MVN - Most Valuable Network

Are You Doing Your Part?

As you’re all probably well aware, there’s a stadium issue that will be looming over the Vikings in the coming year.  While I don’t believe that it’s time to start sounding the alarms, I do believe that it’s crucial that the issue is resolved in the very near future.  The Metrodome is aging and the Vikings’ lease with the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission expires in 2011.

Resolution of the stadium issue is even more crucial when considering the other cities that have expressed interest in hosting a NFL team.  (Specific examples of such suitors would be Los Angeles and Toronto.)

Thankfully, the Vikings appear to be an unlikely candidate for relocation.  Zygi Wilf has stated publicly that moving the team is “not an option”.  (This is a far cry from the hard-nosed posturing of former owner, Red McCombs.)  He has also demonstrated through his willingness to spend on the team that he wants to build a championship-caliber team right here in Minnesota.  Additionally, the NFL has expressed a desire to help the team “succeed in its home market”.  All of these things bode well for keeping the Vikings in Minnesota.

However, the Vikings face their share of obstacles.  The state of Minnesota is facing a large budget shortfall, and convincing the government to invest in a stadium is going to be difficult.  My belief is that the upfront cost would be outweighed by the future benefits.  (For example, construction of a new stadium could allow Minneapolis to host a Super Bowl.)

This is where you come in!  Every little bit helps, and I want to encourage you to take a few moments to follow the steps below.

1. Visit the Minnesota Momentum homepage and read over the proposed plans for the Vikings’ new stadium.  They’re very interesting and I think that you’ll be excited by the possibilities.
2. Register as a member of the Minnesota Momentum coalition by visiting this page.  It only takes a few minutes, and you will not receive junk mail as a result.  (I’ve been a member for approximately a year.  You will occasionally receive a newsletter.  However, Minnesota Momentum will not sell your contact information.  But, you must be a resident of Minnesota to register.)
3. Now, if you’re looking for extra bonus points, take a few minutes to contact your state representative(s) using the instructions found here.  Additionally, you can contact the Governor to voice your support.  (This may seem like it will be ineffective, but I believe that it’s extremely important.  These people all work for you and they do occasionally take time to read messages from their constituents.  Don’t underestimate the importance of this activity!  But, please don’t harass them.)
4. Talk to your fellow Vikings fans, and encourage them to follow the steps above.  (Or at the very least, talk them into registering as a member of Minnesota Momentum.)

I believe that it’s up to us, as Vikings fans, to help get this issue resolved.  I’ll occasionally post reminders about what you can do to help over the upcoming season.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 11:20 pm and is filed under Stadium. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.