"Goodbye" American Airlines Center, and "Hello" vacant/dying malls

[jbhtexas]

So basically they want a massive revenue bump by building a new entertainment district around their stadium, but they want someone else to pay for the construction of said entertainment district and arena.

How did we get here that there is an expectation that taxpayers foot the bill for these things? Would a local manufacturing facility say, “we’ll move to your town, but we want you to pay for the factory and then sign it over to us”? I know there’s often tax incentives and such, but we’re talking actual construction costs for facilities that has the revenue go to the team.

Same phenomenon that causes people to fork over millions of dollars to NIL so their college team can win. When it comes to sports, there is this mysterious, emotional, and often irrational bond that causes people to part with their money or to otherwise do things that don't seem to make sense economically.

 

[FinalFourCy]

Same phenomenon that causes people to fork over millions of dollars to NIL so their college team can win. When it comes to sports, there is this mysterious, emotional, and often irrational bond that causes people to part with their money or to otherwise do things that don't seem to make sense economically.

This isnt like NIL

The additional revenue they get from extorting taxpayers isn’t going to players. It is very far removed from making the team more competitive on the playing field. And it isn’t voluntary.

It’s simply extortion. Public costs for private profit. A way for very wealthy people to make more money.

NIL is actually about fans voluntarily giving money in order to try to improve odds of winning. About as direct as it gets.

 

[DesertClone1]

I say to all pro sports teams: "Wanna new facility? Go ahead and build it yourself."

OR... if they do use public funds. Pay it off early like the Vikings did with US Bank Stadium.

 

[JP4CY]

OR... if they do use public funds. Pay it off early like the Vikings did with US Bank Stadium.

I love that stadium, and the train makes it so easy.

 

[FinalFourCy]

OR... if they do use public funds. Pay it off early like the Vikings did with US Bank Stadium.

City is still paying

And although it’s good they used revenue from gaming to avoid interest payments, it still represents using tax payer money for private profit. The millions in gaming revenue could have gone elsewhere rather than for a new stadium because the previous one was 30 years old

it’s one thing for a tax base to decide it wants the cost of having a franchise. Another to be extorted by private owners just wanting cheaper means at more profits

 

[jbhtexas]

This isnt like NIL

The additional revenue they get from extorting taxpayers isn’t going to players. It is very far removed from making the team more competitive on the playing field. And it isn’t voluntary.

It’s simply extortion. Public costs for private profit. A way for very wealthy people to make more money.

NIL is actually about fans voluntarily giving money in order to try to improve odds of winning. About as direct as it gets.

Why do people give money to buy players so their college team can win more? I think it is ultimately because having their team win makes them feel good.

Why do people vote to build stadiums for rich pro sports teams to keep said team in their city, or attract said team to their city? I think it is ultimately because having a pro team in their city makes them feel good. Granted, the "extortion" tactics the pro teams use are sophisticated, as they works to create fears that the sun won't come up in that particular town if the team leaves.

The mechanics are different, but the root underlying reason is the same.

 

[FinalFourCy]

Why do people give money to buy players so their college team can win more? I think it is ultimately because having their team win makes them feel good.

Why do people vote to build stadiums for rich pro sports teams to keep said team in their city, or attract said team to their city? I think it is ultimately because having a pro team in their city makes them feel good. Granted, the "extortion" tactics the pro teams use are sophisticated, as they works to create fears that the sun won't come up in that particular town if the team leaves.

The mechanics are different, but the root underlying reason is the same.

If being forced to give billionaires more money gave people the same emotions as voluntarily helping their team win like NIL, then they’d be comparable


One is extortion and grift . The other is finally being able to buy the most important input to wins. Naturally the latter occurs voluntarily, while the former is fleecing and swindling

 

[jbhtexas]

If being forced to give billionaires more money gave people the same emotions as voluntarily helping their team win like NIL, then they’d be comparable


One is extortion and grift . The other is finally being able to buy the most important input to wins. Naturally the latter occurs voluntarily, while the former is fleecing and swindling

Who's doing the "forcing"? At least in the case of Arlington where I live, the people voted(*) to build the stadiums for the pro teams. So in the broad sense, the people are voluntarily giving the money to the pro teams because they voted to do so. Strictly speaking, those who voted against are getting dragged along, but that's the way our government works.

*Except this past April, where the Arlington city council voted to give another $273 million to fund improvements at JerryWorld in return for Jerry extending his lease 15 more years to 2055. The city council claims that the venue tax approved by voters to fund construction of JerryWorld back in 2004 gives them authority to give Jerry more money in 2026. That one will hopefully be going to court...