Minnesota Vikings Stadium Bill Could Be Introduced As Early As Tomorrow

by Christopher Gates on Mar 29, 2011 11:04 PM CDT in Minnesota Vikings Stadium

After a couple of months of nothing, it appears that we could finally be getting some movement on a Vikings' stadium bill.

According to Morrie Lanning, the representative from Moorhead, has said that the Vikings' stadium bill could be introduced this week, and perhaps as early as tomorrow.

Governor Mark Dayton, who we reported the other day is already on board with getting a stadium deal passed this legislative session, is further encouraging lawmakers to get this taken care of.

While Lanning and Rosen were finishing their bill, Gov. Mark Dayton Tuesday encouraged lawmakers to approve a stadium.

"Several thousand would be put to work building the people’s stadium," Dayton said.

The Democratic governor said stadium construction workers would have jobs for three years.

"Putting people back to work is the ultimate solution to these economic problems," he said, defending building a stadium during tough fiscal times.

Without making this too terribly political, I think he's absolutely right. People need jobs, and building a stadium would, indeed, put thousands of people to work.

Now, not being terribly in tune with the construction business, I thought the normal construction time for a stadium was two years, but Dayton says that construction workers would have jobs for three. I don't know if the governor is simply taking the crappy Minnesota winter weather into account when he makes his declaration, or if he's suggesting that the stadium would end up at a site other than the current Metrodome site. Maybe it's a combination of both.

But hopefully in the very near future we'll be celebrating a brand new stadium coming to Minnesota and our team staying exactly where they belong for a long, long time.

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Well

Dayton is for it, so naturally all the Republicans are dead set against it
This may take awhile…

Minnesota Wild 2011: Don't even bother, unless you like booing.

by NorthernStar on Mar 29, 2011 11:22 PM CDT reply actions

sigh...

yeah…

I'm still a Minnesotan at heart...

by urluckyday on Mar 29, 2011 11:22 PM CDT up reply actions

S.O.P.

Which ever party supports whatever bill, the other party will fight it, no matter what.

New coach, new coaching staff, new starting QB. All we need now is a new stadium and all will be well in 2011.

by VikesFaninNM on Mar 30, 2011 4:40 AM CDT up reply actions

Why does it have to be that way?

Doesn’t that sound fundamentally wrong to you?

by Jayrome007 on Mar 30, 2011 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Sure, but if you vote AGAINST the "other guys"

then when you try to get re-elected you can say that you stopped those pesky [insert opposite party] and THAT’s why you’re running and THAT’s what you will continue to do if elected. It’s a joke. I’m afraid common sense left the positions of power a LONG time ago. It’s about trying to keep your party in power. Their excuse is that they don’t want the state/country to go down the crapper and that’s why they bash on the other party’s ideas so hard and once the other party is in office, the same things happens again. The end result: nothing happens. Anyways, this is starting to piss me off. I hate politicians. I think this is why we’re not supposed to talk politics. I get so worked up about it.

Skol!

by DM_Purp on Mar 30, 2011 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Most definately

But also, why do people keep electing the same idiots time and time again, then say the same thing? And don’t get me wrong, I’m not leveling that at you Jay, I just mean in general. It’s the same way here in New Mexico since I’ve lived here. One Gov. of a certain party comes up with an idea, the other side shoots it down and vice versa. And I’m blaming both sides of the isle on this one, or more if you add the rest of the smaller parties.

New coach, new coaching staff, new starting QB. All we need now is a new stadium and all will be well in 2011.

by VikesFaninNM on Mar 30, 2011 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Because

When the only people that run are idiots, it’s tough to pick one that’s not.

Minnesota Wild 2011: Don't even bother, unless you like booing.

by NorthernStar on Mar 30, 2011 7:37 PM CDT up reply actions

Really wealthy idiots to boot!

by abba7 on Mar 31, 2011 2:36 AM CDT up reply actions

My #1 reason why I loathe politics.

Proud contributor to Daily Norseman and SB Nation Minnesota

by Eric J. Thompson on Mar 30, 2011 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree whole heartedly

New coach, new coaching staff, new starting QB. All we need now is a new stadium and all will be well in 2011.

by VikesFaninNM on Mar 30, 2011 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Yay!

One more place I cant go without politics :P
Lets all have happy thoughts, we’ve got a year until we have to play the party games….
THINK POSITIVE PLEASE!!!
and dear god plz dont play the one side is better then the other cause game, por favor! (sp)

**Rupert for ProBowl 2012!**

by LeeleeX on Mar 30, 2011 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

+1

I’m leaving this post. I Can’t come back.

Skol!

by DM_Purp on Mar 30, 2011 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

+2

Same here. Political websites outnumber those devoted to my hometown Vikings by a million to one ratio, so it’s the last thing I want to see here.

I’ll check back after the draft.

by rovibe on Mar 30, 2011 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Whatever happened to the Whigs?

You never see them around!

by abba7 on Mar 31, 2011 3:04 AM CDT up reply actions

“People’s Stadium” does sound a bit Commie.

by DonBorvio on Mar 30, 2011 9:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Just get it done.

People need to realize that the benefits of a stadium are not felt 5 years down the road (except for immediate jobs)…it’s like 20 years down the road when the ROI starts coming in. Long-term thinking is really difficult for some people I guess.

