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[BridgeTroll]

^This is the height of outrage. A monopoly extorting its own exceptionally loyal fans for hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. Absolutely ludicrous.

Really?  You do rememmber the Metrodome roof collapsed a year ago.  The place is a dump.  Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota simply need to decide if they want an NFL team or not.  If their priorities are elsewhere... then that is the choice they make... and dont be surprised if the team moves.

[Tacachale]

^This is the height of outrage. A monopoly extorting its own exceptionally loyal fans for hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. Absolutely ludicrous.

Really?  You do rememmber the Metrodome roof collapsed a year ago.  The place is a dump.  Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota simply need to decide if they want an NFL team or not.  If their priorities are elsewhere... then that is the choice they make... and dont be surprised if the team moves.

Yes, the Metrodome is a problem, but not one that requires half a billion in taxpayer dollars to fix. Especially when those same fans have just spent $400 million on a baseball field. Especially as the current stadium is only 30 years old. And especially when other teams are successful in much less expensive stadiums. This is ridiculous even by big time sports standards.

You all know I love my Jags and the NFL. But let's not be blind. The only way they're able to do things like this is because (1) they have a sheer monopoly over professional football that they fight tooth and nail to uphold, and (2) said monopoly enables them to demand ungodly amounts of taxpayer dollars to function as they do. This would not be tolerated from any other type of company or quality-of-life expenditure.

[cline]

Yes, the Metrodome is a problem, but not one that requires half a billion in taxpayer dollars to fix. Especially when those same fans have just spent $400 million on a baseball field. Especially as the current stadium is only 30 years old. And especially when other teams are successful in much less expensive stadiums. This is ridiculous even by big time sports standards.

While I agree that taxpayers should not be on the hook for this or any other stadium, the fact of the matter is that's how the game works.  Pretty much any new stadium is going to cost that amount due to the fact that the NFL or any other league isn't going to allow you to get by on the cheap..ain't gonna happen.  That's why the Marlins just spent over 500MM on a new stadium.  Hell, they basically stole money from the taxpayers to get that one built.  Cowboys stadium cost over 1 billion.  You want an NFL stadium?  Taxpayers are going to pay for the majority of it...not the owners.

[duvaldude08]

^This is the height of outrage. A monopoly extorting its own exceptionally loyal fans for hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. Absolutely ludicrous.

Really?  You do rememmber the Metrodome roof collapsed a year ago.  The place is a dump.  Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota simply need to decide if they want an NFL team or not.  If their priorities are elsewhere... then that is the choice they make... and dont be surprised if the team moves.

Yes, the Metrodome is a problem, but not one that requires half a billion in taxpayer dollars to fix. Especially when those same fans have just spent $400 million on a baseball field. Especially as the current stadium is only 30 years old. And especially when other teams are successful in much less expensive stadiums. This is ridiculous even by big time sports standards.

You all know I love my Jags and the NFL. But let's not be blind. The only way they're able to do things like this is because (1) they have a sheer monopoly over professional football that they fight tooth and nail to uphold, and (2) said monopoly enables them to demand ungodly amounts of taxpayer dollars to function as they do. This would not be tolerated from any other type of company or quality-of-life expenditure.

Why wont they do some major renovations? Put a permenate dome on thing and do so other things to bring the stadium current. I agree the price of the these new NFL is ridicuolos.

[copperfiend]

^This is the height of outrage. A monopoly extorting its own exceptionally loyal fans for hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. Absolutely ludicrous.

Really?  You do rememmber the Metrodome roof collapsed a year ago.  The place is a dump.  Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota simply need to decide if they want an NFL team or not.  If their priorities are elsewhere... then that is the choice they make... and dont be surprised if the team moves.

The U of Minnesota just got a brand new $300 million dollar stadium and the state paid for a good portion of it. There had to have been a way they could have gotten a stadium built that could have been home to the Vikings and the University. One similar to the partnerships between the Buccaneers & USF, the Dolphins & U of Miami and the Steelers & Pitt.

[tufsu1]

college teams prefer to be on campus....don't think for a minute that USF hasn't explored building one at some point....just like UCF did.

and believe me, some Pitt folks got very upset about the idea of moving football downtown....but the costs to update their own stadium were too high and the Steelers used the partnership to get money from the state legislature...in the end, Pitt did ok by getting a new arena on the site of their old stadium

[BridgeTroll]

^This is the height of outrage. A monopoly extorting its own exceptionally loyal fans for hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. Absolutely ludicrous.

Really?  You do rememmber the Metrodome roof collapsed a year ago.  The place is a dump.  Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota simply need to decide if they want an NFL team or not.  If their priorities are elsewhere... then that is the choice they make... and dont be surprised if the team moves.

The U of Minnesota just got a brand new $300 million dollar stadium and the state paid for a good portion of it. There had to have been a way they could have gotten a stadium built that could have been home to the Vikings and the University. One similar to the partnerships between the Buccaneers & USF, the Dolphins & U of Miami and the Steelers & Pitt.

They tried... and failed...

A plan for a joint Minnesota Vikings/University of Minnesota football stadium was proposed in 2002, but differences over how the stadium would be designed and managed, as well as state budget constraints, led to the plan's failure.

The stadium is puny by big ten standards...

TCF Bank Stadium is a horseshoe-style stadium which organizers said would have a "traditional collegiate look and feel". The first phase of the construction includes approximately 50,805 seats,

Funding...

