Dayton: NFL commissioner headed to Minn. Capitol

[OmahaBlueDog]

Source: AP/Via Yahoo

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Gov. Mark Dayton said Thursday that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers will come to Minnesota to meet with state lawmakers and urge progress on the struggling effort to build a new stadium for the Vikings.

Dayton said he'd convene a Friday meeting in his office with Goodell, Art Rooney and the Legislature's four caucus leaders. Rooney leads the NFL's stadium committee.

''If it isn't passed this session, the league itself - beyond the Vikings - the league itself has serious concerns about the viability of the franchise here and the future of it here,'' Dayton said after a 20-minute phone conversation with Goodell and Rooney.

Stadium supporters have been scrambling since a House committee voted down the latest proposal Monday night, a $975 million plan to tear down and rebuild on the Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis. The team is committed to play its upcoming season in the Metrodome, but Dayton says failure to approve a stadium plan this session increases the chances of Minnesota losing the franchise.



Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/dayton-nfl-commissioner-headed-minn-155330640--nfl.html

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Do not make the mistake of thinking this is a "sports" story. This is a story of an organization that locked out its union workers in 2011, and is now asking the taxpayers of Minnesota to pay for a venue to market its product.

Billionaires can build their own stadiums. JMHO.

[TexasProgresive]

1. Now this is one bit of "socialism" I could do without

Why don't these businesses have to build and maintain their own facilities?

[kenfrequed]

2. build your own damned stadium.

Or do what Minnesota families have to do and make do with fixing the one you have. At a time where the economy is still shaky and we have all had to make serious cuts why the hell do these team owners think it is a good idea to demand more money?!

[postulater]

3. We build the stadium, we own the team.

Go Packers!

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. Fair enough, but at least (as you point out) Green Bay owns the team

-- and reaps the profits accordingly.

[KamaAina]

22. And they're the only ones who are allowed to

The NFL actually bans public ownership! The Packers were grandfathered in.

[Bozita]

4. How about some food stamps to go with your brand new stadium?

[OmahaBlueDog]

12. As a pre-condition of any state aid, all of the NFL owners must be drug tested

..and Gooddell

If any of them fail - no money!

[Evasporque]

5. Maybe they should ask after the Vikings win the super bowl....

Or when hell freezes over....which ever comes first...

HAHAHAHAHAHA....................

[Scuba]

15. "Just another expansion team that's never won a championship."

[hibbing]

6. Socialize the costs, privatize the profits...

Hey,
The American Way, can see it in so many sectors of the economy.

Peace

[geomon666]

7. Make the owners build them!

I cannot stress this enough. If you want to give them a few concessions fine, but do not put the entirety of the financial burden on the local taxpayer. Just look up the Miami Marlins situation.

[OmahaBlueDog]

11. ..or the "old Miami Arena"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Arena

-snip-

Completed in 1988 at a cost of $52.5 million.

-snip-

On September 21, 2008, the roof of the Miami Arena was imploded. While the exterior walls remained standing after the implosion, demolition continued until the falling of the west wall on October 21, 2008

[Tommy_Carcetti]

19. Actually, as it relates to the Marlins the team did make a partial contribution.

Granted, it was something like 1/3 or 1/4 the total tab, but to say the "entirety" of the financial burden would be inaccurate.

Moreover, stating that the "local taxpayers" were footing the financial burden for the Marlins stadium would not be accurate as well, given that the stadium was paid via tourism taxes, most of whom probably do not reside in the City of Miami or Miami-Dade County. The stadium was not built out of the general fund (i.e. local citizen's property taxes).

[aaaaaa5a]

8. Its a good thing only the poor get welfare and government handouts.

[sofa king]

10. As I recall, the plan was for an open-air stadium, too.

I know Minnesotans are tough and the dome is larger than its predecessor, but average attendance increased by at least 12,000-20,000 people per game once the Vikings moved inside.

Apparently mosquitoes are a major problem in addition to potential death-by-exposure weather from November on.

Have you guys considered just building a dome over both damned cities?

[glinda]

13. No but they have talked about this for too many years. Build it and

get it over.
The Dome is a total hazard and sports is a viable business and contributes to the economy. Same as Arts. Although I favor Arts, the Team has needed a Stadium for years. Just do it.

[Scuba]

14. Latest rumor is the team will become the first "international" franchise, relocating to ....

... the Philippines where they will be known as the "Manila Folders".

[rusty fender]

21. LOLOLOLOLOL!

Excellent!

[Dawson Leery]

16. Jesse Ventura was right when he told them to go to hell.

[LuckyLib]

17. Build your damned stadium. But pay for it yourself.

The Vikings want the city and state to pay, then they hold the profits -- concessions, etc. No thanks. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

[annm4peace]

18. Yep! Build your own stadium

I'm so tired of them. I love watching Football but it makes me sick that tax payers can fund these stadiums and not be able to watch it on regular TV.

Tax the top 1% and they can fund the stadium. See if that passes, since it is the business owners and wealthy who say we have to have this stadium.

[Mopar151]

20. How many NASCAR tracks were built with public money?

Try none! Although some state highway upgrades have had taxpayers footing the bill.....

[KamaAina]

23. The league is kicking in $200 million toward the 49ers' new stadium

or as they will now be known, the Santa Clara $49,000,000ers.

Do they have something against Minnesota, home to some of their staunchest fans? Is this all some big plot to get a team in L.A.?

[ieoeja]

24. Minnesotans should first divorce the Vikings from this issue.

Let us pretend the Minnesota Vikings never existed. [font size=1][color = gray]"You wish, fucking Bears fan."[/color][/font]


Do Minnesotans want a nice stadium that can be used for numerous events?

If yes - then it makes sense to build this stadium in cooperation with the Vikings/NFL as they would be a very big draw.

If no - then drop the pretense and, what kind of deal would you have to get with the Vikings/NFL that would make you change your mind?

Because the stadium, if built, is going to end up being owned by the city, county or state which *will* use the stadium for whatever it sees fit. The Vikings/NFL will just be one customer among many. The #1 customer probably, but ultimately they are still just a customer.


This, by the way, is why the NFL owners do not want to build a stadium. They are in the business of football. They are not in the business of leasing stadiums to all comers over the course of the year.

I work in an office on the 25th and 43rd floor. My employer does not own the building. We don't do real estate. We need a place to work and chose this location. An NFL team is the same thing (yet, we root for the home team anyway; but that gets us into the realm of gov't team ownership which I like, but it is not necessary for this discussion).


I believe plenty of cities without professional sports teams still own stadiums.

[OmahaBlueDog]

25. Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones own two of the most valuable franchises in football

This is in no small part due to the fact that the team owns the stadium.

Ditto Miami.