Vikings Get Stadium Deal Done

[LUKE23]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... dium_deal/

Good, now we can kick their asses for eternity.

[Newz]

$1.1 billion? Damn, that stadium sounds like it's going to be amazing.

[RiotPunch]

This is good news. As much as I hate the Queens, I didn't want to see the rivalry go out the window with a move to L.A. Beating them is just too enjoyable.

[Mags FTW]

All they've done is find a location. Funding is still in question.

The Vikings and Ramsey County proposed a stadium at the site of a former Army ammunition plant in the suburban city of Arden Hills. They said they want to build an $884 million stadium, with an additional $173 million for onsite infrastructure, parking and environmental cleanup, for a stadium that would open in spring 2015.

The Vikings would pay $407 million of construction costs, or 39 percent, while Ramsey County would pay $350 million, which is 33 percent. But the necessary third leg of the funding, a proposed $300 million from the state of Minnesota plus an additional $100 million in transportation improvements to the area, was in question after a key state lawmaker called that total tab a "non-starter."

Sen. Julie Rosen, the chief Senate sponsor of the bill, said there was no way she could get colleagues in the Legislature to support a state commitment higher than $300 million. She also pointed out state estimates released earlier Tuesday pegged the transportation upgrades to cost at least $175 million.

"There are a lot of issues that need to be worked out with the Ramsey County site," said Rosen, a Republican from Fairmont. A proposal released a day earlier by Minneapolis city leaders to keep the team downtown is "still definitely on the table," she said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6521457

[El Duderino]

I hate the Vikings more than any NFL franchise, but i very much hope they get something worked out so the team stays in Minnesota. It definitely would ruin my love of hating the Vikings if they were the LA Vikings.

[Kerb Hohl]

I work with a guy here in MN that is relatively clueless about football and says stuff like "they can just go ahead and leave for all I care" because he thinks they are pure garbage because they haven't won Super Bowls even though I try to explain that they've experienced a top 10ish success these past few decades outside of the Super Bowls.

Anyways, point is, the guy is clueless, but his wife has had season tickets in her family forever and he ends up staying home and watching the kids. If they have to move to LA, I'd LOL because she'd honestly want to follow them there (but wouldn't) and he hates LA. Either that or the better scenario: They build this stadium. Hello seat licenses. Hello divorce papers when he won't pay them for her.

Sorry, just had to add that personal LOL because the guy is a douche.

Brings me to another point. Would seat licenses work in MN? The fanbase blows in terms of loyalty. Maybe it was just the Metrodome thing that turned everyone off when they barely filled the place over periods of time. That seems to be the only way a new stadium gets built, though. The owners want essentially 0% of the burden even though they claim they'll take on 1/3. They just pay it off in seat license fees.

Final point: I see a ton of kids walking around in purple Favre jerseys here with their parents, etc. I mean, how much more LOL can that be? That guy destroyed the momentum of that franchise, gave them a great year of ecstasy ruined by the same antics they'd been mocking him for for a decade, and it is also the jersey of a guy that tormented their division for 17 or whatever years before they got their one fun year. L----O----L.

[[RCG]]

Deal isn't done at all. I'm a student here in Saint Paul and all the Vikings have is an agreement in place with Ramsey County for a stadium in Arden Hills. Minneapolis and most of the state legislature still prefer the old Metrodome site, as does Governor Dayton I believe. The state legislature has yet to even discuss financing and the session ends in a week or two. There will most likely be a special session but again there isn't even an agreed upon site as far as the state of Minnesota and Vikings go.

[Dumby-Dust]