Thank you to Dome builders

ATLANTA — I’d like to send a big thank you to everyone who designed and built the Georgia Dome.

I’m no weatherman, but something that sounded like a train or a helicopter came directly over the top of us about 9:40 p.m. Little more than an hour later, Mississippi State and Alabama just completed a basketball game.

The game was halted with 2 minutes, 11 seconds left in overtime, but the teams actually played several seconds after the noises started. For a second, I thought some fans were stomping their feet.

But then a metal washer fell from the ceiling and smacked down on the table less than two feet from me. It left a dent.

After that ... well ... I freaked out for a second. Then I looked up and saw ripples in the roof and the corner jumbotron swinging around.

Then it looked like it was snowing. I think it was pieces of the roof. You can see some damage in here, and I’m told it’s much worse outside, but officials wouldn’t let me go out there (not that I really wanted to, anyway).

Another game is supposed to be here tonight, but Kentucky and Georgia players haven’t taken the court yet. (Later, we find out that they won’t.)

One member of the media said he tried to open a door to the outside when the noise started, but the door wouldn’t open “because of the wind, I guess.”