Well, that was certainly another week. Thanks to all who engaged in the spirited comment debates about Garth Brooks an Andy Zimbalist and other celebrity stadium experts, and thanks also to all who responded to my latest fundraising appeal — I look forward to a productive weekend of mailing out Cab-Hailing Lady art prints.
But first, we have more news for the roundup to round up:
- Hamilton County still hasn’t approved the Cincinnati Bengals‘ new stadium name, as it waits for information on how the hell the Bengals owners went and sold naming rights without giving the county a cut as their lease says they have to (and sold naming rights for years they don’t actually own them for, which is a special touch). As part of an open records request by TV station WCPO, the county released a partly redacted August email from county lawyer Tom Gabelman in which he wrote, “This is (XXX). More conversations necessary,” and now all I can think about is what that “XXX” could stand for.
- ProPublica (disclosure: they’re my day job) reports that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot got a $25,000 campaign donation from the billionaire owner of the Chicago Fire after pushing to turn over public housing land to the team for a practice facility. No word on whether Jason Ervin, the local alderman who declared that building pro soccer fields on a site designated for public housing after prior housing was demolished and its tenants evicted would be “very beneficial” for remaining public housing tenants, got any cash too, but for that he really deserves some.
- Not happy about New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ plan to provide a large pile of tax breaks for a $780 million, 25,000 soccer stadium for NYC F.C.? Perhaps you will prefer state senator Joe Addabbo’s proposal to turn it into a 70,000-seat stadium for the New York Jets, somehow, with some money, in some physical space that has yet to be determined! Also despite the Jets still having a couple decades left of paying off the stadium they built along with the Giants in New Jersey! “To go into a brand-new stadium as the New York Jets and the marketing behind it, that just blows it out of the water,” said Addabbo. “And the original residual effect, at least to me, in terms of online sports betting.” Those are absolutely words, the kind that get you quoted in media headlines, well done, guy who serves in the state legislature and has no real standing over city projects anyway!
- Is Detroit Tigers and Red Wings owner the Ilitch family still trying to get a ton of tax breaks for building development around his publicly subsidized baseball stadium and hockey arena? You betcha! Does it come with renderings of identical cars driving in pairs into a gray void? How couldn’t it!
- The Buffalo News just spent 1,600 words worrying about how the Buffalo Bills owners will get people to show up at their $1 billion–publicly-subsidized stadium when it’s December and snowing, there’s a newspaper that definitely has its coverage priorities straight.
- Is former NBA player Jackie Robinson still insisting he’s going to build his $4 billion Las Vegas arena for an imaginary sports team that plays a form of basketball with 15-minute quarters? Absotively! Is he actually breaking ground anytime soon? Hell nah!
- It’s been a while since we considered the question of whether reopening NFL games to fans in the heart of the Covid pandemic caused virus rates to spike, but a new paper says yep, probably. Kudos to the NFL for always seeking out new ways to kill people slowly!
- When I wrote the other week that there are two ways to respond to the spate of new stadiums Qatar built for the World Cup, by noting that they were built with slave labor or by ignoring it, I apparently left out this third option. You’re welcome.
- UPDATE: We’re subsidizing pecan logs now. This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.
I believe there is far more justification for subsidizing pecan logs and other pecan products than there is for sports subsidies.
Not that I think either one SHOULD be subsidized, but if we are going to give money away to something, let’s give money to something that’s delicious.
I mean, go lick the seats at a new NFL or MLB stadium. Then have some pecan log. Or pecan pie. There’s really just no comparison. And don’t get me started on how MLS stadium seats taste.
Buenas tardes, encantado de saludarte. Soy Jose
Quería escribirte porque me ha parecido interesante comentar contigo la posibilidad de que tu negocio aparezca cada mes en periódicos digitales como noticia para posicionar en los primeros lugares de internet, es decir, con artículos reales dentro del periódico que no se marcan como publicidad y que no se borran.
La noticia es publicada por más de cuarenta periódicos de gran autoridad para mejorar el posicionamiento de tu web y la reputación.
¿Podrías facilitarme un teléfono para ofrecerte un mes gratuito?
Gracias
“I certainly didn’t think the Bengals would act unilaterally and just do whatever the hell they wanted,” says municipality whose elected officials voted for the Let The Bengals Do Whatever The Hell They Want Act of 1996 (sfter which at least one of said electeds went to work for the team).
Even for you, sir, this is dark. Hence, great. But it is very dark. Oh, well, it’s not like ProPublica specializes in “firefighters hugging puppies” stories.
Col. Potter wasn’t dark! He was a lovable coot!