The NFL got its second chance in the Minnesota State House, but it wasn’t exactly the outcome Vikings fans were looking for. The House overhauled the $975 million proposal altering the deal, and requiring the team to come up with an additional $105 million.
Supporters of keeping the Vikings in Minnesota were making their voices heard, both on the floor of the House and in the streets outside.
“Whatever you think of this bill, this is our one chance,” said Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove. “This bill works, it’s been fine-tuned and it will build a stadium.”
Outside the chamber, Vikings fans, players and Governor Mark Dayton gathered for a rally to support the bill, as fans chanted, “Build it.” Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, entering his second year in the NFL, drew cheers from the crowd when he said, “I want to be here in Minnesota for the rest of my life.”
But the significant changes to the bill put the entire project in jeopardy. The bill that passed the House must also clear the Senate and then could come back for additional negotiations before another round of votes.
The initial reaction from the NFL to the altered deal was not positive, according to Eric Grubman, the NFL’s executive vice president of venture and business operations.
“You can’t change the deal at the last minute,” Grubman said. “After months of negotiation and compromise and the building of a legislative coalition, albeit a fragile one, any meaningful change of the bill drastically changes the probability of success.”
The plan that was originally negotiated by the governor required the Vikings to come up $427 million of the construction costs, with the state paying $398 million and the city of Minneapolis contributing $150 million. The first amendment that was put together today would cap the state’s share at $293 million and require the team to make up the difference and come up with $532 million.
That’s far from tweaking a deal – it is a 25 percent increase in what the team has to come up with. It still remains to be seen what the State Senate will do, and what will come out in the end, but this looks like a face saving effort for the legislature. If they approve something and the NFL turns it down, they can claim they did everything possible.
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of unanswered questions as to where the Vikings will be playing after the 2012 season.
