Mr. Moore is correct, MLB will never allow significant or controlling community ownership of a team. To suggest otherwise is just a red herring. So to those politicians who say they will support a ballpark if it includes community controlling interest in a team is just blowing smoke up your nether regions. If you want to keep the Twins in Minneapolis, get a new ballpark and have the team sign a long-term lease. Red McCombs would have gladly moved the Vikings to LA if it wasn't for the sticky fact that the team was contractually obligated to be in the Dome until 2011.
Also a we had independent league baseball in Minneapolis much like the Saints. Someone tried to ressurect the Millers at Parade Stadium a few years back, it was an extreme financial disaster and the team folded after one season. Dean E. Carlson Ward 10, East Harriet ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas A. Moore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Friday, August 19, 2005 8:49 am Subject: [Mpls] public/community ownership > The Twins, in the near future (say, the next sixty years) will not > be > owned by the public or the community, city, etc... > > The Packers (NFL) are still, kind-of sort-of community owned > because > they were basically grandfathered in on the deal. Owners of > current > teams in pro sports leagues have to approve all, new > ownership. There is no way that they would approve a city's, > state's, and/or community's ownership of a team. > > I think the NFL even has a rule against it. I'm not sure about > baseball or the others. But the private, for-profit owners would, > for now, gain nothing (from their perspective) from a publicly > owned team. > > One way the City of Minneapolis could be involved in sports > entertainment, in a positive way, outside of the current ballpark > proposal... if the Twins leave town (and not necessarily the > state), > then their would still be a market for baseball in Minneapolis. I > know that the city has earmarked ten million dollars towards a > sports > stadium downtown, be it baseball, soccer, etc.. and I know that > the > St Paul Saints draw pretty good crowds to their games, and Midway > Stadium isn't exactly in the middle of a bustling neighborhood... > > So, how about a publicly owned, 5,000 seat ballpark Downtown, in > or > near the Warehouse District? How about the return of the > Minneapolis > Millers, only, as a Northern League team, owned by the City and > Citizens of Minneapolis... > > Such a venture would surely not lose money, and it would be quite > an > attraction for Downtown and the City. We could have open-air > baseball, affordable seats, locally produced and run concessions - > instead of rejecting America's Pasttime, we could show a truly > American way of participating in it. > > Take care, > Tom Moore > Wedge Neighborhood > Candidate, 10th Ward City Council > www.candidatemoore.blogspot.com > [EMAIL PROTECTED] REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
