Despite glitzy conversation, Los Angeles has yet to approve and begin building a new stadium. It’s doubtful the NFL will send any franchise to L.A. until that bit of housekeeping has been finished.
Just because the lease at the dome expires doesn’t mean it’s California “Here We Come.” The San Diego Chargers have a deal with the city that allows an opt out in its stadium agreement each year. Other franchises, including the St. Louis Rams, have been linked to a possible Los Angeles move, too.
In just the next few months does the NFL want to give up on a Vikings franchise that for years has been announcing consecutive sellouts in its stadium and frequently posts some of the highest TV ratings in a local market among the league’s 32 cities?
Abandoning a fan base that’s been so supportive is bad PR for the league. It’s the kind of potential action that might even draw scrutiny among political leaders in Washington.
None of this is to suggest the Vikings’ request for a new facility can be ignored for long. But no one should choke on his or her Thanksgiving dinner if a stadium bill isn’t in place by then.
And another thought: why have stadium political leaders consistently limited the state’s funding contribution to $300 million? Seems like bad strategy because the team is supposed to be a state-wide asset and the $300 million cap puts a lot of pressure on a local funding partner like Ramsey County as part of the proposed stadium cost of $1.1 billion (Vikings to pay over $400 million).