The stadium's cost totals $288.5 million of which the university will pay 52 percent and the state of Minnesota the remaining 48 percent. Including interest the state's cost is about $10 million per year or about $1.7 million per game for 25 years.[34] About $50 million of the state's portion goes to the purchase of 2,840 acres (11.5 km²) of undeveloped university land, part of the Rosemount Research Center in Dakota County, over 25 years by the state of Minnesota who will assume responsibility for risks if the site requires environmental cleanup.[35][36] The university retains its right to use the land for its "research, education and engagement mission" in perpetuity.[37]

The university's share is $111 million[33] or 52 percent.[38] TCF Financial Corporation of Wayzata, Minnesota is contributing $35 million over 25 years in exchange for the TCF Bank naming rights and other agreements. The university projected earnings of $2.5 million per year or $96 million over the life of agreements with TCF that will include marketing debit cards to alumni and ticketholders.[39][40] If unable to fulfill its contractual obligations, TCF Financial Corporation must propose an alternate name subject to the approval of the university.[41] Other corporate donations have been pledged as well, including Best Buy ($3 million),[42] Dairy Queen ($2.5 million),[43] Target Corporation ($2 million),[44] Federated Insurance, General Mills, and Norwest Equity Partners.[45]

The Tribal Nations Plaza, named after the Shakopee Mdewakanton who donated a total of $14.5 million to the university, the largest gift in Gopher athletics historyThe university is also accepting donations from individuals. Initially donations were only being sought from "high-end" donors (those contributing $100,000 or more), but in June 2008 the university expanded the fundraising effort to gather smaller donations as well.[46][47][48] On May 21, 2009, the University announced they had received a $6 million donation from T. Denny Sanford, meaning the university had achieved its goal of $86 million in private fund raising.[49]. The remainder of the university's portion will come from a $12.50 per semester student fee[35] ($25 per year) and game day parking revenue.

Even though the cost of building TCF Bank Stadium originated at $248.7 million, changes in the construction planning raised the cost to $288.5 million.[13] The university has vowed that even if the stadium cost rises again, it will not seek more money from the state nor increase the student fees any further.[44]

It is important to note that the University has been charging all U of M students a mandatory Stadium Fee of $12.50 every semester since planning for the project began, and is continuing this fee despite the stadium being finished. The cost for the stadium was $288.5 million of which the university only had to pay 52 percent, and with an general average of more than 50,000 students in a given year, in only one semester the university makes more than $625,000 from the stadium fee, meaning they receive more than $6.25 million every 5 years from students. While $12.50 may not seem like much, it means that the university has forced every student to fund the TCF Stadium, despite the fact that many students were vehemently opposed to its construction.[

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCF_Bank_Stadium

[copperfiend]

college teams prefer to be on campus....don't think for a minute that USF hasn't explored building one at some point....just like UCF did.

Why would they? At Raymond James, they have suites, club seats and other money makers. I have been to a few games at the UCF stadium. It's nice that is on campus but it is very much a bare-bones erector-set of a stadium. It's a glorified high school stadium.

[Tacachale]

college teams prefer to be on campus....don't think for a minute that USF hasn't explored building one at some point....just like UCF did.

Why would they? At Raymond James, they have suites, club seats and other money makers. I have been to a few games at the UCF stadium. It's nice that is on campus but it is very much a bare-bones erector-set of a stadium. It's a glorified high school stadium.

There are various good reasons why. USF and UCF are up-and-comers, not big time programs. UCF draws about 35-39 k fans per game, USF 40-45 k - much lower than the capacity of Raymond James or the Citrus Bowl. Unlike big time programs, most attendees are current students and recent alums - not the types who particularly care to blow money on expensive club seats and skyboxes. They're there to support their school and team, and ticket prices reflect that. Understandably, reports show that attendance typically increases when a stadium is on campus rather than a distant location, and having the games on campus means tens of thousands of people hanging out there, contributing to campus life and vibrancy, instead of heading across town and leaving the campus empty.

In fact, the schools don't stand to gain much playing off campus, even if the alternative is a "glorified high school stadium".

[I-10east]

The Jags are claiming that the Dolphins are gonna pick Tannehill; The Jags director of player personnel Terry McDonough said it on the Pete Prisco show. Haha, Tania Ganguli is on top of it, she told the info to PFT.

www.profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/24/jaguars-claim-dolphins-will-take-tannehill/

[Elwood]

Chumming the waters possibly? Maybe get someone to bite and want to move up to the 7 spot.

[duvaldude08]

ITs very possiable. Miami has zero options at quarterback. They are only down to Garrad and Moore. Their fans are protesting and their season ticket holders are in free fall. (just read that they struggling to hold on to 30,000 which is scary for that market) They are going to draft a QB in the first round. If they dont, I will join the FIREland campaign with the dolphin fans. LOL!!!

[I-10east]

If they dont, I will join the FIREland campaign with the dolphin fans. LOL!!!

LOL, the way that it's stylized is too perfect, like it was meant to be JEFFIRELAND . C'mon MJ Dolphin fans, better get yall voices heard, because he's dragging the once very proud franchise in the dirt.

www.facebook.com/pages/FIRE-JEFF-IRELAND/119416248154671

[thelakelander]

^We're already in the dirt.  It's been a free fall since Ricky ran off and decided to "find" himself.  I'm not sold on taking Tannehill at eight but nothing these guys do make any sense so I wouldn't be surprised if they took a punter in the first round.  That's just how wacky things have gotten in Miami.

[mtraininjax]

Haha, Tania Ganguli is on top of it,

The only thing Tania is good at is converting Oxygen into Carbon Dioxide, she has yet to write a column about a solid Jags pick in this year's draft. Vito runs circles around her and I am not sure why she is still on the beat after her "public" bar incident.