First, a couple of notes from the coiner of Stadiumus Giganticus...
Laura Waterman Wittstock, very nicely, reminded me that "stadium" is already Latin, so the correct term should be "Stadium Giganticus."
Also, "Stadium Giganticus" does not mean stadium opponents are out to lunch — far from it. It refers to the tendency to overrate the stadium's place in the political firmament — to pronounce politicians as "enemies of the people" (my quote, for illustration purposes) even if they have labored hard and long for progressive causes. It's fine to say they're wrong, or worse, but it does not wipe out their good work or flush it down the memory hole.
Another, more important manifestation of "Stadium Giganticus" is that it distracts from other, often more important outrages.
For example: did anyone notice that yesterday the Metropolitan Airports Commission blithely approved another $120 million for Northwest's unnecessary, anti-competitive airport expansion plan? That's one-third the public cost of the stadium...where's the outrage?!
On to Jenny Heiser, who I applaud for proposing a stadium solution!
On May 18, 2005, at 9:51 AM, Jenny Heiser wrote:
I believe [Phyllis Kahn] submitted legislation for consideration
about community ownership. Perhaps my memory is faulty about this. I will check the Mpls.
List archives.
I'm pretty sure she has. And it's a great idea! If you look at City Pages' analysis of the size of the Twins' operating profit in a new stadium, the idea of owning the ballclub makes more sense than ever. The CO plan is not pure public ownership — there can be a single managing partner who, I believe, can own 30 percent of the club with the public owning the rest. That eliminates the "do you want the legislature running the team?" argument. The public's cash and majority stock ownership is ballast to assure we can't be held hostage in a move.
Shuman relates clearly what the NFL rules have imposed on team ownership and thus
shut-out any additional community owned football teams: "Every franchise, with an
exception carved for the Packers, now must be at least 51 percent owned by a single
individual."
I don't think so. If you look at the current Vikings sale, NFL rules only require a single owner to own 30 percent. It may require an ownership GROUP to have a majority, but that's different and can include many minority partners.
The managing partner/public ownership plan is a way to work within sports rules. I disagree with Dean Carlson that baseball would reject it. I think the details could easily be worked out.
Now we get to Jenny's specifics:
What IF: The City of Minneapolis purchased the Metrodome from the Metropolitan Sports
Commission. [Financial details can be worked out by financial wizards.]
What IF: After purchasing the Metrodome, the City partnered with a not-for-profit
citizen-owned organization that would bring old-time baseball back to Minneapolis, in the
Metrodome, as the St. Paul Saints have in their fair city. [No, this locally-owned team
would not be on ESPN, but games could be broadcast on MTN.]
My not-very-thoughtful reaction: Ugh.
I think the term "old-time baseball" and "Metrodome" are incompatible. And as much as I love the Saints (inaugural season ticket holder), you don't need the Dome to get a club over here. And I'm not even sure a Minneapolis club would work here — the Saints are a metro resource, with declining attendance, so plenty of good seats available. Help them before we get too parochial!
Minneapolis could realistically become a two-baseball team city -- wowza! The success or
failure of either the NPC team or the Twins would be entirely up to the free market.
I'd just as soon see the Saints as risk any city investment on the Dome, but I sincerely applaud Jenny for taking a whack at a proposal.
David Brauer Kingfield
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