John Oliver: You don't want a New Sports Stadium in Your City

[weams]

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/07/john-oliver-reminds-us-all-just-how-awful-publicly-financed-stadium-deals-can-be

No wonder they need to grow grass in that Toronto Dome.

The controversy over public funding being used to play for sports stadiums isn't new, but as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to threaten to move the team if they don't receive public funding for a new arena, here's another good reminder from John Oliver of some of the worst deals that taxpayers have received. The whole thing is always a bit infuriating and can be summed up in one line from Oliver regarding the Marlins' stadium deal:

"This is all about the money son, the money."

Warning: There's some NSFW language in the video

[weams]

No Books. No Stadium.

[gmelson26]

You wonder, how much money do some of these teams spend on PR, advertising, etc. to push for public funding that they simply could use to build a new stadium.

[weams]

You wonder, how much money do some of these teams spend on PR, advertising, etc. to push for public funding that they simply could use to build a new stadium.

Not Billions

[gmelson26]

Not Billions

Obviously, it's more a symbolic waste of money, but furthermore, should it really cost billions to construct a stadium?

[sportsfan8703]

I'd rather build baseball stadiums than tanks. That money is going to get taxed and spent anyways.

[weams]

Obviously, it's more a symbolic waste of money, but furthermore, should it really cost billions to construct a stadium?

Evidently.

[Chavez Ravine]

Awesome stuff. Plus it brought back repressed memories of Marty Cordova.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DrungoHazewood]

In a selfish way I love OPACY. And I'll probably love the new DC Stadium. And I'm sure Ravens fans love their stadium. But it's a very, very questionable use of very scarce public resources to spend hundreds of $millions to build thriving sports teams with extremely rich ownership groups free stadiums. The economic justifications are almost always overblown, if not outright fabrications. But you gotta hand it to the leagues - they set up monopolies years ago, they made themselves the only game in town with territorial restrictions and franchise movement restrictions, and they got people used to the idea that they're the only possible game in town. So now they can regularly blackmail cities with threats of going to greener pastures knowing that there is no other option if they want a team.

[Phantom]

I'd rather build baseball stadiums than tanks. That money is going to get taxed and spent anyways.

That's not the same money. You are taking it from schools and roads.

This is really an issue where the federal government should step in. We give sports leagues all sorts of legal breaks, and this is a place where cities need to collectively bargain the terms, instead of letting the billionaires play them against each other.

[Crabcakes]

This is really an issue where the federal government should step in. .

The Feds already give MLB anti-trust status....& gives the NFL (not each individual team) tax-free status. The federal government is probably more corrupt than the states

[weams]

The Feds already give MLB anti-trust status....& gives the NFL (not each individual team) tax-free status. The federal government is probably more corrupt than the states

We really don't talk about political issue here at the Hangout. So don't get mad. Just post your political rages somewhere that they do! Glad to have you in the discussions.

[Winning_Season]

I was too young when OPACY was built to know but how does the stadium fare in terms of revitalizing the area and public financing?

[VeveJones007]

In a selfish way I love OPACY. And I'll probably love the new DC Stadium. And I'm sure Ravens fans love their stadium. But it's a very, very questionable use of very scarce public resources to spend hundreds of $millions to build thriving sports teams with extremely rich ownership groups free stadiums. The economic justifications are almost always overblown, if not outright fabrications. But you gotta hand it to the leagues - they set up monopolies years ago, they made themselves the only game in town with territorial restrictions and franchise movement restrictions, and they got people used to the idea that they're the only possible game in town. So now they can regularly blackmail cities with threats of going to greener pastures knowing that there is no other option if they want a team.

Most corporations do the same thing. It's just sound business.

[Rich Mac]

I know it will never happen....but, this issue would be resolved if the the federal government would pass a law forbidding professional sports franchises from moving out of their current cities into publicly financed facilities.

If the owner has the money to finance his own stadium, then all the power to him.