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September 9, 2011

Courrier: Vikings should be ready to move

By Chad Courrier Free Press Staff Writer

— It’s time for the Minnesota Vikings owner to say, “Screw it, we’re taking this franchise to Los Angeles.”

It seems drastic, but it’s the only way to get the attention of state lawmakers, forcing them to address the stadium issue and vote on a proposal one way or the other.

The Vikings have been trying to get the state and/or a metro county to partner in a stadium project for too many years, and the process is only marginally advanced from where it started.

You know the legislators aren’t going to tackle this issue. You might remember that this is the group that brought us a government shutdown, solved only by a solution that could have been achieved months before the shutdown. The final answer was to push all the budget problems on to future legislators, who surely will pass them even further into the future.

The state’s taxpayers are under no obligation to aid in this stadium project, but the team needs lawmakers to debate and vote on something so they can plot their future, wherever that might be. If the state or a county wants to help in building a new stadium, fine. If not, that’s fine, too.

But no more referendums. The folks of this state elected others to make decisions that represent their views, not hide behind another vote so they can’t be exposed to unpopular choices. If state leaders aren’t going to make decisions, there’s no sense in paying them to do so.

The Vikings should not feel any pressure to stay here, having exhausted every avenue open to them, without much of a response from senators, representatives and county boards. After this season, the lease at Metrodome is up, and the team has no legal tie to Minnesota.

It’s OK to grumble about helping out millionaires, while the lesser among us struggle, but the reality is that some city would love to have this NFL franchise. And if the Vikings leave, this area will try to get another team in 10 years or so, when a new stadium will need to be built, as what happened with the NHL’s Wild.

You can argue that the Vikings’ Mark and Zygi Wilf have been the best ownership group in the state’s professional-sports history, not afraid to spend money where they think necessary. But that won’t last forever, not if revenue streams continue to lag behind their peers.

Build the stadium, or turn down the project. Make a decisions. The Vikings have a right to know their future.

Though lawmakers have tried their best to ignore this issue, and plausible funding mechanisms such as state-run casinos or additional gaming options at Canterbury Park, this can’t be pushed back any further.

It’s time to put lawmakers under the gun to make a decision.

Then, the Vikings can move on, either in a new stadium in Arden Hills or downtown Minneapolis or in some other city.



Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353 or e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com or check out his local sports blog at www.mankatofreepress.com.

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Chad Courrier