Stadium

Arden Hills Gets The First Crack

February 22, 2012, by 1 comment

With as many twists and turns that have occurred surrounding the Vikings stadium situation it should come as no surprise, nor should it be easily dismissed, that a bill proposing to legislature the all-but-dead Arden Hills location as the site was the first to be introduced.

All the momentum has, by all appearances, been behind the plan to keep the Vikings in Minneapolis by placing a stadium near the current site of the Metrodome.

Electronic pull tabs and bingo games pay the public portion of this proposal, according to the Daily Norseman,  and the entire bill can be read by clicking here.

Return Of The Links Of The Week

February 21, 2012, by No comments yet

There are some periods in the NFL calendar that are so slow that a “Links of the Week” feature just doesn’t work so well.  With the NFL Scouting Combine starting Wednesday, free agency less than a month away, and the NFL Draft now two months away… that time is over.  I’m glad to announce the Links of the Week are making a comeback!  Enjoy.

  • I’ve been cheating on you with another blog.  Read what I recently wrote about Joe Webb.
  • The Vikings have reportedly struck a deal to play at TCF Bank Stadium while their new stadium is under construction.
  • We know at least one Minneapolis Council Member won’t be voting for a new Vikings stadium paid for with public funds.
  • Minnesota hasn’t hosted a Super Bowl in over 20 years.  A new stadium could change that.
  • Adrian Peterson can help you land an NBA All Star weekend… fully loaded.
  • Interesting article about the NFC North singles out Greenway as a negative, but Erin Henderson and John Sullivan as positives.
  • Even the most cynic amongst us has to admit this looks like a tough Draft for the Vikings to screw up.
  • Adrian Peterson reveals the reason he considered changing his jersey number, and the dollar amount that made him drop the idea.
  • Some rumors of a nose tackle the Vikes are interested in, and a schedule for the Combine.
  • Some excellent nitty-gritty details on the Vikings salary situations, including interesting details on Joe Bergers contract.
  • A scouting report that pegs Brandon Carr as a solid fit for the Vikings.
  • Alan Page reflects on his life in honor of Black History Month.
  • Charlie Johnson was on the wrong end of a lot of criticism last season.  You can’t criticize his durability, though.
  • And now, here it is, your moment of Zen:

Pre-Lim Stadium Deal Agreed Upon

February 17, 2012, by No comments yet

6,521.

That is my roughly estimated number of eggs counted over the last decade by Vikings stadium supporters before they hatched.

So, take the latest momentum towards a stadium deal in Minneapolis with a grain of salt or two.

Still, it is encouraging to hear that a preliminary deal has been struck that would place a new Vikings home near the existing site of the Metrodome, and thus keep the purple in gold where they belong.

A preliminary agreement has supposedly been reached that would have the Vikings and the NFL pay $427 million of the costs of the new stadium.  The State of Minnesota would be responsible for $398 million while the City of Minneapolis would pay $150 million.  Minneapolis would also be responsible for paying the $180 million in operating expenses expected over the next 30 years.

This agreement is not a guarantee, however, as the State Legislature and Minneapolis’ City Council, in addition to the NFL, would have to agree in full to the deal and make it official.

Minnesota’s White Earth Tribe has proposed a casino be placed in the Twin Cities to help pay for the public portion of the financing. 

That proposal is similar to the one backed by then-Governor Tim Pawlenty back in 2005 and was shot down by a Senate Committee that faced heavy opposition from anti-gambling groups and competing tribes that already owned casinos in the area.

Nothing is a done deal, and this progress may just be superficial, but superficial progress is still better than none at all.

I hope.

Stadium Talk With Grant’s Tomb

February 16, 2012, by 1 comment

Darren Campbell of the incredibly informative Vikings blog Grant’s Tomb volunteered to write an article for me updating us on the latest news surrounding the stadium battle.

Naturally, my laziness and loathing of the topic had me ecstatic to receive his offer.  Darren is a great writer, with a great site, and I hope you will all help me thank him for the post by visiting Grant’s Tomb today.  Besides, his ability to use the word “bafflegab” in the following article officially makes him a better blogger than me by immeasurable amounts.

To view the word “bafflegab” (and the rest of Darren’s article) click the button and make the jump.

Continue Reading →

Wilfs Continue To Play Nice

February 14, 2012, by 1 comment

I’m not about to gush over the perceived kindness of a very, very, very rich family and the patience they are showing in their quest for public funds to be spent on a new stadium which houses their football team and maximizes their profits.

