Phil Miller blog: Dungy has connected with Kill, Maturi says

[GoAUpher]

However the temporary seating ultimately looks like the U is not going to be in a position to say no to it. Afterall, it will only be for two or three years. This is a state-wide issue and if it means keeping the Vikings or losing them the U will haveto agree with whatever the Governor and Legislature want. You need to get over idea that the U can operate independantly. Politics trumps everything when millions of dollars of taxpayer funding is at stake.

I'm not blind to the power of politics. My only point is that there is nothing short of being held hostage by the Legislature that serves as a reason for why the U would support this sort of a move. At least the talk about permanently expanding the seating has the benefit of a permanent expansion. Temporary seating does nothing for the U.

Assuming this ever comes to a head, if the U really wants to this is a PR fight they could fight and likely win. Popularity of the Vikings aside, it doesn't look to good if the Legislature threatens the state's flagship educational institution with budget cuts unless they allow a privately owned company to make undesirable changes to a brand new athletic facility. All during a budget shortfall that is already costing the U and the rest of the state dearly.

You also assume the NFL and the Vikings want that kind of showdown over 10-15 million dollars. Especially when that money is chump change compared to what they would be making when the new stadium is in play.

I'm not saying it can't or won't happen. I'm saying that IMO its less likely than you think. I'm also saying that I hope the U has the stones to stand up for itself if needed.

 

[Formo]

I fully understand the Vikings will not be there long term but the NFL will not let the Vikings play two years with only 51,000 seats. Not going to happen. It is a loss in revenue for the NFL and the Vikings.

This is so full of false. The NFL and the Vikings will have to bow to the will of the U. And if the U doesn't feel like adding 20k seats to THEIR stadium, the NFL and the Vikes will have to suffice. It's not long term.

I'm not saying it will or will not happen. I am saying the NFL has a lot less say in what the U chooses to do with The Bank.

 

[RodentRampage]

The NFL isn't going to have a problem with the Vikings playing in a 51K seat stadium for a year or two. TV is the real money make for the NFL. It is unlikely that the revenue from the extra 10,000 seats would make up for the cost of the expansion, especially over just a couple years.

All this is moot if the new Vikings stadium is at some other metro area location, rather than on the existing Metrodome site.

 

[oak_street1981]

The North and East sides? Seriously? Where in that small walkway that runs around the upper deck would they put the seats? Are you suggesting some erector set stands that protrude outside the current exterior of TCF? Because I'm pretty sure you couldn't safely do anything like that without making it permanent. And that ignores how butt ugly they'd be.

Sorry, but you are incorrect. Have you ever been up on that "narrow walkway"?

Behind the temporary fences (ringing the the walkway) that are covered in the maroon bowl game banners is a large open roof space that extends 60 feet? or more to the exterior wall of the stadium. This roof area will be a concourse below the so called third premanent deck if they ever build it. They could find a way to put quite a few non permanent seats up there along the sideline.

I am still trying to figure out what they might have planned for those spaces above the main concouse on the North and East sides up near the large windows on the exterior. There is quite a bit of unused space up there.

 

[GoAUpher]

The North and East sides? Seriously? Where in that small walkway that runs around the upper deck would they put the seats? Are you suggesting some erector set stands that protrude outside the current exterior of TCF? Because I'm pretty sure you couldn't safely do anything like that without making it permanent. And that ignores how butt ugly they'd be.

Sorry, but you are incorrect. Have you ever been up on that "narrow walkway"?

Behind the temporary fences (ringing the the walkway) that are covered in the maroon bowl game banners is a large open roof space that extends 60 feet? or more to the exterior wall of the stadium. This roof area will be a concourse below the so called third premanent deck if they ever build it. They could find a way to put quite a few non permanent seats up there along the sideline.

I am still trying to figure out what they might have planned for those spaces above the main concouse on the North and East sides up near the large windows on the exterior. There is quite a bit of unused space up there.

I have but you are completely right. I hadn't been up there since the scrimmage in 2009 and I had forgotten how far the roof line extended behind the fencing.

I humbly retract my entirely wrongheaded critiques of what is possible up there. I still don't think the U will be forced into doing something they don't want to do. But given that extra space there is defintely room for some seating that wouldn't require the ugly setup that I had going in my head.