February 12, 2006
Threats are busting out all over
I know Minnesota is the state where a governor once recommended that the Twins owner he threaten to skip town to extort a stadium from the state legislature. Still, this is pretty bizarre even by Minnesota standards: Last Monday, current governor Tim Pawlenty and Twins exec Jerry Bell had a sit-down, during which Pawlenty kept raising the threat that the team would be "contracted" out of existence, while Bell tried to talk him down off the ledge. Take it away, Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse:
"When the governor laid out the reasons that contraction could be something to be concerned over, Jerry Bell did correct him somewhat," [Hennepin County Commissioner Mike] Opat said. "He said it wouldn't be easily done, since baseball would be required to bargain the effects of contraction with the players [union]."Opat said in his many conversations with Bell and other Twins officials that the possibility of contraction had not been raised."The Twins have conducted themselves in good faith through this whole process," Opat said. "Now, if they get to the point where they say, 'We've taken it as far as we can,' I don't expect them to tell me their strategy."After a couple of false starts, I'm sure baseball isn't going to say anything in advance about contraction. If it happens, it will be when we're past the point of no return."
Politicians holding guns to their own heads is an inauspicious kickoff to the 2006 Minnesota legislative session, which is expected to consider stadium bills for the Twins (estimated cost: $508 million) and Vikings (likely upwards of $800 million) for the umpteenth consecutive year. Adding fuel to the low, smoldering fire: a Hennepin County court ruling last week that ruled that the Twins are no longer bound by their lease to remain at the Metrodome; though the Twins haven't threatened to leave town and have few options anyway, it would make it harder for local officials to challenge a contraction attempt in the courts, as they did back in 2001.
Still, Bell told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he's "very dubious" of a stadium bill passing this session, and the Vikings say they don't even intend to gear up their stadium fight until summer. (Traditionally nothing controversial gets passed in the Minnesota legislature in election years.) Meanwhile, local anti-stadium activists are gearing up a campaign to pressure legislators to hold public referendums on any stadium deals, as required by state law, but which the Twins and Vikings are asking the legislature to do without.
In other teams-rumored-for-constraction news:
- The latest relocation candidates to meet with Florida Marlins officials: Norfolk and Boca Raton. Next month: Toledo and San Luis Obispo?
- The Washington Post reports that "some anti-stadium activists said they are mulling a citywide referendum on the [Nationals] stadium and a recall effort against council members who dropped their opposition in the final vote." It seems a bit late for the former, but I'll try to dig up more information this week.
