Great Article On The Pillaging of Taxpayers by Sports Leagues

[Pruitt]

Good lord!

Not much set up needed other than to say the fleecing of taxpayers by the NFL and others is worse than I could have imagined. Thank God I am not a taxpayer in Indiana, Miami, Cincinnati or Kansas City.

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/40595178/

[hobbes27]

That's the one thing I can sorta hang my head with pride about living in California. We aren't as desperate as some municipalities in terms of taxpayer giveaways to owners. Which is part of the problem in the first place desperate municipalities who want to keep their sports teams. I have issues with a couple of issues within the article, but I do agree with the general premise.

[Bengals1181]

The problem with the Cincy deal wasn't the NFL or the Bengals. The elected officials simply made an awful deal.

People locally like to blame the Bengals, but no businessman in their right mind would have turned down the deal they were offered.

[wxwax]

I can't read another rant about taxpayer stadia. Tired of it. I'm guessing the piece doesn't mention that the Falcons are about to get a new stadium even though the one they use right now is perfectly good and not very old.

It looks like the politicians will finesse this thing with a public vote. I believe between 60% and 70% of people polled are against it.

[FrzzerBwler]

Mike Brown had an ace in the hole and used it. His ace being the Ace-hole known as Large Marge Schott. When the stadium tax passed it contained a June 1 deadline to have at least one team signed to a lease or it expired. The Bengals soon started negotiations, the Reds response can be summed up "Listen Honey, I'm sitting here having a smoke and waiting to see what the county has to offer while my dog defecates on the astroturf". The Bengals had a deal in principle in place by March but sat on it. The Reds did not even begin negotiations until about then. So no way they would have a deal by the deadline. As the calendar inched closer to June 1 the Bengals added more and more to the deal. The county was screwed and Mike Brown knew it; as there was no way the county commissioners were going to let June 1 pass with neither team signed.

The problem with the Cincy deal wasn't the NFL or the Bengals. The elected officials simply made an awful deal.

People locally like to blame the Bengals, but no businessman in their right mind would have turned down the deal they were offered.