bob Sansevere. The advice: "Do not live under the bed."
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune: "Lost in the debate over [Shea] McClellin's best NFL position is that he could succeed at either defensive end or outside linebacker because of his outstanding versatility."
• The Bears are expected to bring defensive tackle Trey Lewis in for a visit, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Bears linebacker Lance Briggs made clear to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune that he doesn't agree with the way the NFL is emphasizing player safety. Briggs: "It's becoming flag football. We're flying around at 100 mph. In our mindset, to say I need to literally go 5 percent lower [on the body] within a split-second -- how do you do that?''
• Bears receiver Brandon Marshall would like to see better care for NFL players dealing with brain and psychological issues. He wrote a guest column in the Chicago Sun-Times this weekend.
• Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press wonders if Detroit Lions players with contracts that will soon expire are watching the experience of defensive end Cliff Avril, who has been trying to secure a multi-year deal for two years.
• Chris McCosky of the Detroit News writes an important and moving column about his own experience as a victim of depression.
• Lions receiver Nate Burleson wasn't concerned with the team's decision to draft receiver Ryan Broyles in the second round last month, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that two members of the Green Bay Packers' front office, Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst, are in line for significant promotions.
• The Packers' draft strategy of trading up for targeted players has its risks, writes Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Rob Demovsky of the Press-Gazette profiles Packers draft pick Nick Perry.

We pointed out earlier Friday that Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton rejected a political deal that likely would have netted him votes for the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill if he would sign a tax bill he previously opposed. So it's only fair to note that those who supported the tax bill are already suggesting that Dayton's veto will have consequences on Monday's stadium vote.

Senator Julie Ortman, who is the Deputy Majority leader and the chairman of the Senate Tax Committee, said to reporters: "Why should we help [Dayton] with his priorities if he won't help with our priorities?" And in a written statement, she added: "The Governor has burned what may be the last bridge to working with legislators at the Capitol this year."

We've often leaned on Rep. John Kriesel to provide a rational pulse of the current political atmosphere on this issue. Kriesel is a stadium supporter but also a member of the Republican party whose larger support for the bill is uncertain. Here's what Kriesel tweeted Friday afternoon:

"My prediction is that Gov Dayton's swift veto of the tax bill will severely harm the stadium bills chance of passing. Not good…. I obviously will be voting yes on Monday. There are many legislators that are on the fence that will be furious about the veto. Not good. …The fact is that there are not many legislators that want a stadium but they want tax reforms. Right or wrong, its part of the give and take. … Politics are kind of like a marriage. You want to go out for beers with the guys, you better mow the lawn first. Compromise, you know? I'm not saying that I agree with what's going on or how it's being handled. I'm just trying to give you all a play-by-play."

It's no surprise to hear the rhetoric rising as this issue builds to a climax, and I don't think anyone should draw any conclusions with a full weekend's worth of arm-twisting to come.

Dayton and the Vikings are pushing on with a massive public blitz over the weekend. Dayton has been making the radio rounds Friday, and a rally featuring Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has been scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Mall of America.

As of now, there remains a vote scheduled in the state House of Representatives on Monday. If the bill passes, it would move on to the Senate floor. Stay tuned.