Today Vikings owner Zygi Wilf met with key legislative players in the ongoing, interminable, and never ending stadium saga. There's a chance that everyone is blowing sunshine up everyone else's skirt, but if the summary of today's meeting is taken at face value, then it seems that we are getting closer to a resolution.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say they'll get something done in this Legislative session.
Now, don't get me wrong--there's still a ways to go, but any progress is progress. And as for today, progress for me was Wilf not walking out of the Governor's office and saying 'Wilf out."
Let's break it down, after the jump.
One of the surprising takeaways for me today was Zygi Wilf saying "Arden Hills is not out of the picture. We would still like to explore it."
Zygi, I appreciate it. I would like to personally explore the naked boobs of every Miss America contestant, but that ain't gonna happen. And barring a miracle, I don't see Arden Hills happening, either. Their local funding plan (local taxes that must be passed by the legislature or put before the voters for a referendum, both a no-go) is dead in the water, and Senate stadium sponsor Julie Rosen said that in order for Ramsey County to stay in the game, they'll need to bring forth a new local funding plan by next Wednesday. Hopefully, Ramsey County has something up their sleeve, so we'll see.
As for the Metrodome proposal, Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak is still insistent that some money raised for the Metrodome site will be used towards upgrading Target Center. But that doesn't sit well with the House stadium author, Rep. Morrie Lanning. Lanning feels that making Target Center upgrades part of the equation will cost votes that could jeopardize the bill...but Rybak feels that NOT including Target Center will cost just as many votes on the other side of the issue.
Sounds like a 'My Dad can beat up your Dad' kind of thing. And just for the record, my old man could take all of you.
Every. Single. One.
And of course, there was Governor Mark Dayton, leading from the front.
"I'm not setting any more deadlines" said Dayton. I heard he's writing a book called 'Dayton On Leadership'. It just premiered on Amazon at # 6,439,804,001.
Hey, are there problems to overcome? Sure. Is Arden Hills on life support? Yes. Is there a deal in place for the Metrodome site? Not even close.
Who is this dude, and what is he doing in this post?
This all reminds of a great quote from Ferdinand Foch, who at the end of World War I was the Supreme Allied Commander of all forces--the Norman Schwarzkopf or Tommy Franks of WW I, if you will.
The quote comes from the Battle of the Marne in 1914. The German Army had swept through France and were threatening Paris. The Allies threw 45 divisions against 27 German divisions, and in some of the fiercest fighting of the war, blunted the German offensive and their vaunted Schlieffen Plan. At the height of the battle, as the commander of the French 9th Army, Foch sent one of the most awesome situation reports in the history of warfare:
"Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I am attacking."
They're talking, everyone is encouraged, and everyone wants to get something done, apparently Wilf most of all.
It's going to get done.