What a mess! Back in the 1990s a Vikings executive told me Governor Arne Carlson informed franchise leaders to be patient until the Twins need for a new stadium could be resolved.
Guess what? Three governors later and the Vikings are still waiting. During the last 15 years, new stadiums for the Twins and Gophers football were approved while the Vikings unsuccessfully courted host communities to help them.
Get the idea the Vikings upper management and ownership is frustrated. Bet your autographed Adrian Peterson jersey on that!
Now if you don’t care whether the Vikings stay in Minnesota and you oppose public funding for a new stadium, then God bless you and the Constitution. You have plenty of company, but understand the majority of state political leaders are likely to disagree with you. If they don’t today, sometime soon they will.
The Vikings will remain in Minnesota.
Franchise owners and the NFL office in New York have leverage like never before with the Minnesota stadium issue. The whole mess is reaching critical mass. Not only have the Vikings been knocking on the doors of governors and host communities for more than a decade, but their lease in the Metrodome expires at season’s end and Los Angeles is flirting with the franchise.
It’s a new Minnesota stadium or bust mentality that the Vikings and NFL are presenting. That view threatens a cultural entity even more important to some Minnesotans than our 10,000 lakes.
No wonder Governor Mark Dayton is scrambling to call a special legislative session before Thanksgiving. He wants no repeat of 60 years ago when Los Angeles became the new home of the Minneapolis Lakers.
Dayton might be able to convince enough legislators to approve a new stadium in the coming weeks, but even if he has to kick the can a little further down the road that’s not likely to send the moving vans to Winter Park before New Year’s Day.
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