[E Rocc]

Come on Willie, you better than anyone should know the economic miracles new tax-payer funded stadiums can perform. After all, Heinz Field and PNC Park reallly pulled Pittsburgh out of the hole, didn't they?

Actually there have been success stories with these facilities. I've heard Lansing's and Akron's have worked out very well, and Jacobs Field/Gund Arena certainly revitalized that section of downtown Cleveland, albeit somewhat at the expense of other parts. The fact is, public arena financing is like tax abatement: the genie is out of the bottle and no one is putting it back in. If one locale won't do it, others will.

IIRC the Pyramid in Memphis was built to attempt to get the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. You might want to actually have a commitment before building something like that.

-Eric

[Maigrey]

The developer sold the idea on making Memphis more "upscale" with building the theme of Memphis in the arena. It failed miserably, and now the peons of the city will have to contine paying the bills for another arena. The Pyramid will become wasted space within 5 years. (and I hope that it falls into the river and recreational divers use it for a ecohabitat!)