May 22, 2013

Minnesota stadium deal could ban TV blackouts

May 8, 2012 by 6 Comments

I can’t imagine any football fans will dislike this. Apparently as Minnesota wrangles in its stadium issues, the government working on the deal has gotten creative. If the public is going to pay for the stadium then why not put a little something in there that the citizenry could certainly agree on?

According to a report today, the Minnesota stadium deal would prevent TV blackouts from Vikings games in the publicly funded stadium.

What’s really amazing is that citizens have been held so hostage by the NFL in the past that they haven’t thought to do something like this sooner. Why should the public pay for a capital improvement and then allow the NFL to force them into paying for tickets or not be able to watch the team on TV, even when the TV stinks?

It is a central move by the NFL to make sure they sell out games, but it is now seemingly being put to the test. Of course the NFL always has the ability to move teams to other markets as Browns fans know only too well. We’ll see what the results are in this game of chicken.

[Related: Poll Results: What are the Browns chances week by week for 2012?]

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  • Seth

    Interesting! I understand the concept of a blackout but I don’t. I think I like this move. 

  • mgbode

    agreed on this one.  if the public pays for the stadium, then the public deserves to see the game.

    now, if it’s a county tax, will the NFL come back saying that only that county is excluded from blackouts? 

  • http://twitter.com/GreatestHurley Jason Hurley

     
    I think it’s justified that taxpayers dig in on something like this. As an average Joe, I get more and more mad that taxpayers are expected to help finance a billionare’s toy. By financing 60% of the deal, do taxpayers get 60% of the stadium profits (since, they are, 60% owners)?

    They should. If the public is going to finance a capital project like that, they should get a publicly appointed (not elected, just appointed) president of the stadium’s operations, who runs the stadium like a business, and 60% of the profits returned to the public.

    The blackout thing is just a perk of being an owner of the business enterprise.

  • mgbode

    actually, the public does get money back.  that’s why a team works out a lease with the city when the city helps finance.  now, terms are different in different areas.  sometimes direct money is involved, sometimes it’s a right to use the venue for other events, sometimes it’s getting all of the parking $$$, etc.

  • erchoov

    One of my best friends is a Bengals fan and I enjoy giving him crap for the fans not being able to watch home games.  I would hate it if the NFL changed the rule and ruined my fun.

  • The_Matt_Of_Akron

     Please don’t put any public official (elected or appointed) in a position to run a business.