Saturday, May 14, 2011

Game On

The Medium White North is all aflutter because finally, the long simmering question about the fate of the Minnesota Vikings is starting to actually gain some traction and move forward. They need a new Stadium- badly- but Minnesot-ah politicians aren't that eager about doling out huge amounts of money when they're trying to tackle an equally large budget deficit up there. Minneapolis floated a weak plan to build a new stadium on the existing Metrodome site. (I like it- it's cheap, the infrastructure is all there, plus it justifies a very expensive light rail project they're going to be slamming through downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul in the next couple of years.) But then Ramsey County (St. Paul) got in on the action by pointing out there was a former US Army Munitions plant up the road a bit in Arden Hills that they were looking for something to do with. The Vikings got interested in a big hurry and things started to move...

Problem is, the politicians don't like the costs of upgrading the roads around there and I think that, ultimately, is why Minneapolis is going to get its shit together and get a deal done. Costs would be cheaper and the infrastructure is all right there.

Which brings us back to the sticky equation of building stadiums with public money. Granted the Vikes are going to pick up a hefty chunk of the tab- but not all of it. At the end of the day, I don't like using public money for Stadiums- but you have to accept it as inevitable. You either spend cash now or the team leaves (probably to Los Angeles) and then you have to spend MORE money getting a team back once you realize how much a pro sports franchise can bring to any given local economy. I don't know the actual numbers on that, but that's my impression on how this show works- also why I'm cheering on the players over the owners in the NFL's current labor dispute.

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