Not that the Minnesota Vikings needed more troubles for their stadium campaign – the state legislature is showing little enthusiasm for the plan, and a Tuesday night hearing on their sales-tax-hike plan turned into a chorus of condemnation from local residents – but they’re getting it anyway, and from an unexpected direction. Allegations that several Vikings players turned a boat cruise on a local lake into a drunken sex party could be the final nail in the Vikes’ stadium coffin, say some political analysts: “They’re at the back of the line and walking backwards,” Carleton College political science professor Stephen Schier told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “When you think of supplicants for public money, you don’t think of yacht orgy-ists as having a good argument.”
6 comments on “Going down with the ship”
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beyond stadium strong-arming, the whole issue of sports as a cultural institution is on the table with this one. the reaction to the event reinforces that. with the coach so far announces discipline against team members who are late to meetings, the strategy of symbols is in play. the specific tactic is to use the legal process to avoid confronting the public. as in, “i can’t comment until the investigation is complete” ; followed by, ” can’t comment while the case is ongoing”; followed by, “those issues were resolved in court”; as if by that time the issue won’t be off the news radar anyway.
i thought big-time sports could demolish anything- especially anything political or legal-in its path; but stadium resistance has held firm for 12 years here, even though most political leadership and most press are shills. this may begin examination of paying people sports-type money to beat on each other and thug it up in this town.
Neil, longtime reader, first-time commenter.
I just read this, from Len Pasquarelli of all people, on ESPN.com and damn near threw up the apple I was eating:
“The Vikings’ new owner, who plunked down $600 million-$625 million for the franchise this spring, needs a new stadium to be competitive with the high-revenue teams in the league.”
What the hell is he talking about? Did he cut and paste the end from an article about the Twins? I’m speechless.
Ever since Rudy Giuliani said the Yankees needed a new stadium to compete with the Orioles, nothing surprises me anymore.
The new Vikings stadium is dead. Gov. Pawlenty has said there will be no special session of the Legislature to deal with a stadium.
Of course Len Pasquarelli would whore for the Vikings — the national media has more or less brushed off the Vikings’ sex cruise. Guess he hasn’t visited startribune.com this past week.
I read the article on the proposed Viking playhouse. I still think that if a (hopefully profit making company) wants a new building then that company should pay for it.
Any professional sport is a business that is in business to make a profit and should be under the same laws as anyother legal business.
When the owner of the company that I worked for wanted a new building they had to build it for themselves. The Player’s make More in 1 year than MOST of us the taxpayer’s make in a lifetime & WE are Told that WE must build a Place for Them to work & Play??????? the way the wage market is today for Most of the Blue collar Workers, Most of us are just getting By My Thoughts
Maybe the Vikes could sell tickets to the public for their next sex cruise in order to help pay for their stadium…