Chicago, Cleveland and Cincinnati are next up in the stadium game.
In the all-important stadium game, the National Football League has been on a roll. Buffalo Bills ownership was able to get $850 million out of New York State and Erie County taxpayers’ money to help fund a new stadium that ownership claimed it needed. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also claimed the state needed to fund the facility because a city like San Diego would have snatched the franchise out of western New York. Meanwhile the Baltimore Ravens ownership is getting a renovation of its home facility. Ravens’ ownership signed a deal with the Maryland Stadium Authority to remain in the Baltimore city owned football field through 2037. The football stadium is getting a $600 million makeover. Maryland may also be playing the stadium game once the dust settles with the potential sale of the Washington Commanders franchise as Josh Harris has a tentative deal to buy the franchise from Daniel Snyder. Landover, Maryland presently is the home of the Commanders although the team has its headquarters in Virginia. Once the team has new ownership, it is thought Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D. C. will be putting together financial packages in an attempt to lure Commanders’ ownership to their areas.
Meanwhile, Nashville and Tennessee lawmakers are spending a boatload of money to build the Tennessee Titans’ ownership a new stadium. In April, the Titans’ ownership got a major gift from the city of Nashville and Tennessee legislators of more than $1.2 billion in public subsidies which is the largest taxpayers’ pay out for a stadium or an arena in American history. Tennessee will throw in $500 million to the stadium while Nashville will chip in $760 million. The next NFL teams looking for public handouts will be Chicago, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Cincinnati and Cleveland ownership groups are talking with local officials as stadium deals are coming to an end.
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Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
