It's time for our pro teams to ante up!

[station19]

It is great he is helping kids. The Vikings are my second favorite team behind the Gophers. I am glad they are building a new stadium and the Vikings are not moving. They probably were never going to move but there is nothing wrong with having a first class stadium in a first class metropolitan area. I will have season tickets for both teams. I donated money for the facilities. Having money is not evil. I don't get the hatred for our pro sports teams. I love them all.

I am a Viking fan myself, just not a Zigi fan. I'm not a fan of giving $500 Million in taxpayer dollars to a Viking stadium... while the ownership puts in virtually nothing......and as the judge in New Jersey described him "a racketeer."............and where the hell is "money is not evil' coming from?"

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Not sure that's true. When Teague was hired I heard a lot about his reputation of fund raising being one of his better attributes.

I believe he raised 15MM while at VCU after their tourney run. One wealthy benefactor, not a rarity on the coasts, after an exciting run is all it takes. 15MM. Is that skill or luck? VCU is not a small school.

Look, we could hire George Zip as AD and donations of some sort are going to come in. There are people excited about the gophers. There are corporations interested in the PR value.

I'm personally not that impressed by Teague's fundraising skills. My opinion.

T. Denny has gone on record he is not donating. He wants access to the U for his various business interests, similar to how he back doored access into Sioux Valley while simultaneously gaining the PR value. I'd prefer we don't do business with him because I don't respect him or his primary business.

I suspect some of the regents don't either. Dean Johnson bleeds maroon and gold but I'm sure T. Denny rubs him the wrong way.

 

[station19]

I believe he raised 15MM while at VCU after their tourney run. One wealthy benefactor, not a rarity on the coasts, after an exciting run is all it takes. 15MM. Is that skill or luck? VCU is not a small school.

Look, we could hire George Zip as AD and donations of some sort are going to come in. There are people excited about the gophers. There are corporations interested in the PR value.

I'm personally not that impressed by Teague's fundraising skills. My opinion.

T. Denny has gone on record he is not donating. He wants access to the U for his various business interests, similar to how he back doored access into Sioux Valley while simultaneously gaining the PR value. I'd prefer we don't do business with him because I don't respect him or his primary business.

I suspect some of the regents don't either. Dean Johnson bleeds maroon and gold but I'm sure T. Denny rubs him the wrong way.

Why?

 

[4four4]

I am a Viking fan myself, just not a Zigi fan. I'm not a fan of giving $500 Million in taxpayer dollars to a Viking stadium... while the ownership puts in virtually nothing......and as the judge in New Jersey described him "a racketeer."............and where the hell is "money is not evil' coming from?"

Virtually nothing? You can't be serious.

I hate defending them but they have given over $526 million dollars of their own money towards the stadium, not exactly chump change.

 

[MNfootballfan]

I am a Viking fan myself, just not a Zigi fan. I'm not a fan of giving $500 Million in taxpayer dollars to a Viking stadium... while the ownership puts in virtually nothing......and as the judge in New Jersey described him "a racketeer."............and where the hell is "money is not evil' coming from?"

I believe taxpayers are paying roughly 350 million from the state, 150 million from the city of Minneapolis, and the Wilfs/Private Donations have put in over 500 million.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ck-another-46-1-million-into-stadium-project/

 

[Killjoy]

I believe taxpayers are paying roughly 350 million from the state, 150 million from the city of Minneapolis, and the Wilfs/Private Donations have put in over 500 million.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ck-another-46-1-million-into-stadium-project/

You are forgetting that most of the Viking's share of the funding will be coming form the seat licences. Zigi is just acting as the banker, i.e. collecting the money and then passing it on. The man didn't become rich by using his own money.

 

[station19]

Virtually nothing? You can't be serious.

I hate defending them but they have given over $526 million dollars of their own money towards the stadium, not exactly chump change.

I believe taxpayers are paying roughly 350 million from the state, 150 million from the city of Minneapolis, and the Wilfs/Private Donations have put in over 500 million.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ck-another-46-1-million-into-stadium-project/

The Vikings/Wilfs share.(?)

200 Million from the NFL which they really won't have to pay back.(up front)
125 Million from PSL's(up front)
100 - 150 Million from stadium naming rights.(up front)
that's 425 - 450 Million

Plus:
Complete control over suites(number and prices increasing substantially)
Much higher ticket prices.

Do the numbers. Pretty much no investment or risk for the Wilfs, and the team value will increase somewhere between $500 Million and $1 Billion.

The vast majority( maybe all) of the Wilf's share will come from other people's money.

The Wilfs bamboozled the legislature and citizens of MN.

 

[Killjoy]

The Vikings/Wilfs share.(?)

200 Million from the NFL which they really won't have to pay back.(up front)
125 Million from PSL's(up front)
100 - 150 Million from stadium naming rights.(up front)
that's 425 - 450 Million

Plus:
Complete control over suites(number and prices increasing substantially)
Much higher ticket prices.

Do the numbers. Pretty much no investment or risk for the Wilfs, and the team value will increase somewhere between $500 Million and $1 Billion.

The vast majority( maybe all) of the Wilf's share will come from other people's money.

The Wilfs bamboozled the legislature and citizens of MN.

