PurpleMustReign wrote:
I still think they should build it in the shape of a huge Viking ship... the sails could be flags, etc., and the inside of the ship would be the field and stuff.
In fact, Jim, could you draw something like that?
The Devil whispered in the Viking's ear, "There's a storm coming." The Viking replied, "I am the storm." #SKOL2018
The concept version of anything (whether its cars, stadiums, etc) makes it look a lot more "futuristic" than they actually are to get the fans excited. Then when the real version comes out, everyone is bummed. I like the idea of a Viking ship, but I doubt they would do that. I hope that whatever they do, it is a nice stadium, and hopefully with a retractable roof. I still wish they would have built the stadium in Arden Hills.
Watching the Packers at Texans game tonight I got to wondering about when the Astrodome was retired.
Without looking it up... Take a guess at what Houston's Reliant Stadium cost (in either 2002 dollars or 2012 dollars). Construction on the stadium started in early 2000 and it opened for business in August 2002 with a preseason NFL game. 71,000 seats and the first NFL stadium to have a retractable roof. It was built next to the Astrodome, so that would mean there were no demolition or real estate costs.
PurpleMustReign wrote:So, is there a revised timeline on this yet? Where will they play next season?
I'd sure like to know the same thing. Will the game next season in London on September 29th mean one less game outdoors in TCF or one less inside the Met?
Is the new stadium expected to open in 2016 or 2017?
Team officials recently e-mailed surveys to season-ticket holders to gauge their willingness to pay thousands of dollars more for a personal seat license or "stadium builders license" to secure the right to the best seats.
PurpleMustReign wrote:
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
No skin off my back, I don't have season tickets. It's a mechanism used across the NFL, a way to put the best seats in the hands of those willing and able to pay thousands for the privilege. My sense is some who have had season tickets for generations will have a problem with it though the Wilfs have every right to insert a tax on fans to pay their stadium bill.
Is any of what the Governor is saying playing out yet locally?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has threatened to undermine the stadium plan he helped push into motion earlier this year.
In a letter to Vikings ownership, Dayton has suggested he will torpedo the deal if the Vikings look to pass on costs to season-ticket holders.
“The project's strong support came from many regular Minnesotans, not just rich Minnesotans, because they believed the Vikings are also their team,” Dayton wrote in his letter, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “If a new stadium were to betray that trust, it would be better that it not be built.”
I said the same thing on my survey. They have not sold a game out this year, but know want us to pay an extra say $4000 for two seats. I guess I will be done buying season tickets. So will the season ticket holders I talked to on Sunday.
Don't back down! Who knows they may move to London, but who cares after this bush league move!
I said the same thing on my survey. They have not sold a game out this year, but know want us to pay an extra say $4000 for two seats. I guess I will be done buying season tickets. So will the season ticket holders I talked to on Sunday.
Don't back down! Who knows they may move to London, but who cares after this bush league move!
This isn't a new development. It was agreed upon.
Mark Dayton, you already approved PSLs
But there are some major holes in what is really just a sloppy political maneuver. The first: The stadium legislation Dayton signed last spring explicitly gave the Vikings clearance to sell PSLs through the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. Further, it allows them to count the revenues toward its share of construction costs.
Don't believe me? I dug up the legislation itself online and found the relevant passages. Here you go:
On the topic of what the bill refers to as "stadium builder's licenses," the legislation says: "The authority shall own and retain the exclusive right to sell stadium builder's licenses in the stadium. The authority will retain the NFL team to act as the authority's agent in marketing and selling such licenses."
In a subsection on the Vikings' contribution, the bill reads: "The NFL team/private contribution, including stadium builder's license proceeds, for stadium costs must be made in cash in the amount of $477,000,000."
I remember clearly hearing from Vikings that PSLs weren't even an issue. Especially during negotiations. About how this wasn't New York, and Dallas, and it was a different fan base. And they couldn't count on them, or use them as a significant contributing factor.
Now here come the PSLs. Not only that but I believe it was Reusse that pointed out earlier, they set it up in such a way that going through the Sports Commission, the money they get from PSLs wouldn't even be taxed and have any money going to the state.