The Jacksonville Jaguars

[duvaldude08]

I stopped going to the games cause they were telling us we HAD to buy a ticket to support the team and they started  searching us, pat downs,  at the gate.

Now Shawn K. says that once we see the improvements we won't be able to stay away. ...............Wanna bet?

If you got turned off that easily from coming to games, you werent really a fan anyways, Im just saying.

P.S. I take you havent flown anywhere lately. Or maybe the pat downs pissed you off and you decided not to fly anymore. 

[Rynjny]

Since when did the trolls from the TU came to metrojacksonville??

[copperfiend]

I stopped going to the games cause they were telling us we HAD to buy a ticket to support the team and they started  searching us, pat downs,  at the gate.

Now Shawn K. says that once we see the improvements we won't be able to stay away. ...............Wanna bet?

If a 15 second search prevents you from going, I doubt you cared much about the game.

[copperfiend]

Since when did the trolls from the TU came to metrojacksonville??

I did get a kick out of reading the comments on the Facebook pages for FCN, WOKV and other local news sources that covered this story.

[Tacachale]

The bill will be paid with money from the city’s bed tax. A portion of every dollar spent in the city's hotels goes to improve city facilities.

John Crescimbeni is known as a fiscal hawk on City Council. He tells Action News that this money has specific uses.

“I can't spend it on mowing grass. I can't spend them on salaries, I can't spend them on the monthly utility bills,” said Crescimbeni. “I can only spend it on capital improvement projects."


The above taken from story on Actionnews.   So as you can see it is being funded via funds set up for the improvement of city facilities and can only be used for those types of things.  But as already seen people will make up their own 'facts' to meet their agenda. 

Isn't this the revenue source that was mentioned a few years back, as being an option to fund the construction of a new convention center?

YUP.

[fsujax]

So many misinformed people about how city budgets work and where the money comes from to fund capital improvements or ongoing operations. The media of course doesn't help and they probably don't even know or care how it works.

[JayBird]

So many misinformed people about how city budgets work and where the money comes from to fund capital improvements or ongoing operations. The media of course doesn't help and they probably don't even know or care how it works.

I believe that FCN likes to keep it that way because people keep coming to their page/post/story to comment.  In this day and age of Internet information and compensation based on clicks and views it is rampant everywhere. Even MJ uses Facebook to post some misleading story lines just to get you to click to the page and give your two cents.  So, I really cannot blame the media.  It is their job to distribute information, it is up to the reader to translate that into a knowledgeable thought. Then, especially on Times Union because they can comment as guests, you get those that just comment to stir the pot and get others riled up.  When I stopped for coffee this morning the new design was all the talk.  It was mostly positive, and the only negative comments had nothing to do with financing but with the "I'll believe it when I see it attitude" that Jax seems to be known for. 

The best way to annoy the troll?  Ignore him, cross the bridge and keep on walking. 

[blizz01]

You know - since there are actually two, they should build one of the scoreboards ~1/2" shorter; then they can lay claim to the largest & second largest scoreboard(s) in the world, further pushing Houston & Dallas down the list.......

[Shwaz]

So many misinformed people about how city budgets work and where the money comes from to fund capital improvements or ongoing operations. The media of course doesn't help and they probably don't even know or care how it works.

I just made the mistake of reading the comments from Jacksonville's finest over at  News4Jax. So much anger surrounding "closed down" libraries... from borderline illiterates.  You can only color the pages once people!

[Demosthenes]

Reading the forums/comments on any of the local newspaper/tv stations sites/facebook pages will only burn otherwise important brain cycles.

My hope is that by allowing these people to take their anger out on these websites is saving a wife or a child from being beaten in a drunken rage.

[blizz01]

The post is a little dated, but check out the graphic(s) @ the bottom for a comparison of videos screen in the NFL:

http://ggower.blogspot.com/2013/02/those-video-scoreboard-just-keep.html

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671560/infographic-the-increasingly-huge-video-screens-of-nfl-stadiums#1

Jags were in the lower qtr. of the league.

[JayBird]

I like the look of that one at the Mariners field, fits nicely

[CityLife]

Sporting teams around the country, both pro and college, are making capital improvements to stadiums as a long term strategy to keep people coming. People have less discretionary money to spend and now have the benefit of HD TV and large flat screens.

So now teams are focused on creating a unique gameday experience that can't be replicated from the couch or a sports bar. Jacksonville also isn't on the same level as many peer cities from a tourism perspective, so we need to do things like this to make us more competitive for neutral College football games, soccer games, concerts, etc. Not to mention it will help ensure that Florida-Georgia stays here and that the Gator Bowl remains a quality bowl game. May seem like a lot of money now, but I'm sure the city will recoup it over the long term. People need to not just think of the stadium as a place where the Jags play, but a huge economic development driver for the city and region.

[icarus]

Is the bed tax fund only to be spent on Stadium improvements or capital improvements to City property generally?

While I understand the emphasis on the scoreboards, could the fund be utilized to improve the area around the stadium (i.e. more green space or amenities) to alleviate the concrete and asphalt desert? It would be nice to see a plan to connect the stadium area proper to metropark, etc.

[ProjectMaximus]

Is it too soon to talk Super Bowl? Was there any mention of this?

The level of upgrades would likely put us in line for 2018-2020, but I doubt the city will be ready by then. Getting the shipyards property up, more significant residential amenities downtown, streetcar to surrounding neighborhoods, new convention center and addl hotel rooms...this will all take another 15 years no? Will the stadium upgrades be obsolete by then?