Finally somebody who understands the numbers except you forgot to include the money form the seat licences! The Wilfs were no match for us. They played the game well. Jerry Jones built his new stadium in Dallas with his own money while the Wilfs structured the deal here so that they ended up really only paying for only a pittance of the total cost. When it became clear to me that my pockets were about to be picked I dropped my Viking season tickets of some 40 years. it was an easy cost/benefit analysis when I realized that my large HD TV now delivered the best seat in the house.

 

[Gopher028]

I am a Viking fan myself, just not a Zigi fan. I'm not a fan of giving $500 Million in taxpayer dollars to a Viking stadium... while the ownership puts in virtually nothing......and as the judge in New Jersey described him "a racketeer."............and where the hell is "money is not evil' coming from?"

You done crying? Zygi has put up more than most owners have in all other situations, other than what? New England? That's about it. Either you build it, or you lose it, and they've put up about half of the funding for a stadium that will host 10 NFL games and 100 other events that have nothing to do with the team.

 

[spackler]

they've put up about half of the funding for a stadium

No they haven't!
See above

 

[loki]

The thing I don't understand is people on here say the Gophers are not relevant because of the Vikings being in town, but I've heard Kill many times, including at the Signing Day Social 2 weeks ago, how much of a recruiting advantage it is having the Vikings right down the road. We can't have it both ways.

Ziggy is a multi-millionaire and donated a small amount of his $5 million to the hospital. I would be willing bet the majority of the posters on this board haven't donated $5 to a hospital, myself included. 5 million is 5 million.

Just because Kill says that doesn't mean that it is true. I think most division 1 football players want all the attention and crowds....not half or less. There are few, if any metropolitan areas in the country where pro sports are that the college team hold big crowds and win often. Also, part of the money for the viking stadium could have been used for Gopher facilities among other things but alas it was used for a rich guy who didn't need it.

 

[station19]

You done crying? Zygi has put up more than most owners have in all other situations, other than what? New England? That's about it. Either you build it, or you lose it, and they've put up about half of the funding for a stadium that will host 10 NFL games and 100 other events that have nothing to do with the team.

CRYING?......Oh come on now.

Get the facts. You need to look at things a little deeper.

 

[station19]

Finally somebody who understands the numbers except you forgot to include the money form the seat licences! The Wilfs were no match for us. They played the game well. Jerry Jones built his new stadium in Dallas with his own money while the Wilfs structured the deal here so that they ended up really only paying for only a pittance of the total cost. When it became clear to me that my pockets were about to be picked I dropped my Viking season tickets of some 40 years. it was an easy cost/benefit analysis when I realized that my large HD TV now delivered the best seat in the house.

I included that as the $125 Million.

 

[Killjoy]

I included that as the $125 Million.

Sorry about that. I was speed reading and all I saw was PSL and it didn't register. I thought it maybe had something to do with Parski.

 

[die hard gopher]

Just because Kill says that doesn't mean that it is true. I think most division 1 football players want all the attention and crowds....not half or less. There are few, if any metropolitan areas in the country where pro sports are that the college team hold big crowds and win often. Also, part of the money for the viking stadium could have been used for Gopher facilities among other things but alas it was used for a rich guy who didn't need it.

Demry Croft and Carter coughlin have said in interviews that it is incredibly exciting to possibly play in the same stadium as the Vikes. Also Conner Krizancic on twitter was begging the vikings to draft Manziel so they could play on the same field for two years.

 

[loki]

Demry Croft and Carter coughlin have said in interviews that it is incredibly exciting to possibly play in the same stadium as the Vikes. Also Conner Krizancic on twitter was begging the vikings to draft Manziel so they could play on the same field for two years.

This may be true in some cases but when one looks at where the best players go to nationally they are not choosing pro football (sports) cities like Minneapolis. Kill is a great coach who finds "diamonds in the rough" but the best players don't come here. Rather, in general, go to cities and towns and states without pro football so they most likely don't care in the end about being in a pro sports town but more likely want big stadiums, big crowds, shiny practice facilities, all of the attention, a chance to win at a big time level and to show their wares to a national audience. I traveled to Nebraska and Madison this year and their players are treated like Gods because they are the only games in town. In MN the Vikings are treated like Gods...The Gophers are 3rd or 4th at best behind the Vikes, Twins, and probably even Wild. I surmise that college football players in general would rather go to a place where they are number 1.

 

[station19]

You done crying? Zygi has put up more than most owners have in all other situations, other than what? New England? That's about it. Either you build it, or you lose it, and they've put up about half of the funding for a stadium that will host 10 NFL games and 100 other events that have nothing to do with the team.

Sorry I missed this first time around.

First of all I believe there were around 300 non Viking events in the Metrodome. From tractor pulls and roller blading, to high school and small college baseball. The Metrodome was fully paid for, yet with the Vikings leaving the Metrodome those other events did not bring in enough money to cover the operating expenses(roughly $6 Million per year).

Does anyone really think there would have been a movement to use $500 Million in taxpayer money to build a new stadium for those events?

I think the new stadium will be fantastic. What I don't like is the funding mechanism and all the misinformation......starting with the e-tabs......to the governor saying he didn't know the PSL issue was covered in the stadium bill he was trying to get passed........to being surprised that the e-tab projections were done by the company selling the e-tab equipment.

Also keep in mind the numbers they put out for the economic impact of Super Bowls etc.., is way exaggerated. The true numbers come in between 10% - 25% of what they claim.