After Years Of Discussion And A Reality That The Vikings Could Leave, A Stadium Plan Is Approved

I have been following this for awhile and 'As The Stadium Turns' appears to be ending with the end result being a brand new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.  Will this benefit Viking's owner Zygi Wilf?  Of course it will but he is the one who is putting up the lions share of money for the stadium, and more than most NFL owners are on the hook for.  The big picture is that this will benefit the state too and not just with the instant construction jobs it creates.

Had the Vikings left, the state would have lost money over time.  Are things like schools and roads important?  Of course, but had a stadium bill failed, the states stadium contribution would have just disappeared.  It's not as simple as thinking that the state has $400 million to spend, and it needs to decide whether to dedicate it for a stadium or schools.  If the stadium bill had not passed, it would not benefit schools or roads, that money is gone and public services would be decided at a different time.  That's politics, for better or worse.

After a decade of posturing and debate, the Minnesota Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a $975 million Vikings stadium meant to anchor the team in Minneapolis for a generation.  Zygi Wilf came into Minneapolis to hug fans and let everyone know the Vikings are here to stay, just as he'd always hoped.

The Vikings look to start the 2016 season in their new stadium.  In the interim, they will play one season in the Metrodome and several seasons at The University Of Minnesota (who will get about $3 million per year for hosting NFL games).  Years from now, when everyone is enjoying the stadium and money is being made for everyone,  this debate will be looked back on and we'll all chuckle at what a big deal is was to get done.

This was not a case of a stadium verses roads or schools.  It's a case of enough state leaders realizing that an asset like the Vikings cuts deep into the very identity and fiber of a community, while providing the opportunity for everyone to make money.  SKOL.