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.
I haven’t watched an NFL game in years.
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.
I would have only 4 teams, and green screen different numbers and names on them, so they could pretend to be from different cities.
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.
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."
Remember how the NFL virtually crucified the late Jack Kent Cooke for daring to build his own stadium with his own money?
Who ISN’T running a billion dollar con these days? Well okay, the fedgov is running a trillion dollar one, so we should just let the pikers have their billion.
would you suggest, for one second, that the taxpayers did not benefit immensley from these stadiums???????hundreds of thousands of fans flocking to your city....spending zillions of dollars on food, lodging, nonsense, booze, etc...please...the taxpayers make an investment...it usually works out just fine. The Hoosier dome in Indianapolis wasn’t even dusty and they tore it down and built an even more fantastis stadium nearby....fear not, they know what they are doing...
just one more thing on the subject.....Frank sinatra did not build his own auditoriums...movie stars do not build their own theaters, race car drivers do not build their own racetracks,horse racers did not build Churchhill downs, the team owners cannot take the stadium with them...the stadium belongs to the community where it is located....the team leaves....bye-bye...we have such a great stadium that we will entice another team to come here....See Milwaukee county stadium and the Braves/Brewers.
Haven’t watched a SuperBowl since Riggins and the Redskins...I don’t really give a flying fig.
Those soccer teams in Europe, Manchester United, Real Madrid, they may revamp the stadiums but they rarely build brand new stadiums. Something is wrong with this picture. Although I enjoy the NFL, I’d vote down any stadium deal if I were in a position to. That said, some of those stadiums still serve multiple purposes, it would be something to study as well.
Actually caught a CFL game the other night. That might be the way to go, it’s probably almost as good as the NFL. They only have about 8 or 10 teams.