Still, it is impressive that Wednesday represents what could have been such a crucial date in this ongoing stadium fiasco, and yet the Vikings are at least putting forth the appearance that they are willing to take the high road.

February 15th represents the Vikings deadline for notifying the NFL that they would like to explore relocation options.  The date is expected to come and go with very little drama.  Instead of raising the stress level, they seem content to put their focus on continued progress revolving around Minnesota-based solutions.

P.R. guru for the team, Lester Bagley, stated on Tuesday that the Vikings will not request permission to seek relocation.  They will, however, continue to push for a financing package to be settled on during this legislative session.

Bagley said that the team hopes to have a financing plan in front of legislators within the next few days.

“There’s nothing to announce yet,” Bagley said, “but we’re all working hard. I think there’s opportunity and appetite to resolve that this session.”

Just imagine, for a second, how different this article would be had the Wilf family requested permission from the NFL to explore relocation options.

That’s an article I hope to never write.

Viking Update Is On A Roll

February 9, 2012, by 1 comment

At a time when Vikings news is incredibly slow, I have been impressed with Viking Update and their ability to come up with some interesting articles that I want to point you all towards:

  •  John Holler reminisces about Rick Spielman’s inability to contain his glee when he struck a Draft Day trade with the Vikings (he was Miami’s G.M. at the time) to move up one spot and nab offensive lineman Vernon Carey.  Even years after the move, Spielman gushed about Carey and how badly he wanted to draft him.  Now that Spielman is the Vikings G.M., and Carey is expected to become an unrestricted free agent, Holler makes a very solid argument that Carey will be added to the Vikings offensive line during the upcoming free agency period.  Read the whole story here.
  • Quarterback Christian Ponder took some time off and was “lazy” for the first few weeks of the offseason.  Now, however, he is back at Winter Park and plans to be working out there for most of the offseason.  Ponder is working through some new things, including what he describes as “hot yoga,” and says he has recovered from his various injuries experienced at the end of the season.  Here’s hoping that “hot yoga” has a more positive impact on Ponder than playing tennis had on Bryant McKinnie.  Read the whole story here.
  • The City of Duluth has officially thrown their hat into the ring as a suitor to house the Vikings.  Senator Roger Reinert introduced the latest Vikings bill that would see a stadium built in his town of Duluth.  The Vikings said they applaud Duluth’s efforts to finding a stadium solution, but with the current legislative session already underway, the team is going to continue to focus their efforts on Minneapolis and Arden Hills.  Read the whole story here.
  • In wondering if the Vikings can turn things around as quickly as many hope, Brian Hall looks at what happened the last time the Vikings posted a 3-13 record, which is the worst they have ever finished.  In 1984, the Vikings went 3-13 just like in 2011, and the following year they were able to manage a record of 7-9.  After that, the Vikings had four straight winning seasons and earned a trip to the NFC Championship.  Read the whole story here.

Labor Development Regarding Vikings Stadium

February 7, 2012, by 3 comments

I know I probably haven’t been doing a good enough job of keeping you up-to-date on stadium ongoings for a few weeks now.  There are two reasons for that:

  1. I’m not a Minnesota resident, and don’t feel it is my place to tell residents how to spend their tax dollars.
  2. For quite a while now, most of the “news” have come off the lips of politicians and P.R. gurus.  I’d rather buy stock in Italian cruise liner companies than the words that come off of these guys’ lips.

Still, when I look up into the sky and see something that appears like it might be legitimate smoke, I will always be sure to pass along the information.

Today’s (or rather yesterday’s) tidbit that caught my eye is that the Vikings, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and local labor groups have come to an agreement regarding the construction and operation of a new Vikings stadium.

According to Viking Update, an agreement has been reached in which a new stadium would be built using union labor, and that concession stands could possibly be operated by union labor, too.

While this reeks of dirty politics and legal racketeering, the move is a significant one in that the Vikings would likely gain support from the general public (you know, in case a vote is eventually needed) when it comes to their stadium efforts.  However, the price of a six ounce Miller Light may have just went from $7 to $13.

The next step is for the Vikings to commit to a hiring agreement that would focus on hiring women, minorities, and workers from poverty stricken areas of Minnesota.

Say what you will about this development, but the point here is that there are people still putting forth a serious effort and taking major steps towards keeping the Vikings in Minnesota.  Actions speak louder than words, and this is the closest thing to action as we have had in quite some time.