Well, hey, we haven't had any stadium drama in what. . .checks watch. . .two or three hours, at least. Let's change that, shall we?
Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton has sharply rebuked GOP lawmakers for not taking the stadium debate seriously amid word Republicans are working out a deal to authorize a roofless stadium.
The altered proposal surfaced Tuesday and drew a rushed press conference from Dayton, Democratic lawmakers and the mayor of Minneapolis. Each acknowledged a stadium without a roof would be cheaper but said it would defeat the intent of building a venue that could be used for more than just football.
As once stated by that most famous of Marine Corps drill instructors, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, you've gotta be hosin' me here.
Zygi Wilf proposed the idea of an outdoor Minnesota Vikings' stadium quite a while ago. . .and that deal got shot down by the state because they wanted a building that they could use for purposes other than Minnesota Vikings football. I'm really not sure why anyone would think that it's a good idea now when it wasn't a good idea then, but I'm not a politician.
The Vikings have said that they're not supporting an open-air stadium.
RT "@timnelson_mpr: #Vikings veep Bagley on new roofless stadium plan: "it's not a proposal we support." #MNLeg
— Cory Merrifield (@SaveTheVikesOrg) May 1, 2012
Minneapolis has all but said that if the stadium is open-air, they're out as a local partner.
Rybak says if GOP presses last minute roof-less stadium plan, Mpls will not be a partner. #Vikings
— Patrick Kessler (@PatKessler) May 1, 2012
I'm really, honestly not sure what purpose this serves at this time, other than gumming up the works and stalling for time.
The Minnesota Legislature has a bill on the floor of each chamber ready to be voted on. Quite frankly, they owe the Minnesota Vikings, their fans, and everyone else an up-or-down vote on the current proposal. It's well past time for everybody to stop screwing around.
If you're in Minnesota, I urge you to call your legislators. If this team is at the banks of the Rubicon here, it's time to decide if they're going across or if they're staying home.