Posted on 10/22/2013 5:07:34 PM PDT by Kid Shelleen
Chances are good that you or someone you know recently purchased groceries, talked to a mechanic or opened a medical bill and felt a pang of existential dread so visceral that it triggered a physical sickness.
This is what it means to be alive in America in 2013. To work hard, always do the right thing and still commute home at the end of the day under a charcoal cloud of professional uncertainty, political harakiri and increasingly unfathomable “service fees” visa-vis your monthly cable bill.
Yet the incomprehensibly rich NFL team owners are busy crafting a neat little narrative for you, the fan: They need more of your tax dollars to build their lavish stadiums.
Not that you haven’t already been generous. Since 1923, 186 professional sports stadiums have been built at a cost of $53 billion. Taxpayers have chipped in to the tune of $32 billion — 61 percent of the total.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghmagazine.com ...
Put these NFL owners in the “Looters” category.
Atlanta is getting soaked to the tune of about $200 million for the Falcons; new playground and, as the article mentioned, get the privilige of paying ‘seat licenses’ as well.
Of course they’ve only paid off half of the bonds for the 20 year old Georgia Dome.
Every year I watch less NFL football. I passed on re-upping for Red Zone, this year.
I haven’t watched an NFL game in years.
Reliant stadium was built at a price tag of 1billion... Roughly. The owner put up 700 million of his own money.
I agree football stadiums don't do much to bolster the economy, but Coors Field led to the development of a new entertainment district (most of which had been part of skid row) that runs year round.
dont we love it, paying for others’s sick emotional gambling obsessions with football.
this is Rome, and i hate it.
I would have only 4 teams, and green screen different numbers and names on them, so they could pretend to be from different cities.
Same here. When I do turn it on, it’s out of habit. I haven’t watched a game all the way through in about three years. And I used to be a season ticket holder.
I just as soon watch paint dry, as watch a stupid football pro game.
I thought this was going to be about the lack of HGH testing or scamming folks into watching a game where 300+ lb behemoths collapse on a loose ball and then get up and do a fruity gyrating celebration dance to commemorate their massive achievement.
Freegards
There is a reason that the Super Bowl is in New Jersey in February instead of sunny San Diego. San Diego voters will not vot vote for another public built football stadium so the NFL (besides not so subtly whispering that LA needs a team) harrumphs about lack of hotel rooms, transit problems etc......
Extortion plain and simple.
There is a reason that the Super Bowl is in New Jersey in February instead of sunny San Diego. San Diego voters will not vot vote for another public built football stadium so the NFL (besides not so subtly whispering that LA needs a team) harrumph about hotel rooms, transit problems etc......
Extortion plain and simple.
“Every year I watch less NFL football. I passed on re-upping for Red Zone, this year.”
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That is one thing that it would not be possible for me to do less of.
“I just as soon watch paint dry, as watch a stupid football pro game.”
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At least watching paint dry is worth what the ticket cost.
I used to enjoy watching the Packers play. But we have a government that's out of control and people losing their jobs left and right. Why the F would I want to spend $50 on food and beer watching the game when I can grab another part-time job to survive? Like Rush said, football will become extinct within 20 years.
Kansas City got a relative bargain at 300 million for a renovation...and the Chiefs pay 450k a year in rent.
I went to the Metrodome when it was new...how on earth is it already obsolete? The new Giants/Jets stadium is in the same spot as the old one and seats the same number of people as the old one....the old one isn’t even paid off yet...how on earth could they justify paying a clean Billion for a new one?
LA is about to build a billion plus stadium...for years this was used to give believability to the threat that teams like the Vikings might actually move. Now I think it may replace candlestick.
And don’t forget Minnesota just ponied up for a new baseball stadium. It never ends.
Author failed to consider the most appropriate alternative: that the denizens not have their income stripped away by anyone for any purpose.
The nest has a mini bar, catered foie gras and a designated stooge to clean your eyeglasses for you.
Here he implies Jerry Jones' son in law is a "designated stooge." Wrong.
Hey, I resent public financing of sports teams (happened to me) but the author's voice here detracts from what could be valid criticisms. So much for "sports journalism."
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