Vikings vice-president Lester Bagley – the team's key stadium schelpper – has some not-so-nice things to say about Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty regarding the Vikings stadium situation.
For a reasoned take on how Minnesotans should look at the Vikings stadium debate, here's a recent post by Joe Fischer (otherwise known as Pacifist Viking).
Again, examine the language Bagley uses while criticizing Pawlenty.
“With all due respect, he’s been the governor for six years and he hasn’t done anything,” Bagley told beat writers on Wednesday. “He hasn’t lifted a finger to engage in a problem-solving discussion to help us on our issue..."
But what problem really needs to be solved? If Zygi Wilf wants to build a new stadium and he already has the plan and architectural drawings in place, the real problem is to secure the financing to pay for it and then find the appropriate contractors to build it. Wilf doesn't need Pawlenty's problem-solving powers or help with that.
Of course, the real issue for Wilf isn't how hard it is to get a stadium built in the Twin Cities, the issue is how hard it is for the Vikings to get public funding to build a stadium in the Twin Cities.
I don't blame Wilf for trying to do this. It's been done in many other cities and it's been done for the University of Minnesota and the Twins (and Twins ownership has invested a lot less money than Wilf has over the years to keep that team competitive, which must be annoying for Wilf). Still, three wrongs don't make a right.
This is the first real harsh tone I'm aware of that the Vikings brass has used in the stadium debate. But as 2011 gets closer, I suspect it won't be the last.
Just remember to keep Joe Fischer's post in mind the next time Lester Bagley or Zygi Wilf plead for public funding to build a stadium.
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2 comments:
I looked at the paper yesrterday in utter disbelief. "They can't be SERIOUS," I thought. Right below the article of how the state is possibly $7 billion in the red is Wilf's mouthpiece bickering about the lack of taxpayer dollars for his stadium.
Coincidentally, there was another piece in the news regarding Roski's group in LA clearing one of the final hurdles for bringing a team to the City of Industry.
I now know what is happening. The Vikings are terrified of the possibility of another franchise moving to LA within the next year, leaving them in Minnesota with little to no leverage.
I would imagine Roski's group, if successful in clearing the final hurdle on Feb. 26, will begin looking for a team at that point. If the Vikings are not brought up in this legislative sesion, and believe me, they will not be, they will have Roski's number on speed dial - either talking potential of a Vikings move, or trying to buy time so he doesn't pick a team before next year's session.
For the first time, I find the threat of the Vikings leaving to be very real. However, I still don't care.
Travis:
There are other franchises that also have stadium issues and could be on the move – the Chargers and Jaguars come to mind. But they don't seem to have owners pushing a new stadium as much as the Wilf's are, so maybe the situation isn't as urgent in those two cities. I admit I don't track the San Diego and Jacksonville media though, and it's quite possible the owners of both franchises have been pushing for new stadiums just as hard and for just as long.
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