I'm still a Minnesotan at heart...

by urluckyday on Mar 29, 2011 11:23 PM CDT reply actions

I'm relatively young as Vikings fans go

I never really followed the team religiously until about 1998. So for me, the threat of the team moving and trying to get a new stadium built is pretty much literally all I know as a Vikings fan. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to think that all that talk could suddenly be gone and we’d have 15-20 years of not hearing a single thing about the stadium and threats to move. It’s such a completely foreign concept to me.

by Cobra312004 on Mar 30, 2011 1:48 AM CDT reply actions

15-20 years?

Not if it’s built correctly. I’d say it should last a good 20-30 years at least.

by Jayrome007 on Mar 30, 2011 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions

Wrigley

Look at Wrigley Field in Chicago…..90+ years old…..it must have been done perfectly!!!….hehe

"Ya just can't fix stupid....."

by Jesse442 on Mar 30, 2011 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions

Cobra

I’ve been a fan since late 80s. IMO, the Vikings have never really had an issue about moving the team. Like Chris has said for a long time on here, I just don’t think it’s an option. I think they mean too much to the state of Minnesota and even though there’s been some bargaining over the years, it’s something that will get done. I’m not concerned about it one bit. It’s just like the CBA. This is something that could/should have been done a long time ago, but if whether your the state or the Wilfs, if you think you’re getting a bad deal then you hold out as long as you can and hope the other party flinches first. I’m not concerned at all.

Skol!

by DM_Purp on Mar 30, 2011 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions

You might wanna increase your concern a little.

I’m sure there’s plenty of $profit to gain by moving the Vikings to a city like LA.

The state of California is broke as the rest of the nation, but there’s a Billionaire in LA who wants to build a stadium with his own money. All Wilff has to do is move in.

by chaosg on Mar 30, 2011 1:18 PM CDT up reply actions

All Wilf would have to do

is sell the team to said billionaire, not just move in
If the stadium deal never gets figured out, and the Vikings end up leaving, Zygi is not going to be the owner

Minnesota Wild 2011: Don't even bother, unless you like booing.

by NorthernStar on Mar 30, 2011 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions

This is true

I don’t really believe the Vikings will move (the Jaguars, Bills and Chargers are all more attractive options) but I do think there’s a small percentage chance. That percentage worries me a little and it has for many years. It will be refreshing to finally have that gone.

by Cobra312004 on Mar 30, 2011 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions

I appreciate that point of view

but the fact of the matter is that at the end of the day the NFL is a for profit business that will not let sentimentality stand in the way of them making money.

I have always stated that when push came to shove the Legislature would get off their collective dead ass and pass a stadium bill, and I still believe that…

BUT…

If they don’t, the NFL will not allow a team to stay in a non-profitable market. The Vikings in the Metrodome are one of only two teams (according to Forbes, with the Raiders being the other) that have had a net loss in any of the last three years, and when they do make a profit, it’s very small when compared to most of the other NFL teams. Without looking it up, I want to say it was about 7 or 8 million, but they also lost 15 or 20 million a couple years back. If I can find the link, I’ll post it.

If there is a city that will build a new stadium for the Vikings franchise, they will relocate. You can say that they mean to much to the state, icon, blah blah blah. Tough. Wilf has said he won’t move the Vikings, and I believe him. But if this stadium effort fails, he will sell the team to an ownership group that will relocate, and the Vikes will be gone.

If you don’t think that’s true, I submit exhibits A and B, the Baltimore Colts and the Cleveland Browns, two teams that were around a lot longer in their cities and meant as much to their fans as the Vikes mean to us.

I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but people who think the Vikes won’t move if a new stadium doesn’t get done are fooling themselves.

With the 12th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select...

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by Ted Glover on Mar 30, 2011 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions

@Jayrome007

15-20 years was the low end estimate for how long until they’d start asking to update the stadium. If it’s built right, it could be longer. But that will come up someday.

by Cobra312004 on Mar 30, 2011 3:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Met with Legislators Yesterday

I met with both Bobby Champion and Linda Higgins yesterday (my legislator and senator, respectively) and while they support a public stadium in which the Vikings can play, they are quite reluctant to support a Racino initiative that could pay for the bond measure to pay for the construction. I would ask the folks here to not only write their representative and senator, but to visit them once the bill emerges to push for their support. We can press the folks who make this decision. I know a number of Republicans who favor a stadium bill, precisely because they don’t want to see the Vikes move. They are, however, reluctant to increase taxes – any taxes – to support the construction. Racino is a viable alternative that 80% of Minnesotans favor, provided that the gambling is taxed and that money flows to the state rather than to private citizens or individual communities. Please, don’t just write or call your representative, but visit them at the Capitol. That sends a much stronger message.

by Rollosdad on Mar 30, 2011 10:51 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Well put

Skol!

by DM_Purp on Mar 30, 2011 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions

That's pretty awesome Rollosdad!

I’m not even from Minnesota but this all means a lot to me. Is there any reason they couldn’t solicit private donations or something as at least a partial way to help? It might not make so huge of a dent but I think there’s people is every state and in many nations that would chip in for a new stadium. A one time donation or a yearly pledge or whatever. We could hire Jerry Lewis to… I’m getting carried away but there has to be a solution. I’m not sure what is legal and what is not.

by abba7 on Mar 31, 2011 2:59 AM CDT up reply actions