FoS commenter John Bladen, three months ago to the day:
I will take this notion of the Bears in Indiana slightly seriously when I hear Colts ownership demanding that ‘whatever Indiana does for the Bears, they must do for us- err, again, err….”
Good news, John, your wager may be paying off:
Experts say the Colts and the city [of Indianapolis] are undoubtedly watching the Bears’ negotiations to gauge the state’s appetite for incentives and partnerships that could expand the team’s local impact and its own revenue. … Pete Ward, chief operating officer for the Colts, said the team is interested in growing its revenue from inside and around the stadium, potentially with a stadium district. He also confirmed the team is considering a new training facility and headquarters downtown.
That’s not quite “We need whatever the Bears get,” but it’s certainly Colts owners the Irsay family beginning to jockey for position to be next in line for whatever they think they can arm-twist Indiana government officials into dishing out out. The Irsays’ lease allows them to choose in 2032 whether to extend their stay beyond 2038 or opt out in 2035, and as we have seen time and again, lease opt-outs are a recipe for fresh subsidy demands. And Ward, if nothing else, is preparing an obsolescence claim about his team’s 18-year-old stadium by talking up how it’s already less shiny than some other teams’ homes:
“It feels like it’s brand new, but where it’s lacking is in amenities and diversity of revenue streams,” he said. “We would love to see some things happen down there, but we’re not asking the city to do that. We’re not asking them right now, and we’re not saying it’s their responsibility. We’ll have to see how things evolve.”
Does that translate as “We’re not planning on asking the city for money, we’re planning to ask the state”? Or “We’re not asking the city for money yet, give us a few years?” And does “amenities and diversity of revenue streams” mostly mean team execs are eyeing a stadium district — something Indiana house speaker Todd Huston called a “huge opportunity to do some really cool stuff” — or more wine bars in their current stadium, or what? Too many variables this time for a single bet, maybe a parlay is the best move.
If only they would have convened some meetings about amenities when they were, you know, planning the stadium.
After the Bears thing is settled, I want Pritzker to create a fake “Stadium Authority” for East St. Louis to try and lure the Colts to the metro east. Not to actually succeed, but to troll Indiana and force them to spend more on stadium upgrades.
We’re not too far from one of these franchise owners or presidents, NFL or otherwise, saying something along the lines of “but you know, these stadiums do have a way of aging in dog years.”
That the NFL hasn’t close to grooming with a new relocation stalking horse after almost a decade is beside the point. They’ll keep finding ways to get the existing markets to spend nine-to-ten figures on venues that supposedly “must” be built.
I love that the idiot governor of Indiana is acting like committing billions of his constituents money into a black hole that will never end is some titanic victory for the state. Also, the stupid commentary of the bears leaving is as a result of bad governance and not the greed of the bears owners and idiocy of Indiana lawmakers.
Well, expecting rich people to do the most selfish and money grubbing thing possible isn’t exactly a test of psychic power… but thanks for the shout out.
FWIW, I’m still not convinced the Bears are now planning or have ever seriously contemplated the idea of moving to an industrial wasteland in Indiana.
But the sabre rattling about it could easily be a major financial benefit to them and, perhaps, the Colts as well. Is there any reason other (nearby but not directly affected) teams couldn’t use this to spur their own pocket lining activities?
Come on Bengals and…. uh…. Hmmm. The Colts, Chiefs, Bills, Titans, Vikings et al either already have new facilities or are pursuing major updates (or both). I guess it’s just the Packers and Lions left to issue new demands in the (more or less) Midwest.
Who needs schools, libraries, public transport and police or fire services anyway.
Can I threaten to move to Indiana, too? Think of all the sales, income, and property taxes I generate for the city of New York!
Don’t forget all the intangible benefits the city and state gain from you – all of which cannot be calculated but must be considered – as well.
If the Empire state believes it can survive with all future FoS related revenues accruing to Greensboro instead, it is welcome to try…
Maybe the idiot politicians don’t know what a refinery is. Here’s a quick lesson. Extremely flammable oil and petroleum products are constantly being sent to and from the refinery. The crude oil includes poisonous and carcinogenic substances like Sulphur and benzene. Nobody wants to live anywhere near a refinery, 50 miles away on the North Shore or Naperville are far enough away. Hammond is a worse location than thr long gone Richfield Coliseum.
Will Indiana or Ohio become the first state to commit all of its tax revenue to pay for sports stadium subsidies?