Tony Spadafora, a local stadium authority who for years has studied the Vikings’ need for a new facility, emailed that his research shows an Arden Hills stadium will cost $980 million versus $985 million for a new building on the Metrodome site. Spadafora wrote: “The Arden Hills plan builds a retractable roof stadium with plenty of room for tailgating, which most fans want, and costs $5 million less than the Metrodome plan. Or you can say the Metrodome plan builds a fixed roof stadium with little room for tailgating, which few fans want, and costs $5 million more than the Arden Hills plan.”
The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission website arrives at a different conclusion. The MSFC projects Arden Hills will cost about $200,000 to $300,000 more than the Metrodome site. https://www.msfc.com/stadium.cfm
If a new stadium is built on the Metrodome site, the Vikings will have to play a couple of seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. The switch in venues, including because of more limited seating capacity, will result in decreased revenues for the Vikings and it’s believed that any new stadium transition plan will compensate the franchise for lost revenue.
Timberwolves’ basketball executive David Kahn is often second-guessed for not retaining Kevin McHale as coach two years ago. McHale is a better coach than Kahn-hire Kurt Rambis and McHale may have a successful run as the new Houston coach, but the situation in Minneapolis was bad two years ago. McHale’s image with the Wolves franchise, mostly because of his poor personnel decisions while leading the basketball department, was negative. No one should blame Kahn for wanting a fresh start back in 2009. Most NBA administrators would have done the same.
Angela Hermann is Canterbury Park’s new Paddock analyst, replacing Kevin Gorg who is busy with FOX Sports North Twins coverage.
Ostrich and camel racing, among the track’s most popular promotions ever, returns on Sunday, July 17.
Happy birthday on Saturday to WCCO Sports Huddle host Dave Mona.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has named Carleton’s Luciano Battaglini the Wilson/ITA National Women’s Coach-of-the-Year. He coached Carleton to a second place finish in the MIAC and a top 20 national ranking.