Posted on 12/17/2009 12:51:04 PM PST by MplsSteve
I still haven't gotten over how the GOP (including Gov Tim Pawlenty) all but fell over themselves to allow a new professional baseball stadium to be built in Hennepin County - without any taxpayer approval!
Does anyone out there really really believe that a new stadium can be built on the site of the Metrodome for only 870 million dollars?! If they do, I definitely have some oceanfront property in Minneapolis to sell you.
And the Vikings? Well, they have their noses out of joint because the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission asked them to extend their lease in the Metrodome for a few more years - until the economy improved and the political climate was right for approval of a new football stadium.
I don't care whether we have a bad economy or a good economy in this state. The bottom line is "I don't wanna pay for it!". Why the hell can't our elected officials understand this? We had a baseball stadium crammed down our throats three years ago in spite of lopsided polls saying "No, make the Twins pay for it!"
It is not the responsibility of state or local government to build a new stadium for a multi-millionaire owner of a professional sports team.
Comments or opinions - anyone?
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We still got the Astrodome sitting here doing nothing in Houston. They can have it if they move it.
Ok, so let the Vikings raise the money and build it themselves.
Why can't we, some 2,000 years later, build a stadium that can make it more than 20 or 30 years?
That’s why I don’t watch professional sports anymore, and I used to be as huge football fan.
Who was it who said, “without baseball, Mpls will become just a cold Omaha” ?
>> Why can’t we, some 2,000 years later, build a stadium that can make it more than 20 or 30 years?
Because the Romans weren’t handicapped with shoddy, lazy, second-rate union labor?
Comments or opinions - anyone?
Now, now, calm down. All you have to do is have your Senator tack it on to the stimulis bill or healthcare bill. No one will know and then the whole country can pay for it. Relax I’m sure your Senator can bring home the bacon for you guys - that is the only one of the few things they do well ;)
With regard to our baseball and football stadiums, we went through a similar situation as Minnesota. I still remember this dolt of a mayor who said that Pittsburghers would not have to foot the bill for the baseball stadium because the state was going to pay for it (or most of it). Uh...hello...where did the mayor think the money from the state would actually come from?
That is where the Viqueens are supposed to play. Not the Hubert H. Humphrey Deflatable Metrodome or anyplace else.
I still remember Bud Grant promising them space heaters when they won the Superbowl. They never got their heaters. They got a heated stadium instead...and look what happened to them (haven't been worth a damn since they left the Met)
These city commissioned studies always seem to say “go for it”. Maybe because of who is paying for the study?
How many cities built huge convention centers and now find there isn’t enough big conventions to justify them? The city of Dallas is building its own hotel, as if there aren’t other hotels in the area.
Stop the spending.
If the owner of the team wants a stadium, let him pay for it.
As much as anyone here for small government, I see major sports franchises as infrastructure for cities. The real game is to attract those who would employ thousands with good paying jobs. Sports and educational institutions get it done.
In addition, other cities such as Denver and Phoenix fund sports through dedicated taxes. Sports franchisees can move.
So it sucks for non fans to pay for this, but higher unemployment is worse.
But a billion dollar stadium for an NFL team means 10 games a year and 10 days of work for those people selling peanuts and hot dogs, isn’t that worth a billion? /sarc
Exactly.
Sports stadiums are not infrastructure. Why should a million people pay so some billionaire can give a gift to his millionaire employees? Let those 50,000 fans per game pay for it instead.
It is a private business, let them pay for their own stuff. This is not the job of a government. Same with public libraries, the patrons should pay for it, not everyone else.
The problem with the Metrodome is the SITE of the Metrodome, or more specifically the lack of parking/tailgating.
I daresay that if the dome had been built with a giant parking lot that it would've been a giant success.
I predicted the Metrodome failing back when they built it because of the lack of tailgating like at the old Met Stadium.
The secret of the old met was the giant parking lot and the great parties that it provided and any new stadium will succeed if that recipe is followed.
Dang those were fun days.
I guess failure is doomed to repeat itself.
Cheapskates! LOL .. altho I’d hate to see the Vikes move.. I hope not.
The 9ers are trying to build a new stadium and move to Santa Clara. the cost? probably a billion at least but Hey look at Dallas.
NFL TV revenue alone for teams is hugh.
Add branding and marketing stuff and katie bar the door as to how much you can make long term.
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