NFL Fan Violence and the New Vikings Stadium

[MineralMan]

The Minnesota Vikings played the 49ers a bit ago in the Bay Area. Following the game, one Vikings fan got his butt kicked (literally) outside the stadium. Yet another fan violence incident to get logged with all the others.

So, the Vikings are getting a $1 billion + new stadium in Minneapolis for next season. This year they're playing in the U of M's brand new stadium. Will I attend any games in either of them? Not a chance. If I want to watch a game, which I sometimes do, I watch on the flatscreen in the living room. It's been a long time since I went to any professional sporting event. The last time, my wife and I got beer poured on our heads by a couple of drunken fans sitting behind us. We were out-of-towners and wearing clothing from our favorite hometown team. Apparently, that was enough of an insult for the locals to call us names and pour out their beers on us. We left and didn't really get to watch much of the game.

As Twin Cities residents, our taxes are being used to pay for part of the construction of the new Vikings stadium. We won't be attending any games there, though. We do go watch the Twins play a couple of times a year, and have been to a Timberwolves game a couple of times, without incident. But NFL football? I don't think so. I'm not about to drop a couple hundred bucks to get called names and drenched with beer again. I'd like to see the Vikings play Green Bay. I've been a Green Bay fan for decades and haven't changed my opinion since moving to Minnesota in 2004.

Sorry Vikings. It's not happening. I'll watch the game at home and drink the beer instead of having it dumped on my head. No, thanks, NFL. Get your stuff together and help make sure that fans can come to the game and get home without a stop at the ER on the way. Do something about your unruly, obscene and violent fans. They're a small minority, but they taint the entire barrel and keep people from spending money on tickets and overpriced food and drink.

I like football. I like to watch a game a few times a year. I'd love to see the inside of that new stadium, but I'm not going to be there. It's not happening until this crap stops. Sorry, but watching game shouldn't be like entering a war zone.

[HassleCat]

1. Sorry about the taxes and the beer

It's a sad situation all over the land. Socialism and wealth redistribution t benefit football team owners. Blackmail by threatening to move the team. Let them move to LA. Then people will ask why an LA team is named the Vikings, the same way they ask about the Lakers.

[MineralMan]

2. Well, they won't be moving to L.A. now.

They've got that big new stadium about 85% finished. What will happen instead is that the current owner of this team of losers will cash in on his investment and sell the team. He's a big real estate developer. Now he has his fancy home, so it will be time to put the team on the market.

L.A. will have to find some other team, I think. No way will the Viking leave their castle now.

[Go Vols]

4. What you call socialism in this instance,

I call corporate welfare at the taxpayers expense.

[Fred Sanders]

3. Any sports entertainment league that protects a member team brazenly using a racial slur and logo is not my league

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Using public funds to build sports stadiums

has been a pet peeve of mine ever since they started doing it. I don't like football, don't watch it even on TV, but nevertheless I get to pay for a stadium that should be the responsibility of the team's very rich owner. I guess socialism is OK for professional sports magnates.

[MineralMan]

6. I've always felt that way. It started when they built

Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, tearing down people's houses to do so, besides. Here's a short version of the story, complete with racism and a plan to get poor people out of an area:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chavez_Ravine