March 23, 2005

Where's that guy behind a tree when you need him?

The Indianapolis Colts stadium fight is starting to give the New York Jets squabble a run for its money for absurdist comedic value. In the latest twist, Indiana state senator Luke Kenley proposed raising money for the $687 million stadium plan by imposing a 1% tax on "services" in Marion County, including everything from legal fees to haircuts. Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson promptly dissed the plan as unfair to Indianapolitans, who Peterson would rather see pay for the stadium the old-fashioned way: by playing the slots.

Then the NFL Players Association - whose members have been heavily lobbying for a new Colts stadium - chimed in that it would oppose the new funding bill unless Kenley dropped a proposed 1% income-tax surcharge on player salaries, claiming it would prevent the team from being competitive in the free-agent market once the Colts "become known as the franchise with the special players' tax."

While admitting he might be forced to drop the player tax (which would only raise about half of one percent of the total stadium cost), Kenley did note of the union complaints: "It reminded me of when Latrell Sprewell turned down a three-year, $21 million contract extension and said, 'Man, I got a family to feed.' "