The Los Angeles Vikings

[RetroVertigo]

@etv78

1. Move the Panthers to the AFC South
2. Move L.A. Jaguars to NFC West
3. Move Rams to NFC South

The Panthers are much better suited (geographically speaking) for the NFC South. I would just switch St. Louis, and Jacksonville. St. Louis would have natural rivalries with Indy and Nashville that Carolina would lack.

[furt]

@Spiff

But … seeing as the rabid “no new taxes” crowd doesn’t find THESE types of taxes objectionable (“It’s for the VIKINGS!”), it may happen.

Ballpark Figures

http://www.aei.org/paper/21445

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=2830

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5496

http://www.afphq.org/175-million-tax-dollars-baseball-stadium

http://www.atr.org/boston-red-sox-pull-save-taxpayers-a5216

[hajario]

The Chargers have the option to move every year so long as they pay off what remains on the bonds. That number, of course, gets smaller every year. They already announced that 2011 will be in San Diego.

[gonzomax]

The value of a franchise skyrockets when the tax payers buy a nice fancy stadium for the poor downtrodden owners. The Lions were bought for 4.5 million by Ford. They are worth 800 million now. When they sell, I am sure they will share the profits with the taxpayers who funded them for so many years. It would be the right thing to do.

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

@Intergalactic_Gladiator

Hasn’t LA already proven about half a dozen times that it can’t sustain a football team?

Well, twice at least, anyway.

I really hope they don’t come here; in face, I hope we don’t get any pro team playing downtown until they finish some of the major transit projects that are in the pipeline.

[President_Johnny_Gentle]

@furt

Ballpark Figures: The Phony Economic Case for Taxpayer-Funded Stadiums

http://www.aei.org/paper/21445

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=2830

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5496

http://www.afphq.org/175-million-tax-dollars-baseball-stadium

http://www.atr.org/boston-red-sox-pull-save-taxpayers-a5216

None of these really talk about the political situation in Minnesota however, where the Republicans tended to be a larger base of support for the Twins stadium and for Vikings proposals. It’s significant now that the Democratic Governor-elect hasn’t come out against a stadium. The problems occurring with the Metrodome came at an opportune time for the Vikings. I think a new stadium deal gets done, probably this coming session.

[gonzomax]

@President_Johnny_Gentle

None of these really talk about the political situation in Minnesota however, where the Republicans tended to be a larger base of support for the Twins stadium and for Vikings proposals. It’s significant now that the Democratic Governor-elect hasn’t come out against a stadium. The problems occurring with the Metrodome came at an opportune time for the Vikings. I think a new stadium deal gets done, probably this coming session.

I thought we were in a recession? We can not help the poor , the i=unemployed or the uninsured. But, a biilionaire wants a new stadium on taxpayer money, here it is.

[zamboniracer]

@EllisDee

This is cleary untrue. The Patriots and the Giants/Jets built brand new stadiums without taxpayer money.

Would that all sports teams did that rather than sponge off the taxpayers.

As I understand it, the NFL has a fund paid for by a percentage of seat licenses that it lends to teams for a portion of stadium construction. The NFL being technically a non profit company made up of its 32 member teams, so that the members really loan each other money for a portion of stadium construction costs.

[EllisDee]

Anyone know if Jerryworld was built with taxpayer money?

[Ike_Witt]

@EllisDee

Anyone know if Jerryworld was built with taxpayer money?

According to Wikipdedia:

Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium’s current construction cost was $1.15 billion,[13] making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. To aid Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones in paying the construction costs of the new stadium, Arlington voters approved the increase of the city’s sales tax by 0.5 percent, the hotel occupancy tax by 2 percent, and car rental tax by 5 percent. The City of Arlington provided over $325 million (including interest) in bonds as funding,[13][14] and Jones covered any cost overruns. Also, the NFL provided the Cowboys with an additional $150 million, as per their policy for giving teams a certain lump sum of money for stadium financing.

So, yeah the taxpayers chipped in, but Jerry paid the lions share out of his own pocket.