End Game?

With the hot mess, otherwise known as the Minnesota Vikings quest for a new stadium, winding down, governor Mark Dayton requested that all sites submit proposals to him by yesterday. The Vikings have long preferred a site in Arden Hills, not far from the Twin Cities. Both the team and the city have worked together for quite some time. Minneapolis, figuring that they didn't have to do much, haven't done much. It wasn't until the recent crunch time that they've gotten off their collective asses and done something. Even now, they can't come up with one site. They have at least three. They prefer the current Metrodome site because its the least expensive. Fair enough. They seem to have ignored the fact that construction there leaves the Vikings without a home for three years. Other arrangements have to be made. That results in added costs that Minneapolis has failed to consider. Those costs likely land on the the Vikings so it likely doesn't concern Minneapolis. The Vikings had to send a letter to the mayor this week to remind him of this. There was a late entry in the stadium when the city of Shakopee threw their hat into the ring. The more, the merrier. The Minneapolis Star Tribune hasn't done anyone any favors. They are a player in this as they own property near the Metrodome that may be incorporated into parking or facilities for a stadium. As a result the newspaper prefers that site. Their reporting has an obvious slant. So much so that any stadium news in the paper is worthless. I always thought that papers should report the news rather than dictate it.

The most important result of this mess is the Minnesota Vikings remaining the Minnesota Vikings. Personally, I prefer the Arden Hills site. Every model and schematic that I've seen is remarkable. A large Vikings Village will grace the land. Everything about it sounds fantastic. Emphasis on "fan." The Vikings haven't had true tailgating since the Metropolitan Stadium days. Arden Hills is also the only site and community to have done anything before they had to. They've worked closely with the Vikings for months to create plans for something beautiful. Minneapolis has done nothing. Assuming everything. The best example of the lack of effort on the part of Minneapolis is in the proposals delivered to the governor. The Minneapolis proposal was on four whole pages. The Arden Hills proposal was 148 pages. Being a California Vikings fan many expect that I'd be ecstatic to see the team in Los Angeles. I wouldn't. I'm a Minnesota Vikings fan that that lives in California. I just want to see the stadium situation settled., finally. I expect that it will. I also expect that it will be built in Minneapolis. I'd have more respect for the political players if they'd been part of the solution a decade ago rather than the source of the problems. I'd have more respect for Minneapolis if they'd put in the effort like Arden Hills. If things proceed as I expect that they will, I feel bad for Arden Hills. Their work with the Vikings is probably the reason that a stadium will be built and they won't be remembered for it.