Here is video of the Beths playing last night in front of a giant inflatable fish! You’re welcome!
On to the news:
- Raleigh and Wake County “need to make some big renovations” to the Carolina Hurricanes arena and the city’s convention center to lure more events, reports WTVD-TV, but how will the estimated $625 million in costs be paid for? (North Carolina approved $81 million last year, but now is preparing to spend a whole lot more.) An even better question: What kind of events would be worth spending $625 million in upgrades to lure them? Those curious about the answer will not find it at WTVD, which interviewed all of three people for its story: a county commissioner trying to raise the funds, the head of the state authority that runs the arena, and the manager of the convention center, hmm, wonder why none of them are questioning the need for that level of spending?
- I’m not exactly sure what the best rhetorical strategy is when going into negotiations with your local NBA team for signing a new lease, but I’m pretty sure going on about how small your city is and how “cities who want to retain their status as TOP tier American cities have obligations” is not it, yes I’m looking at you, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. Of course, if we look at this less as Holt bargaining with the Thunder owners and more him bargaining with city residents for why he needs to use their tax money to build a new arena just 21 years after building the last one, it starts to make a bit more sense…
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to give $455 million to the operators of Belmont Park racetrack for upgrades and let them pay it back with future state subsidies, and here’s an interview with the consultant who wrote the report saying this is a good idea somehow. Highlight: “Are there other tracks that have reversed declining attendance numbers by renovating their facilities?” “I don’t know the answer to that.” Worth every penny, this guy.
- MLB Players Association president Tony Clark says that owners asked for the right to unilaterally reduce the size of the minor leagues even further in bargaining over the minors’ first-ever union contract, and Clark informed them that this was a “non-starter.” It’s not clear whether the leagues’ owners already have another contraction plan in the works or are just looking to reserve the right to axe more teams if they so decide, but given how great the last downsizing has worked for letting them shake down cities for stadium money, it’s no real surprise they’re at least thinking about it in their downtime from lobbying Florida to exempt minor-leaguers from minimum-wage laws.
- More than 60% of Jacksonville residents don’t want to see the city spending $750 million in their money on renovations to the Jaguars stadium, which should be unsurprising, frankly. Also, 48% reported “they had shouted ‘DUUUVAL’ in the past year,” which makes me a little concerned about the people who are writing these poll questions.
- The latest Buffalo Bills stadium renderings aren’t nearly as hilarious as the last ones, but I do wonder why the scoreboard during the game depicted appears to be showing footage of an entirely different game where the Bills are wearing different uniforms.
That Belmont renovation interview is nuts. They think having the infrastructure to hold the Breeders Cup means they will draw 120,000 more spectators annually.
Breeders cup rotates every year dude. There’s so many wacky numbers and projections here I’m getting a headache.
That was quite the interview. I lost track of how many times the guy answered with ‘You’ll have to ask NYRA about that…’
The 1946 song “(Get your kicks) On Route 66” did more for Oklahoma City’s image than any basketball team. “… Oklahoma City is mighty pretty…” They should spend that $600 million on a song writing contest.
Oklahoma is OK….
Ironically, so did an act of terrorism.
Re: Belmont Park, there is a hotel in the proposal so there’s still hope for the Islanders hosting an all-star game or draft!
The proposal is in the new budget proposal, just like the Bills stadium was in last year’s budget, makes no economic sense, but will probably happen.
There is a 4 star hotel and convention center next to Gila River Arena and Bettman never gave Glendale an all star game or draft. Bettman is also using an all star game a threat to get Michigan to cough up hundreds of millions in subsidies for District Detroit. Give me $100,000 and I’ll give you a 10 year old Nissan Versa, what a deal!
The “video” board shows the same image from the original drawings even though the game changed. Maybe it’s a picture frame
Maybe instead of a holographic video board it can show the past, oh wait that’s just a replay.
I think one of the new revenue streams this stadium will drive will be that ticket buyers will have to pay extra if they want to see replays from the current game… you know, sort of like when PBS refused to go back and show the end of Mrs. Miniver or Miracle on 34th street until they reached a specific funding goal during the pledge drive.
This will, of course, make no sense to anyone who doesn’t remember tv before time shifting and DVRs.
Warning: Don Garber Word Salad *Danger* *Danger*
https://theathletic.com/4273822/2023/03/04/mls-expansion-apple-tv-messi-don-garber-interview/
Just because I haven’t really been keeping up…. when he says they are adding a 30th expansion team next year, does he mean they are adding 30 more teams to MLS in 2024?
I mean, maybe I shouldn’t have to ask… but you can understand why I am not entirely sure.
Did someone say Indiana? They just had the NFL combine there and Neil you’ve mentioned how Indiana politicians compete with each other to see who can throw the biggest stacks of cash at billionaires and there’s NBC sports writer Peter King holding his annual fundraiser for teachers so they can afford to get classroom supplies! What is wrong with this picture? Aargh it just makes my blood boil because I know it’s the same foolishness everywhere…..
It’s Indiana. We systematically starve public education on purpose while giving charter academies fifth or sixth chances whenever they screw up.
I live in Texas, and I must say,
We Will Win the Race to the
Bottom!
What ever happened to the Donna’s?
That is an outstanding question! Wikipedia informs me that they quietly dissolved sometime in the ’10s, but has nothing further on the subject. I will consult my ’90s indie-rock guru.
I can imagine a retirement home somewhere and it’s full of Donna’s!
Your indie rock guru is probably more attentive than I am, but I believe their performing years were mid 90s to 2012-15.
Whether it was the label shifts, the changing bandmembers or what I don’t know. Full disclosure: I mostly know their work from the covers they did and not so much their original material (which was good, to the extent I know of it).
Life happens…..