Stadium deals have been completed in Charlotte and Jacksonville.
As the National Football League heads into the training camp phase of the calendar, it has been a pretty good off season in the all-important stadium game. Politicians in Charlotte, North Carolina gave the owner of the Carolina Panthers franchise, David Tepper, $650 million to fix up his old stadium while politicians in Jacksonville gave the owner of the Jaguars franchise, Shad Khan, $775 million to fix up his old stadium. But Commissioner Roger Goodell still has lobbying to do in Chicago, in Cincinnati, in Cleveland, in Kansas City and in Washington to get public money to fix up venues so well-heeled customers can enjoy a football game between 10 times, including the pre-season contests where customers pay good money for practice games and maybe a dozen games if a team makes it to the conference finals. Cities have to scramble to fill the other 350 or so dates that the stadium is not in use.
In Chicago, the Bears’ ownership group led by 101-year old Virginia McCaskey, although it is Kevin Warren doing the dirty work to get a stadium deal done, would like to remain in the city by building a stadium near the team’s present Soldier Field venue. The Bears’ ownership also has the deed to a massive plot of land in Arlington Heights, a northern Chicago suburb. The problem with the Arlington Heights parcel of land is tax assessment. Arlington Heights has its figure and Bears’ ownership does not like the price. Cleveland Browns’ ownership wants either a new or renovated Cleveland Stadium or a stadium-village in Brook Park which is about 15 miles outside of town. Cincinnati Bengals’ ownership wants an upgraded facility and needs local taxpayers money to accomplish that. There may be a border war between Missouri and Kansas politicians to build a new Kansas City Chiefs’ venue and Washington needs a venue. It is just business.
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Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
