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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for professional stadiums

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walty12 said

Its just an interesting take to say that having a new stadium and a pro sports team doesn't effect a city, county, state.  Kind of like arguing that FAU's football program and stadium doesn't really create jobs and is a waste.  Well, its a much larger more complex argument than that.  We all know it influences student pride,  alumni pride, application rates, visibility, etc.

It is very hard to measure and quantify the difference made by a successful sports team in a city or at a University.
Posted On: Jul 15th 2015, 1:47 PM #346461

Agreed.

My issues is that the Marlin's management got a free stadium out of the deal at taxpayer's expense.

That's it…

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But it is the city's stadium, correct?  If the baseball team leaves…the city still owns the stadium?

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Yeah, it's theirs…all theirs.

Which is a great thing to have if the team leaves.
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Rick said

Yeah, it's theirs…all theirs.

Which is a great thing to have if the team leaves.
Posted On: Jul 15th 2015, 2:42 PM #346464

Haha, I understand what you're saying….

A city the size of Miami will always have a baseball team.  Even if the current owners take the Marlins away.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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walty12 said

Rick said

Yeah, it's theirs…all theirs.

Which is a great thing to have if the team leaves.
Posted On: Jul 15th 2015, 2:42 PM #346464
Haha, I understand what you're saying….

A city the size of Miami will always have a baseball team.  Even if the current owners take the Marlins away.

Posted On: Jul 15th 2015, 3:48 PM #346465



The primary reason for supporting the stadium per the politicians is that it creates economic development.  They say it will create 1,000 construction jobs, but I shake my head at that because those are temporary 18 to 36 months depending on the project, and then they say it will create 5,000 stadium jobs which are generally minimum or slightly higher than minimum wage jobs.  The cost of public support is not justified.  We would be better off putting $500 million towards attracting Scripps type partnerships.  Those are the kind of wages you want to attract.  That brings prosperity.  The deck is stacked against the people when sports teams enter the equation.  The NFL makes $9 billion a year, why can't they internally finance their stadium construction and renovation?  They could do two stadiums a year continuously and never feel it toward their bottom line.  It will take the people to say NO one day.

When the Dolphins were trying to get public funding for the stadium renovation they were spouting off all of these numbers the Super Bowl and National Championship games would generate.  But the fact of the matter is, January and February our hotels are filled at top rates.  If they moved the SB and NC game to August it would be a different story.

Can't make billions and plead poverty.  Time for politicians to wake up.
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walty12 said

Rick said

Yeah, it's theirs…all theirs.

Which is a great thing to have if the team leaves.
Posted On: Jul 15th 2015, 2:42 PM #346464

Haha, I understand what you're saying….

A city the size of Miami will always have a baseball team.  Even if the current owners take the Marlins away.
Posted On: Jul 15th 2015, 3:48 PM #346465

In a few years, the Marlins current ownership will sell (probably right after the All Star Game in 2017), but there is zero chance the team is moving.  

Potentially the A's or Rays could move as both have unresolved stadium issues, but even they are unlikely to go anywhere.  
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Yea, its kind of along the lines of…"why put all this money into a football team at FAU?  Give the professors a raise!".

I understand having the Miami Marlins stadium here doesn't create a ton of high paying jobs.  However, having a MLB team in the city/region has a ton of other impact.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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