Author: David Shama

There are proponents for building a new Vikings stadium near Target Center but that plan would necessitate relocating the Sharing and Caring Hands nonprofit, a move that would be emotional, controversial and not likely.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier being quoted in the February 28 issue of Sporting News Magazine: “I really believe that there’s some things that if we address them this offseason, we’re right back in the hunt for the NFC North championship and the NFC championship as well.”

The 2011 NFL college draft will likely be dominated in the first round by defensive line prospects.  The Vikings, drafting at No. 12 in the first round, not only need a quarterback but a replacement for 38-year-old defensive tackle and starter Pat Williams.

Pro scouts will be at the University of Minnesota’s Gibson-Nagurski Complex tomorrow to evaluate draft prospects.  About 30 players are expected, counting former Gophers and others who attended area colleges.

Inductees into the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame on April 2 will be Terry Karlsgodt, Mark Kroulik, Bob Majeski, Merrill Pavlovich, Don Stueve and Darrell Wincek.

John Barrett, Jim Carrington, Jim Dotseth, Jeff Gallagher, Ed Homan, Bruce Thompson, Stephen Saxe and Joel Sharratt will be inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame on April 9.

In a preseason MIAC men’s tennis coaches poll, Gustavus, Carleton and St. Thomas are picked to finish first, second and third respectively.

Wild captain Wes Walz will talk to season ticket holders prior to tomorrow night’s home game against Colorado.  Walz will provide perspective on the game with his talk that starts at 5:45 p.m.

Until the Arden Hills site emerged as a possible location for a new Vikings stadium, I was convinced lawmakers would approve funding for a facility during this legislative session.  Now don’t bet your season tickets that will happen.

How come? Because a site fight is underway and that may delay legislative approval of a stadium.

The Vikings facility problem has been studied for years and it’s the opinion of facility experts that the most cost efficient place to locate a new multipurpose covered stadium to serve the ballclub and community is on the Metrodome site or the nearby Star Tribune property.  At those locations there is a comprehensive transportation system and related infrastructure already in place.

The city of Arden Hills and Ramsey County Board have expressed interest in building a stadium on the former site of the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant.   Along with Arden Hills, it seems three downtown Minneapolis sites including near Target Field could come up for discussion in the legislature.  Don’t be surprised if key legislators decide to appoint a stadium group to study site and funding, and then announce findings in 2012.

With the Vikings lease at the Metrodome expiring at the end of this season, the NFL team and politicians are best advised to resolve the stadium matter now rather than later. Construction costs are likely to rise if stadium planners wait too long and the state economy can use a boost from a project that could cost $800 million and provide a lot of jobs.  And there’s also the not so subtle threat that the Vikings might relocate to another city.

We have the makings of another emotional Minneapolis versus St. Paul site fight with parochial interests on both sides and politics, as always, involved.  Eventually Minneapolis might win out as the site location but not without St. Paul benefitting also via a “Christmas tree” type of legislative bill filled with “goodies” beyond a stadium bill.  St. Paul leaders would like to see their interest free state loan for the Xcel Energy Center forgiven, and state assistance for a downtown St. Paul Saints ballpark would be welcomed, too.

The drive to bring major league baseball here in the 1950’s included the building of Metropolitan Stadium.  The stadium financing was led by Minneapolis backers who located the stadium in Bloomington because land was inexpensive and the suburb was seen as neutral Twin Cities ground.  About the time Metropolitan Stadium opened for the minor league Minneapolis Millers, St. Paul also built a new ballpark, Midway Stadium, that like its rival in Bloomington was expandable to major league seating capacity. Capitol city boosters hoped that it would one day be home to a Minnesota American or National league team.

By the late 1970s Met Stadium had unhappy tenants in both the Twins and Vikings.  A site fight developed between those who campaigned to extensively remodel the Met versus boosters who wanted a domed stadium downtown.  Eventually the Metrodome was approved with revenue bonds financing but not without a lot of controversy and hard feelings.

Timberwolves original owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner were courted by the Met Center, home of the NHL North Stars, but faced a directive from the NBA to have their expansion team play in a basketball-first arena.  They used private money to build the Target Center and opened the facility in 1990.  Since then the city of Minneapolis has taken over ownership and uses taxpayer money to help operate the facility.

When the Met Center was razed in 1994, the Twin Cities had only one major arena for awhile.  But the Xcel Energy Center opened in 2000 and the downtown St. Paul facility has been battling Target Center for concerts and other attractions ever since.

Not only did St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman lead the political drive to bring the NHL to town with the expansion Wild, but he also courted the Twins and their stadium ambitions.  What killed the plan, though, was a rejection by St. Paul voters to use part of the city sales tax to build a stadium.

A new home for the Twins was approved by the legislature in 2006 by dedicating a portion of Hennepin County’s sales tax for the construction of Target Field.  Neither the county or Minneapolis (already with obligations including Target Field, Target Center and the Convention Center) is likely to step up as the “banker” for a Vikings stadium that will also receive financing from the franchise’s ownership group including Zygi Wilf.

And if Ramsey County residents are willing to pay more sales tax, that might deliver the Vikings to Arden Hills.  Other funding options could include metro wide or state funding for a stadium with initially a no-site directive from the state legislature.  The site to be determined later strategy was used back in the 1970s before the dome landed downtown.

Back to the future?