The NFL Uses LA as Bait Once Again

This past week, Minnesota lawmakers voted against a proposed stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.  The Vikings current stadium, the Metrodome, has been in disrepair for the past decade or so and the team has been lobbying for a new facility.  Soon after this decision by the legislature, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell flew in to St. Paul to remind them that Los Angeles doesn’t have a team.  That same day, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf’s jet was spotted in LA.  Sure enough, the legislature got a potential stadium deal back on track the next day.

The Metrodome after its roof collapsed in a snowstorm

There is very little argument against the fact that the Vikings need a new stadium.  However, the NFL is once again exerting its influence to get cities and states to put up public money to aid billion-dollar franchises.  You can’t exactly blame the NFL for this; they are simply doing what is best for the league and its franchises. 

But you can blame the public sector for falling for the trick once again.  The Vikings are beloved in the state of Minnesota.  They have a strong, passionate fan base that has supported the team through thick and thin.  For most of these people, the idea of the Vikings moving seems preposterous.  Thus, when reality set in this week that the team could possibly move to Los Angeles, the lawmakers quickly woke up to ensure that the team will stay. 

Once again, however, the Los Angeles market is being used as a pawn to help other cities.  This has been the case since the Rams and the Raiders left in 1994; every time a team needs a new stadium, the owner’s jet can shows up at LAX to freak out the lawmakers back home and have them fork over truckloads of cash. 

This isn’t fair to Los Angeles and it isn’t fair to governments around the country.  It sometimes seems like the LA market is more valuable to the NFL if it is left open (to use as leverage) than if it actually had a team.  As a result, the governments make stadium deals with public dollars that they typically can’t afford. 

Proposed Vikings stadium in Downtown Minneapolis

I’m not saying that governments shouldn’t spend any money on stadiums – these are extremely expensive buildings that do provide a benefit to their cities.  I am saying, however, that cities need to hold the teams responsible to pay the majority of the costs. 

By subsidizing the bill for a stadium, the team actually becomes less connected to the city.  Let’s say I decided to build you a new house in Minneapolis, because I think that you are valuable to the city.  You’re so valuable to the city that I’m only going to charge you $1,000 a year in rent.  You’re also a good negotiator, so you work out a lease that allows you to leave after 10 years.  After these 10 years are up, why would you stay in Minneapolis unless the city decides to build you a new house?  You weren’t making huge payments for the house over the 10 years and you don’t own anything when the lease runs up.  Simply, it would make the most sense for you to threaten to move elsewhere, unless the city builds you an entirely new house and once again foots the bill.  Governments need to realize that they are working against their best interests when they make these deals to “ensure” that teams don’t move to Los Angeles.

Farmers Field and the City of Industry Stadium - bait for NFL teams to threaten to move