As Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican leaders in the Legislature inexplicably let the state government come to a screeching halt, the momentum the Vikings had been building towards getting a stadium deal done during a special session has now come to a screeching halt as well. The Wilfs have smartly backed off their push for new digs while thousands of Minnesotans will be adversely affected by the shutdown, and that's a smart move. I have to say, the Wilfs have been pretty magnanimous and patient in this whole process, and have been pretty savvy politically while trying to get this thing acros the finish line. I think it will get done, but it's taking a lot more effort than even I thought it would require.
But Ted, you say, how can you bring up the stadium at a time like this?
Simple. This is a Vikings website, and all things aside, that's the only thing that I politically give two hoots in Hell about in the state of Minnesota. According to the Godfather, the momentum that had been seemingly building towards a stadium resolution might have been a bit optimistic, as the estimate for the stadium was still a billion bucks, not 800 million, and then he throws out THIS nugget to chew on:
Meanwhile, the word is that some people connected with the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, operators of the Metrodome, still were campaigning behind the scenes for the stadium to be built on the Farmer Market site.
What...the...hell.
It only makes sense, I suppose. With all the three year olds running around the Capitol dressed in politician's clothes, why wouldn't another political body in Minnesota act the same way?