High $$ in pro sports

[GRIZ]

This is not intented to get big argument going here but just to get peoples opinions on the subject.

It's no secret that the players salaries are increasing at unbelievable rates. I can't really blame them as I want to get paid as much as I can for doing my job too. It just seems to me that some of the team spirit and loyalty has dissappeared along with it.

Now we get to the arenas and stadiums. Most teams seem to want a new place to play after about 20 or 30 years. Even though IMO the place they have is perfectly good. It's seems to become the norm for them to expect the goverment to pay for it or should say part of it. It just makes me wonder how fair is it that they can help pay for that but can't pay for other businesses.

Minnesota is not the only place that is dealing with this issue. Others are dealing with it too.

[beerguy]

very easy answer to the question but I will not answer on the forums. request a message for the all mighty answer :o

[Ryan]

Some players are worth the money they are being paid, but I would say most are not.  The problem is the ones that are worth the money bring up the average so everyone gets paid more.

The Twins are asking for a new stadium and they need one.  The pile of crap they play in now was never meant for baseball.  Have you ever sat on the third base line for a game?  If you sit in your seat and look forward you are looking at center field.  One thing people forget about the state paying for part of the stadium is that the state is going to own it.  We are not just going to build a stadium and hand it over to the Polad family.  I'm not saying that they will not benefit the most from a stadium, you can't even argue that, but they will have to pay rent to use the stadium.  I'm sure if you look real close you will find examples of the government helping out other businesses.

Don't take offense to any of this, I don't want to argue about this.  I did want to give my thought on it though.

[GRIZ]

Hedrocks

Thanks I wasn't looking for an argument on any of this. I will not give one either. It's a complicated subject and I do not understand  the technicalities (sp) of it all. I'm sure by the time it is done they will have a truck load of paper work for the legal agrement. Who actually will own it I don't know.

Yes I have sat on the third base line but I was close to 3rd base bout 7 rows back. It didn't seem that bad to me but can see were further down the line it would be.

Now I both the twins and vikings are talking about stadiums. Are they talking about sharing one or are they 2 different stadiums?

[jigglestick]

i have to say that it seems like this stadium issue is taking for ever, but in the grand scheme of things it is taking just as long as it should.
with the economy slowing down, the number of people cutting back their budgets and the first thing to go in our house hold is entertainment. i'm not saying there will still be people willing to spend over exuberant prices to see overpaid athletes play a game, but the numbers of them will decline.
maybe they won't have the sellout crowds they used to. maybe the ticket prices will come down some? the have to keep the seats full to keep the in-house sales up as well.
will we see the end of the 4.00 hot dog?
the 5.00 beer? really think about how rediculous those prices are. thats better than %500 mark up. just the idea that people would pay current ticket prices and junk food prices is a sign that our economy is getting ready to take a digger.
we are already seeing that.
every body knows somebody that has lost a good job in the last couple years
then add in the trickle down econimics effect. it has to effect the players too. whiny brats.
pretty hard to feel sorry for those players and owners when we scrape by on thirty thousand a year raising kids too.
i tell you what. build me a new truckshop with all the bells and whistles so i can run my trucking buisness more efficiently.
use taxpayer money to do it. justify it?
sure. i will be paying taxes. if i am proffitble maybe i can hire drivers for more trucks who will also pay taxes. they will in turn help stimulate the economy when they stop at the store to buy lunch or sodas or buy a house in the neighborhood paying even more taxes.
i just don't buy it. i would rather loose the teams than pay for it out of taxpayer monies.
apparently i'm not alone.

[Outdoors Junkie]

I don't believe they are talking about sharing a new statium. ?Zygi Wilf, the new owner of the Vikings, is talking about building a place called Northern Lights (675 million dollar stadium and retail location) by Blaine. ?Wilf is offering to pay for half the cost. ?The Twins are proposing a new stadium (444 million dollars) by the historic Warehouse district. ?The Pollads are offering to pay $125 million, and the county is suppose to pay $319 million. ?Then we haven't mentioned, that the U of M wants a new stadium on campus for the football team. ?