The Big Con: Publicly Funded NFL and NBA Sports Stadiums.

[Jnew28]

"CNN reports: “If you’re a U.S. taxpayer then you’re subsidizing the wildly profitable National Football League, regardless of whether you’re a fan.The NFL is the most profitable pro sports league in the U.S., raking in an estimated $1 billion in profits on $10.5 billion in revenue last season, figures that are sure to increase this year.
Those massive profits are made possible in part by the billions of taxpayer dollars that local governments spend on teams, coupled with tax breaks worth hundreds of millions for the teams, the league, their sponsors and fans.

Please read: http://stupidpartymathvmyth.com/1/post/2015/02/the-big-con-publicly-funded-nfl-and-nba-sports-stadiums.html

[Dont call me Shirley]

1. It is a big con that is rarely discussed, if ever, on the msm.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Some of us do, but I am on the edges

with the Chargers saga, we have... in fact, I have to look into the latest of that con

[Dont call me Shirley]

3. Let us know when you have a good understanding of that story. I'm curious.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Well they were supposed to leave

they wanted to leave, the NFL told them NO, NYET, but you can go if you are nice to the LA Rams. so now they are back to trying to negotiate (err strong arm) the city and county. To be blunt, the region cannot support 3 teams and the Raiders have the option if the chargers do not, to go to LA

[Dont call me Shirley]

9. The Rams should have stayed in St Louis. That move gave the NFL justification to build a new

elite stadium at taxpayers expense. A stadium regular working people and the poor can't even afford to use because the ticket prices are beyond their pay, yet they pay taxes in the city just like the well off. Cities need to just quit financing these arenas unless they can provide a certain amount of lower cost or free events for everyone.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Fully agreed, until cities stop playing the game...

[Brother Buzz]

13. The new Rams stadium will be 100% privately financed.

The city of Inglewood (not Los Angles) will be on the hook for for the costs of roadwork and utility work, but will only pay down the estimated $100 million obligation to the consortium after a tax revenue threshold has been reached. These payments kick in after the stadium is generating at least $25 million a year in tax revenue for Inglewood.


It really appears to be a sweetheart deal, but it would behoove the city of Inglewood to hire a bean counter to keep everything on the up and up.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82523259/

[KamaAina]

16. Santa Clara is in a similar situation with respect to the Niners' Levi's Stadium.

And the way local politics goes there, the bean counter would probably end up lining his/her own pockets!

[Brother Buzz]

18. I can only think the pitchman who sold that ill conceived location made out like a bandit

Getting there on game day is half the adventure. I wonder if BART will ever make it to Levi stadium? What were they thinking, "Build it and they (BART) will come"?

Ann Killion, sports writer for the Chronicle, summed up the mess on game day in Santa Clara by pointing out scalped tickets for 49ers games cost less than parking last year.

[KamaAina]

19. That would be the Niners themselves.

They already owned the land, which used to be their HQ and practice facility.

As for BART, the closest it's going to get is Milpitas, late next year. There will be a light rail connection to Levi's as there is from Caltrain at Mountain View.

[rurallib]

4. here is a great website that covers the sports ripoff in detail

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. The book is a MUST READ

[Dont call me Shirley]

7. Also is Dave Zirin...

http://www.thenation.com/authors/dave-zirin/

[malaise]

10. George Sage's 1990s Power and Ideology in American Sport is a Classic

Love Zirin

[Hoyt]

8. I'd be fine if teams played in college stadiums, but even "liberal" cities think it is worth it.

[maxsolomon]

14. Seattle is the poster child forthe consequences standing up to this Con

That's why there's an Oklahoma Thunder now.

But you know what? Life goes on, and IDGAF about basketball anymore.

[KamaAina]

15. Baseball gets a pass?

[Initech]

17. John Oliver went into great detail about this:

[IcyPeas]

20. yes, John Oliver did a great job explaining this

I learned all this from that episode. Most people aren't aware of this. If they were I don't think it'd be happening.