Vikings Message Board.Com

purple guy wrote:^Creative. Interesting. Insightful.

Duchene wrote: I wasn't puking at your comment, but more at the thought of the Vikings leaving Minnesota...

I know the lockout is beyond old already and it is hard to imagine not getting a deal done when there is so much money to be had, and the push for a new stadium has been going on even longer so it has been old for a while now. But to say "At this point, I actually hope the Wilfs pack their #### and go see Roski in LA." is a little over the top. To not be willing to give a penny for something you love (maybe you don't like the Vikings as much as me, IDK) seems selfish, but you said that you don't care if the Vikings leave Minnesota. I do care.

purple guy wrote:
It seems selfish not to want to give some of my money to a millionaire??? Hmmmm thats interesting. I happen to think any millionaire asking the typical working man for money is selfish, and extremely greedy. Write him a check, Im sure he'll take it, myself, Ill be pissed if he gets one cent of mine, he already has more than Ill ever have. I would give to something I love, if it was a need on the receiving end, I trust he needs the cash far less than I do. Calling me selfish in this case is a complete joke.

vikeinmontana wrote:it seems this discussion always comes back to this though....aren't the twin cities benefitting greatly from the vikes playing there? what if we just look at weekends of home games alone. the cities are a different place to be those weekends, and money is flying around like crazy. i only got to go to one game last year, and just counting the money i spent on friday and saturday there, (not counting airfare) i spent well 2 grand on food, hotels, taxis, shopping, etc. does that money not mean anything?

if there was a law enforced that from 4 pm friday to 4pm sunday wilf got every penny spent in the 2 miles surrounding the dome i would agree completely that he doesn't get a penny. but it seems shortsighted to me to pretend this is just a millionaire wanting more money and he's the only one who will benefit. sure, this will make his ownership of the vikes worth a lot more money. but it will also help a lot of regular folks just like me and you too. i can assure you that many average joes working downtown NEED sunday games because they make a lot more money those weekends.

i see both sides of this. i just can't wrap my head around why people can't see how a new stadium would help many more people than just a millionaire in a nice suit. a lot of people would be affected negatively if the vikes left the cities....

vikeinmontana wrote:again, i see your point but comparing an airline to a sports team is a little silly. for one, airlines are about the worst businesses operating right now. they most certainly do not make the kind of money that a sports franchise does. donald trump says if you want to see exactly how NOT to run a business....pick an airline and watch how they operate.

the point is, you are correct. we could say this about ANY businesses in the cities, or anywhere for that matter. but there are certainly large differences. i don't think southwest has the fanbase or general followin that the vikings have. and the vikings are the sole football team in the state of minnesota. if southwest leaves the cities, i'll fly delta, or northwest, or the other ten airlines that go into the city....

of course, if the vikings leave town, i'd bet southwest and all those other airlines take the hit too.....

purple guy wrote: Being the hometown of a professional team of any kind (mostly the Big 4 leagues) is something that any major state/city strives for. Do you think people try to host the Olympics because they're trying to make money? No - in fact, after the '96 Olympics, no host city has made money off of the events, but they keep bidding to be the host cities so they can say that they are one of the 'premier' cities in the world. The same goes for having an NFL franchise...if you don't believe that the Vikings add a ridiculous amount of money to the city/state through taxes and other businesses (which...I don't understand if you don't think that), at the very least, the presence of an NFL franchise ensures that your city is viewed as a 'premier' or 'major league' city in the US. That's just how it is...and it has its benefits.

My point was, the Vikings are not alone in having a positive financial effect in the Twins Cities. Airlines, MOA, 3M, Target, whatever business you want to use, all help the Cities financially. Some of them effect a whole lot more than the Vikings ever will, directly and do it daily. Just like there is more than one airline to use, if the Vikings leave Minny, Ill find another team to cheer for. I just dont get why, since they are a "popular" team, and the NFL is a good business, why they deserve millions, its baffeling to me. Im as big of a Vikings fan as there is, but no way would I want to give them money to stay in Minnesota.

vikeinmontana wrote:again, i see your point but comparing an airline to a sports team is a little silly. for one, airlines are about the worst businesses operating right now. they most certainly do not make the kind of money that a sports franchise does. donald trump says if you want to see exactly how NOT to run a business....pick an airline and watch how they operate.

the point is, you are correct. we could say this about ANY businesses in the cities, or anywhere for that matter. but there are certainly large differences. i don't think southwest has the fanbase or general followin that the vikings have. and the vikings are the sole football team in the state of minnesota. if southwest leaves the cities, i'll fly delta, or northwest, or the other ten airlines that go into the city....

of course, if the vikings leave town, i'd bet southwest and all those other airlines take the hit too.....

thatguy wrote:

purple guy wrote:IF in fact, Minnesota does strive to be the home of the Vikings, they should put the proposal to a vote and see just how strongly citizens want to be a "premier" city who is home to a pro sports team. Ill put a friendly wager on how that vote would go. There is a reason they are going to avoid a vote, they KNOW it wont pass. So, while some might feel the way you do, not everyone does, maybe not even the majority, and they know it, or they would want the vote so the lawmakers see the amount of public support.

purple guy wrote:

My point was, the Vikings are not alone in having a positive financial effect in the Twins Cities. Airlines, MOA, 3M, Target.

Duchene wrote: Agreed, the Vikings leaving Minnesota would hurt the economy of the entire state, not just the twin cities...

I get what purple guy is trying to say and I know it is frustrating when you see a big organization worth millions asking for more millions, but it is different when talking about a football team. The money would be going to fund a stadium that you would watch games in, that would be dedicated to your team, that would bring more money to the state than the current stadium. The current stadium is so outdated and in bad shape that it brings in the least amount of revenue of any stadium in the NFL despite the great fan base and number of sell outs it has. You would get the tax money back you spent in the form of increased economic stimulation. Plus, the new stadium will bring many construction jobs as well as many other jobs. There are so many positives that come from getting the staium deal done.