Another new proposed site for a Vikings stadium.

[Viper]

I've always been of the belief that as long as the Los Angeles market remains vacant, the Vikings have all the leverage they need. The second Jacksonville or St. Louis or anyone else moves west, the Vikings will be at the table ready to compromise.

Even that wouldn't necessarily save the Vikings. One, the NFL would like to eventually have two teams in LA, one per conference, for the same reason they're maintaining two teams in NYC/NJ. Namely, the LA TV market is so huge that having it in one conference but not the other would supposedly skew the value of one conference's TV rights package vastly higher than the other. So the Rams moving back to LA might do the trick, but the Jags, Chargers or Raiders would not. Two, Toronto has started sending out signals (albeit rather clumsy ones) that they are serious about bringing an NFL franchise to Canada, even if it's not the Bills.

[Gothamite]

Point well taken - it'll either be the Rams or Vikings in LA to join the Chargers or Jags.

I don't see Toronto as a very desirable market, though.

I have a feeling we have not heard the end ofthe "Farmers Market" site quite yet.

What do you think Hennepin County is looking for?

[The_Admiral]

Don't build a stupid football stadium over a farmers' market. Those are neat.

[dfwabel]

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2011/05/09/28143/minneapolis_puts_1_billion_tax-filled_politically_volatile_stadium_plan_on_vikings_table

From the story:

No spreadsheets were distributed at Rybak and Johnson?s news conference today, so we will assume this all adds up and is, as the mayor said, ?realistic, sustainable and affordable.? But the framework of the city?s Vikings plan is this, and watch out below for moving parts:

? A new $895 million football stadium on the Metrodome site, but preserving as much as 30 percent of stadium foundation and other innards of the facility. (By the way, we?re hearing a stadium plan that the city worked on is actually cheaper than that, so there may be some room to reduce that price, Vikings willing).

? Of that $895 million, $400 million would come from the team and private dollars, or nearly 45 percent, $300 million from the state of Minnesota, and $195 million (or 22 percent) from the city.

? An additional $95 million of city funds would go to renovate the city-owned 21-year-old Target Center arena, home to the NBA Timberwolves, WNBA Lynx and many concerts and family shows.

The expectation is that Wolves owner Glen Taylor and AEG Facilities, the arena?s management firm, will kick in another $60 million to keep with an earlier $155 million Target Center renovation plan, although that?s not been negotiated yet.

Add it all up ? $895 million for Vikes, $155 million or so for Target Center ? and it?s real money: $1,050,000,000.

Late Monday night, Rybak's spokesman John Stiles said the mayor "misspoke" and that, in fact, the team hasn't vowed to kick in 45 percent of a stadium project.

[illwauk]

I've always been of the belief that as long as the Los Angeles market remains vacant, the Vikings have all the leverage they need. The second Jacksonville or St. Louis or anyone else moves west, the Vikings will be at the table ready to compromise.

Even that wouldn't necessarily save the Vikings. One, the NFL would like to eventually have two teams in LA, one per conference, for the same reason they're maintaining two teams in NYC/NJ. Namely, the LA TV market is so huge that having it in one conference but not the other would supposedly skew the value of one conference's TV rights package vastly higher than the other. So the Rams moving back to LA might do the trick, but the Jags, Chargers or Raiders would not. Two, Toronto has started sending out signals (albeit rather clumsy ones) that they are serious about bringing an NFL franchise to Canada, even if it's not the Bills.

I doubt that really matters to the NFL since the NFC has always been the "big market" conference. The AFC only has teams in 4 of the top 10 DMA's and two of those (New York and Oakland) are shared with the NFC. The NFC has 7 teams in the top 10 (5 of which are exclusive to them) and even a few of their smaller-market teams like the Packers and Saints have fan bases that stretch far beyond the market boundaries.

That said, I'm sure CBS would throw a fit if the NFC got LA to itself and would probably do all it could to pressure the NFL into moving an AFC team.

[OnWis97]

Looks like this may actually be happening.

Vikings, Ramsey County announce agreement to build new stadium in Arden Hills

Link

[no97]

Looks like this may actually be happening.

Vikings, Ramsey County announce agreement to build new stadium in Arden Hills

Link

Sure, it's as close to happening as the state agreeing to a balanced budget too. Don't forget that two of the three have agreed to this deal, but it is dead in the water without the third - and that third is no where near a slam dunk. Also note:

lthough not specifying whether the announcement had to do with a team decision on a proposed stadium location ? downtown Minneapolis or Arden Hills ? the governor did detail infrastructure improvement cost relating to the Arden Hills location.

He shared estimates from a consultant hired by the Vikings to review needed road improvement to the area ? costs Dayton indicated that in his mind must be subtracted from the total $300 million the state would direct toward a stadium project.

