Call him ... DOME DOG! By JIM JOHNSON, Sports Editor

The 1996 Falls High School grad began transforming into “Dome Dog” when his passion for the Minnesota Vikings hit meteoric levels.

“Essentially, he gets his powers from eating 10 Dome Dogs at the game,” Droba said.

And you’ve done this?

“Who hasn’t.”

What started as a character Droba created with whatever wild attire he wore to Vikings games has evolved into an old-time radio drama that’s been listened to across the country.

Icebox Radio Theater airs “Dome Dog” as a podcast on its Web site, and the most recent adventure continues with Dome Dog distracted by gridiron glory as a new villain appears on the scene. The villain is named the “Hunter,” and he’s ready to use his vast money, privilege and inhuman ability with a deer rifle to turn Minnesota’s wealth of natural beauty over to a select group of rich and powerful playboys.

“I like to take things to the extreme,” Harley said.

And with that — plus the photo at right — one can only begin to imagine what the Minnesota Vikings mean to Harley Droba.

“I’m scared to take up deep sea diving,” he said, hinting his passion for things he enjoys is unrivaled. “I’m almost scared to try things new I might like.”

In the year 2000 ...

While Harley can shock anyone with the depth of his passion, the most surprising aspect of the devotion is how it began.

The 31-year-old never played football growing up, and although he was labeled as having the most school spirit in the ’96 yearbook, it wasn’t because of his diehard love of football.

“I would go to high school football games, but I don’t think I was ever interested in what happened,” he said.

If Harley soaked up anything from his childhood relating to his connection with the Vikings, it was being passionate about things, which came from his dad, George.

“My dad is the exact same way with motorcycles as I am with football,” Harley said. “And it’s kind of funny, that’s how I got my name.”

Football became mainstream in Harley’s life when he enlisted in the Army right out of high school. Looking for a way to meet people, he joined a fantasy football league. Four years later, after accepting a job with WorldCom in the Twin Cities, he purchased two Vikings season tickets.

“I figured what the hay, I’ll get season tickets if I’m going to live in the Cities,” he said.

Harley, meet the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota Vikings, meet Harley Droba.

Purple passion

Harley, who currently works at Espresso Lane in Super One, never missed a home game at the Metrodome between 2000 and 2007. He never got snowed out, never got too sick or used a 13-hour drive from Colorado as an excuse. Harley lived in Denver in 2003, yet he still made the drive for every home game that season. He also went to the first and last away games.

“And any one that sounded fun in between,” he said, noting they weren’t all Vikings games.

He’s been to Oakland, San Diego and Denver, where he witnessed the last game at Mile High Stadium and first game at Invesco Field. He’s been to the old and new Soldier Field in Chicago. He took his wife, Aimee, to her first away game in Indianapolis for Monday Night Football. Then there’s Green Bay (obviously), Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans and the Super Bowl in Houston. He didn’t get into the Super Bowl, but was still present to experience one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time — New England defeating Carolina 32-29.

“It’s great fun. I don’t know what else to say,” said Harley, who now owns six season tickets. “I found something I truly enjoy and I hope other people find things they truly enjoy.”

And each game has a story.

The only difference now is that Aimee and his 2-year-old daughter Kaitlyn are primary characters with each new experience.

The Drobas

Ask Aimee, a ’97 FHS grad, what she thought of Harley in high school, and she has a simple answer.

“He was a pain in the butt,” she said, noting he went to the Snowball dance with her best friend. “I never thought of him as anything but Harley, the guy who took his yearbook photo in a toga.”

One thing led to another, though, and as circumstances would have it, they both found each other back in International Falls. Shortly thereafter, Aimee caught wind Harley — and his passion for the Vikings — liked her.

“Harley and the Vikings. They kind of went hand and hand,” she said. “People would bring Vikings stuff to him in the coffee shop all the time. It was never a hidden part of him.”

And she was on board right away.

“I grew up a Vikings fan,” Aimee said. “It was pretty cool. I thought it was a little odd when he wanted a spandex suit for his birthday, but I also figured he was going to do it no matter what I thought, so I knew he was going to do it.”

So Aimee pooled money together with a bunch of Harley’s friends and the spandex suit was purchased for his 27th birthday on July 4, 2005.

“I thought I’d be weirded out by it, but it’s him and he’s comfortable with it. And I’m proud of him,” Aimee said.

The couple also had actual Hormel Dome Dogs as the main course of their groom’s dinner and the groom’s cake had a Vikings helmet on it. They even had a couple that sits by them at the games drive up from Chicago for their wedding.

“This is what we live,” Aimee said.

Don’t think she doesn’t draw the line with all things Vikings, however. After receiving his spandex suit, “Dome Dog” pushed hard for his wife to become “Mustard Girl.”

“I said ‘NO,’ I’m not going to be a condiment. But thank you,” she said.

Even Kaitlyn showed early signs of Purple Pride.

“When I was pregnant with her, one of the first times I felt her kick was at a Vikings game,” Aimee said.

Then Kaitlyn was born on the same day as Super Bowl XLI. Harley still got to watch Indianapolis beat Chicago, however.

“I got to watch it,” he said. “I wasn’t really concerned with what was happening, but she was born earlier in the day and we watched the Super Bowl.”

Fittingly, Kaitlyn has taken to football ever since. She’ll be only 3 on Feb. 3, but she already knows two songs — “Happy Birthday” and “Skol Vikings” (it’s “Go Vikings” to her) — and one player — Brett Favre.

“It really creeps me out. At this point in her life my daughter likes Brett Favre. ... And it’s OK,” Harley said.

He then admits without reservation that there just isn’t time with a family to be the Vikings fan he once was, and he’s fine with that. Plus ... “I’m getting older. I definitely don’t fit into that suit as well as I used to,” he said.

Brett Favre

Harley wasn’t on the Favre bandwagon right away. He thought he was too old. He didn’t want the Vikings winning a Super Bowl with an arch nemesis. But it didn’t take long to realize the Silver Fox and the Vikings had the makings of something big.

“If (Tarvaris) Jackson was our quarterback right now, we’d be 7-9,” Harley said.

Aimee has a Favre jersey, Favre is the only player Kaitlyn knows and now Harley is right along with them hoping for a Super Bowl.

“I’m sold on Brett Favre and what he brings to the table. He’s a very, very good player and he makes the players around him considerably better,” he said.

“I’m way more confident this year than playing Philadelphia last year.”

When Dallas comes to town Sunday for an NFL divisional playoff game, Harley will be there with fellow Borderland resident Skip Ohlquist. “Dome Dog” will be in full playoff mode — win or lose — and the atmosphere is expected to be ridiculous.

“The shear energy that’s going to go on this weekend is unexplainable to anybody,” Harley said, noting the only comparison is to think of the thing you like most and multiply it by 10.

“I’m so confident Minnesota can win this game,” he added.

If Arizona upsets New Orleans in the other NFC divisional playoff game (something Harley predicts), a Vikings win will result in one more home game. It’s also one step closer to the ultimate goal — Super Bowl XLIV in Miami.

“I guarantee beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will go to the Super Bowl if they go,” Harley said.

And his family will be watching.

“We’re definitely a Vikings family,” Aimee said.