Details Finalized For Sunday's Pontiac Silverdome Implosion

The Pontiac Silverdome goes boom Sunday at 8:30 a.m., sharp. Tailgating and other pre-implosion action starts at 7:45 am, so getting there bright and early is the name of the game. Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman, posting on Facebook, invited the great Detroit metroplex to view the event, either live or online. The implosion, which the mayor says will last approximately six seconds, marks the end of the former Detroit Lions stadium’s 42-year lifespan.

Some of the structure’s most famous moments were completely absent the Lions, who became absent themselves, moving to Ford Field in 2002. In 1982, Superbowl XVI took place at the Silverdome, marking the beginning of the San Fransisco 49ers’ dynasty and the first of quarterback Joe Montana’s five Superbowl victories.

In 1987, Wrestlemania III claimed a Silverdome capacity crowd of over 93,000, one of the largest crowds to ever attend an indoor event. Andre the Giant fell to Hulk Hogan in the totally-not-fake main event that night. The storied arena’s largest crowd wasn’t for sports or hair metal or even the logical combination of these things, professional wrestling. Instead, that honor went to Pope John Paul II, who celebrated mass for 94,000 at the Silverdome in 1987, using a massive, custom-made altar that had to be lifted into the stadium with a crane. The same altar was earlier this month in Detroit for the beatification of local Capuchin priest Father Solanus Casey.

The public can view the Silverdome implosion live - from a safe distance - at the Oakland County Water Resource Commission Parking Lot, 155 N Opdyke Rd, Pontiac. If you can’t make the implosion in person, or think that Sundays at 7 a.m. are for things like sleep, church or breakfast, the city of Pontiac's Facebook Page will livestream the event, allowing the snugly to watch from bed.

File photo by Paul Sancya/Associated Press.