It’s hard to believe it’s already been a week since a week ago — but then, looking at all the stadium news packed up like cordwood, it’s actually not:
- Five members of the D.C. city council told DCist that they’re opposed to building a new NFL stadium, two are in favor, and six would not comment. If history is any guide, that’s plenty enough votes available to be bought off — er, I mean of course convinced of the economic responsibility of the plan!
- The New York Islanders are getting about $400,000 in state construction sales tax breaks for renovating the just-renovated Nassau Coliseum in anticipation of moving there temporarily while a new arena at Belmont Park is completed. Which isn’t a whole lot of money, but still, why, Gov. Cuomo, why?
- David Beckham’s Miami MLS ownership group had a big announcement this week to reveal that the team will be called Club Internacional de Futbol Miami (Inter Miami for short), and the Charlotte Observer ran this under the headline “David Beckham’s team named Inter Miami, still lacks stadium.” That’s cold, Charlotte Observer. Fair, but cold.
- The Arizona Cardinals signed a new naming-rights deal for their stadium, but they’re not telling anyone how much they’re getting paid for it.
- The St. Louis Rams are gone, but a whole lot of lawsuits still remain.
- The New Orleans Baby Cakes, proud owner of the most disturbing logo in all of sports, are moving to Wichita next year (New Orleans may get a lower-level minor-league team instead), and the mayor of Wichita is celebrating by tearing down his city’s 85-year-old stadium and building a new one, which will cost between $60 million and $73 million using STAR bonds and tax-increment financing money. “Taxpayers aren’t paying an additional tax of any kind to help build all this,” said Mayor Jeff Longwell, and oh, have we heard this before.
- And speaking of TIFs, the operators of the University of Kentucky’s Rupp Arena want a $100 million one to encourage an “entertainment district” near the arena, because that’s worked so well down the road in Louisville.
