Posted on 06/10/2014 8:29:25 PM PDT by TurboZamboni
In order to deliver a Super Bowl, the NFL wants free luxury hotel rooms, police escorts and tax exemption from the host city. A leaked report reveals the league's 153 pages of requests for the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
Two years ago, the Minnesota State Legislature and the city of Minneapolis were ready to walk away from a plan to provide approximately $500 million to Vikings owner Zygi Wilf to pay more than half the costs a new stadium. It took a veiled threat to move the team to Los Angeles and a dramatic last-minute lobbying campaign from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but the will of a few people prevailed. The Vikings got their stadium and eventually the 2018 Super Bowl. Now, the NFL has a few demands of its own, 153 pages worth of them.
Minneapolis and the two other finalists for the 2018 Super Bowl were presented a list of demands by the NFL prior to voting on which city would get the big game, a list the Minneapolis Star Tribune was able to get a copy of along with confirmation that the city agreed to meet a "majority" of the league's demands.
(Excerpt) Read more at sbnation.com ...
Good point. Cities like to have big events such as Super Bowls for civic pride, and in hopes of making some money from them.
If the conditions are too difficult or costly to meet, just say no, and just don’t bid on the game. IF enough cities did that, the NFL would not be so arrogant as to expect cities to subsidize the game so much.
The possible exception is the Chargers--the Chargers have a fairly strong southern California fan base, and will follow the team to Los Angeles if the Chargers decide to move to a modern stadium in the Los Angeles area.
Exemption from state, county and municipal taxes
Roger Goodell made more than $44 million last year.
An attorney with the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority said that state law protects the privacy of the city’s agreement with the league.
Since 1997, the league’s teams have received more than $5 billion in taxpayer money for building and renovating stadiums and an antitrust exemption allows the NFL to operate as a monopoly. Its nonprofit status saves the league millions in taxes.
The league brings in roughly $7 billion a year from national television deals. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf is worth an estimated $1.3 billion.
Unbelievable
Guess I’ll just watch the World Cup or rugby. They don’t wear those damn pads and cripple each other.
we also have to address NFL staff as “your lordship” and throw rose petals wherever they walk.
FIFA is to soccer what the NFL is to America...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I&app=desktop
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