NFL Commissioner speaks out Paul Tagliabue tells state legislators there is a need for a new stadium

Posted 1/10/01

NFL Commissioner speaks out Paul Tagliabue tells state legislators there is a need for a new stadium

By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue attended the Vikings-New Orleans Saints playoff game at the Metrodome last Saturday in the belly of dinosaur.

ìThe reality is simple: dual purpose dome stadiums like this are dinosaurs,î Tagliabue told reporters at the Capitol press conference Jan. 5.

ìI donít think thereís any real question about the need for a new facility,î he said.
Tagliabue was at the Capitol Friday (Jan. 5) to meet with legislative leaders ñ Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe and Gov. Ventura among them ñ to discuss the hotbutton issue of stadiums.
The situation in every region is different in regard to stadiums, said Tagliabue. The purpose of his visiting with legislative leaders was to learn about the issues at play in the state, he said.

In Tagliabueís mind, the stadium debate encompasses three issues. One is the need for a new stadium facility, which he believes everybody appreciates.

The second ìcriticalî factor is whether a joint or separate facilities should be built for the Vikings and Gopher football teams. And thirdly, people need to understand a stadium represents a long-term investment.

And also a long-term cashcow, Tagliabue argued.
Since the NFL shares its television revenue, that means about $75 million a year flows into the Minnesota Vikings to invigorate the local economy, he said.

The larger question is finding the right blend of private and public investment to achieve a new facility, he argued.

Tagliabue said about two thirds of the NFLís 32 teams are currently in or soon will be new stadiums. ìA very small handful are in outdated stadiums,î he said.

Unlike other sports, the NFL tries to achieve economic parity in the league, he said.
ìIf youíre below average, or well below average as the Vikings are, you have some urgent needs,î said Tagliabue.

In addressing some of the arguments Gov. Ventura has made in favor of the Metrodome ñ including the bare knuckled threat that heíd take the Vikings to court if they attempted to break their lease ñ Tagliabue argued that dual purpose sport facilities nationally have aged poorly.

There are older stadiums still in use, he said. But those are single-use facilities, designed exclusively for baseball or football.

ìThose single-purpose facilities prove to have long lives. The problems have existed with dual purpose stadiums,î he said.

From a fanís perspective, itís the undesirability of trying to incorporate two different sports ñ two different geometries ñ under one roof, he said.

But Tagliabue avoided shoulderpad rattling, indicating that no one is looking at breaking any lease.

ìWe have a league-wide policy of honoring leases. Weíve always done that,î he said. ìBut I think the real issue is the issue of the Vikings and the issue of the Gophers.î
Tagliabue was succinct in answering the question of whether Venturaís XFL connection posed a conflict of interest.

ìI donít have any reason to think itís (the XFL connection) a factor in any way, shape, or form,î said Tagliabue.

He doesnít see the XFL as a significant competitor to the NFL because the XFLís season more overlaps the NBA and hockey seasons than the NFLís, said Tagliabue.

How effective was the commissionerís doorknocking at the Capitol?

Sen. David Knutson, R, Burns-ville, said he briefly met Tagliabue but still thinks the stadium issue is ìdeadî at the Legislature this session. ìMy constituents donít want public funding for millionaires,î he said.

John Wodele, Ventura spokes-man, said it was ìvery unlikelyî the governorís private meeting with Tagliabue would sway Ventura from his previous stance on the sanctity of the Viking lease agreement.

As for Venturaís XFL connection, Wodele called it a ìnon-factorî in the debate.

Talking about the tomorrowís clash between the Vikings and Saints, Tagliabue, in answering a question on crowd noise, said in general the noise level the home field team garners from fans should be about equal for visiting teams.
ìIf thereís a significant difference then I think thereís a problem,î he said.

Tagliabueís comment comes in the wake of Viking players urging fans to make noise when the Saints have the ball on Saturday.
Tagliabue said the Vikings organization has been very good in working with the Commissionerís Office.