Too bad someone in the legislature didn’t stick in an amendment that would require the Vikings to win a minimum number of games each season or have to pay back the money to the taxpayers. Look at the Twins in their new stadium with the worst record in baseball and lots of empty seats in that fancy ballpark as a result.
Yeah, welcome to our world. We people in Cleveland got the royal shaft with the Browns a few years ago:
1. Art Model pouted because we wouldn’t build him a new stadium.
2. We built one for the Indians, which thoroughly pissed him off.
3. He already had architect plans to dome the old stadium, but he pouted that he wanted a new one.
4. He broke a legal lease with the cooperation of a corrupt city government.
5. He ripped his team away from probably the best and strongest fan base in sports.
6. The NFL made the city build a new stadium or they would not give us a team.
7. No, we couldn’t dome the stadium.
8. Therefore, we couldn’t use it for more than home games for football and could not use it for anything else because of the lack of a dome.
9. Our franchise was pulled to Baltimore where it (our franchise) won a bunch of playoff games and a couple Super Bowls (our franchise).
10. We got stuck with crap coaches, crap players, and an undomed stadium.
11. Forgot to mention . . . it was paid with “sin tax” on smokers, etc. Can we smoke in the stadium. No.
12. NFL has given Cleveland a big fat “screw you” to the entire city.
Too bad, Minnesota. We feel your pain.
Frankly, I don’t blame the owners for this. They are just taking advantage of a situation the POLITICIANS have created.
As Pittsburgh showed everyone, it doesn’t MATTER what the taxpayers want, or don’t want. No Politician wants to known as the one who let the football/baseball team leave. It’s a career-ending incident.
What the hell, it’s just taxpayer money, and the pols will be long-gone when the bill comes due.
“Half a billion to the taxpayers of Mn for 8 games a year.”
How much do you think it will cost you to bring your family to even one home game? Including parking, etc.
The legislation for the $975 million stadium commits the state to raising $348 million by allowing electronic pull-tabs and bingo in bars and restaurants. There are also backup funding measures such as a lottery game and luxury suite taxes.
If you don't want any of YOUR money to go to the stadium, NOBODY IS FORCING YOU TO PLAY BINGO, BUY PULL TABS OR LOTTERY TICKETS OR RENT LUXURY SUITES AT THE STADIUM.
AND IT'S TOO DAMN BAD THAT TAXPAYER MONEY WON'T GO TO KILL MORE BABIES IN PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINICS AND OTHER IMMORAL WASTES OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
This cycle has, and will continue to repeat itself in city after city as long as the fans continue their cult-like worship of the NFL. I don’t expect that to stop anytime soon.
A shakedown by the bikes
Build us a state of the art stadium, pay for it or we move the team to L.A.
Vikings get their new stadium, but fans are still subjected to 'blackout' rule
'"If we're going to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars, at least make sure the fans get to watch," he told Yahoo! Sports on Thursday. "I thought it was worth a shot. There was a lot bipartisan support."
Except that his amendment, which was initially approved in the face of strong opposition from the Vikings, got wiped out in committee before the final bill reached the Senate floor. '