Dayton brushed aside the argument that the roadwork in Arden Hills would have to have been done anyway. Not the that roads don?t need improvement, Dayton pointed out, but that other projects had higher priority.

http://hometownsource.com/2011/05/10/gov-dayton-indicates-a-vikings-stadium-proposal-could-happen-shortly/

[Gothamite]

Good. Now we can get back to the business of bringing the Rams and Jags to LA.

[Cujo]

Glad the Vikes could finally get a stadium deal one. Can't imagine the NFL without a team in Minnesota .... however, I can imagine the league without a team in Jacksonville or Buffalo.

[no97]

Glad the Vikes could finally get a stadium deal one. Can't imagine the NFL without a team in Minnesota .... however, I can imagine the league without a team in Jacksonville or Buffalo.

And here is the problem with "stadium deal done" headlines. IT ISN'T DONE! Read my last post. Two of the three parties have agreed on the deal but the third is far from close (they don't even have a hearing scheduled in the state legislature). Give me a call on May 21st (or 22nd at Midnight more accurately) and let me know if the legislature approved this or not. Until then, it's all pomp and circumstance.

[Lee.]

I don't see Toronto as a very desirable market, though.

The NFL wants a team in Toronto like the NHL wants a team in Winnipeg. It's a good place to threaten to move an underperformer too, but when the dust settles, nothing's going to happen.

[NEW.ERA]

Glad the Vikes could finally get a stadium deal one. Can't imagine the NFL without a team in Minnesota .... however, I can imagine the league without a team in Jacksonville or Buffalo.

And here is the problem with "stadium deal done" headlines. IT ISN'T DONE! Read my last post. Two of the three parties have agreed on the deal but the third is far from close (they don't even have a hearing scheduled in the state legislature). Give me a call on May 21st (or 22nd at Midnight more accurately) and let me know if the legislature approved this or not. Until then, it's all pomp and circumstance.

Well this is the closest they've gotten and I think they'll hash out a deal with the third party.

[The_Admiral]

I think the NFL did want a team in Toronto at some point long ago, but the Bills' showings at the SkyDome have been so underwhelming that they'd now rather expand/relocate to London, which is a logistical nightmare and probably doomed to fail ten times worse than a Toronto team ever could.

I hope the Bills can weasel out of however many Toronto games are left. We already have one sparsely-attended crypt in St. Louis; we don't need another.

[no97]

Glad the Vikes could finally get a stadium deal one. Can't imagine the NFL without a team in Minnesota .... however, I can imagine the league without a team in Jacksonville or Buffalo.

And here is the problem with "stadium deal done" headlines. IT ISN'T DONE! Read my last post. Two of the three parties have agreed on the deal but the third is far from close (they don't even have a hearing scheduled in the state legislature). Give me a call on May 21st (or 22nd at Midnight more accurately) and let me know if the legislature approved this or not. Until then, it's all pomp and circumstance.

Well this is the closest they've gotten and I think they'll hash out a deal with the third party.

Problem is that the 3rd party has a much bigger fish to fry at the moment:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/05/10/budget-talks/

[bigbean24]

I really do hope that the Arden Hills plan gets improved. Its jsut better for the whole state. we can use it for other puposes too plus there will be plenty of parking which is something you cant get in downtown.

[NJTank]

I am glad the Vikings are getting a stadium in Minnesota, it would have been a shame to see the Vikings play any where else.

As for LA and Toronto, both cities deserve a shot at the NFL hopefully one day something can be worked out.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I am glad the Vikings are getting a stadium in Minnesota, it would have been a shame to see the Vikings play any where else.

As for LA and Toronto, both cities deserve a shot at the NFL hopefully one day something can be worked out.

But LA and Toronto have already had their shot, right? I'm not writing off LA ever having a team again -- there's definitely money to be made in the number two market -- but Toronto has shown it doesn't want an NFL team (or the Bills, natch).

[NJTank]

I think if the NFL put a team in Toronto and called them Toronto Whatevers gave them a Maple Leaf logo it would be Canada's Team and be a big success.

[Mac the Knife]

The NFL doesn't really want to go into Toronto primarily because it'd likely spell the death of the CFL... and as much as the NFL is into crushing opposition domestically, interfering with a football league in another country is another matter altogether.

[Jer15]

I hope the NFL comes to Toronto one day, I'll be in line for season tickets for sure.

But whatever you guys do, please ignore the idiots Ford.

These 2 jackasses are hurting our chance at getting a team, and I swear sometimes I think all that is on their agenda is getting an NFL stadium in Toronto, nothing else. They make stupid comments (see Viper's link) and always shoot their mouths off about a stadium and the jobs it will create. Meanwhile there is no one who's come out to say they'll put private money into building the stadium or buy a team and try their hardest to get it to Toronto. Dumb F***ers.

With that said: I'm so happy that the vikes are staying, looks like they are getting a pretty decent set up, and people can finally go to a real tailgate for the Vikings!