vikings/nfl

Minnesotas will look back and regret the corporate welfare they gave to the billionaire Wilfs and MONOPOLY of the fixed league called the NFL. I've been a football fan my whole life, but feel Souhan is right on the money with this article. Goldman Sachs would refer to Vikings season ticket holders as "Muppets"

The NFL = socializing the risk and capitalizing the gain on stadiums around the country.

It's just so short sighted. The stadium experience is much less important for football now more than ever. And just look at what happened at Yankee stadium. They can't come close to selling that place out.

I agree I spent a fortune this weekend, and I questioned all Vikes fans at the tailgate. It's stunning to think that Zygi would gouge us for more$. I drive 6 hours and question will I do this much longer? The home experience has become a better option. Could you at least put a monitor in the mens room so I can see the game, while I dispose of my $10 beer!

Great column Jim! Right on the money! Whenever you get to the point where you think that sports franchises can't ask for any more from taxpayers and fans, they continue to find additional ways to stick it to us.

Moving two home games to Europe smells pretty bad too. Zygi is not doing that because he'd make more money playing at TCF! He's actually putting his team at a competitive disadvantage just to make a few extra dollars. At a time when he should be thanking the fans of Minnesota, he's actually taking advantage of us, it stinks, literally.

Lost in all these comments, and they have been good, is that Dayton is doing the right thing and should nail Wilf's rear end to the wall. Dayton actually makes his party look much better standing up to what is truly extortion...being forced to pay a PSL for a publicly financed stadium is just immoral.

I'm having a very hard time trying to keep myself from feeling betrayed. I wrote to my legislators, attended debates at the capital (with my children), and now worry that my family will be forced to vacate the seats I fought so hard to keep. I save all year to pay for these seats and there is no possible way I could afford additional fees. Now some corporate millionaire that wouldn't think of wasting their valuable time fighting to keep the team they love in this state is going to take my seats? I can just see some rich fellow shouting cheerio from my seats. I guess we'll have to do family vacations instead if that's the case. The soul of the Vikings will be sucked out of that stadium. Please make the right decision Zygi.

The real reason that Dayton is speaking up is that Wilf is saying the seat license is tax exempt.

"No stadium deals are perfect, but Target Field and Xcel Energy Center are beautiful places." ---- The Xcel is just BEAUTIFULLY VACANT right now making zero money for the state. And, Target Field?? That waste of a building is just BEAUTIFULLY supporting a team that has come oh so close to the magic 100 losses in each of two seasons! Yes, Souhan, there are stadium deals that ARE PERFECT. They are the ones where the owner constructs his own building that will house his own employees, product, and patrons!