Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's actually a good thing if it revitalizes a neighborhood and the taxpayers benefit from it by increased real estate values.
I'm not sure there is much evidence that a neighborhood is every really revitalized because of a stadium. And the taxes are usually added sales taxes, hotel/rental car surcharges - which hit taxpayers in a broad area (an entire city or county). If someone asks me to pay additional sales tax to revitalize a distant neighborhood - I'll say NO thank you.
Count me as someone that believes that the prestige of being a "major league city" is incredibly overrated. Besides, most folks can't even afford to take a family to these sporting events.
I mean, people get attached to these teams because they grow up with them. Your question is valid, but folks would be more amenable to public financing of stadiums if they could actually afford to go to these events.
That depends on how you want to spend your entertainment dollars. This year you can buy a Five Chiefs games (one preseason of course) for around $500. Not that bad IMO. Royals tickets you can get pretty cheap ten fifteen bucks a ticket. So you can take the family out to a nice dinner and catch a movie or go to the ballgame. Heck a round of golf for me and my oldest costs around a hundred bucks when all is said and done. Or I can go dump a couple hundred on the craps table in a half hour. Pick your poison. lol
I'm not sure there is much evidence that a neighborhood is every really revitalized because of a stadium. And the taxes are usually added sales taxes, hotel/rental car surcharges - which hit taxpayers in a broad area (an entire city or county). If someone asks me to pay additional sales tax to revitalize a distant neighborhood - I'll say NO thank you.
In KC it was a 1/2 cent sales tax in the county to pay for the upgrade. The thought being folks coming in to see the games would be buying things and staying there so the out of town fans will be paying for it too. Of course the folks who live there pay for it every time they buy something but they voted for it.
I'm not for public money being used but if the taxpayers are allowed to vote on a tax to pay for it and they say yes then what more can you ask. Quality of life for the city dwellers increases too. You are a major league city. If it weren't such a big deal why do so many scream and cry when a team wants to leave? There is a reason for that too.
I'm curious as to know what "public" voted on it. When people say this are they referring to a referendum or are elected representatives voting on it? Because the samething happened in my hometown and I don't recall there being any voting boothes.
I ask because for the sake of politics--we had the same problem in NYC with term limits. A referendum was held twice to limit mayoral term limits to 2. In 2009 I think City Council voted on it this time and voted to expand them to 3, yet that was considered "public" I believe despite the general public being against it in the past. So we obviously had a conflict here where the City Council claimed to represent the public voted YES on it, where the general public voted NO.
Besides, how exactly does professional sports IMPROVE a society? I can understand an investment by the taxpayers if it means a net return on the investment, but I don't see it here.
One could argue the increased demand for business near the stadium by sports fan is the net return on the investment, but wouldn't the results be the same if it were completely funded privately?
Professional sports in NO way improves society. What pro sports does accomplish is to preoccupy otherwise reasonable potentially intelligent people's minds with all manner of things that are unimportant dribble to anyone who truly wants to improve our society and live a life that truly accounts for something lasting.
Sports, used appropriately for occasional entertainment is certainly fine as we all need a break from reality....but I've just known to many people over the years who can cite statistics about every single player in their sport(s) of choice and generally 75% of their conversations are about same....but give you a blank look when you ask them a substantive question about something of importance to society, government, or how to improve our general well being.
I think most sports fans grew up playing the games they are fans of and enjoy watching it done at a higher level they could never achieve. At least that's my excuse.
You don't think the '80 Olympic hockey team victory didn't have any importance?
Professional sports in NO way improves society. What pro sports does accomplish is to preoccupy otherwise reasonable potentially intelligent people's minds with all manner of things that are unimportant dribble to anyone who truly wants to improve our society and live a life that truly accounts for something lasting.
Sports, used appropriately for occasional entertainment is certainly fine as we all need a break from reality....but I've just known to many people over the years who can cite statistics about every single player in their sport(s) of choice and generally 75% of their conversations are about same....but give you a blank look when you ask them a substantive question about something of importance to society, government, or how to improve our general well being.
This is so true, sadly. I work with some folks that live, eat, and breathe sports. The other day I brought up an issue in local politics that could have a strong impact on us. All I got was blank stares, none even knew of it! I was disgusted. But hey, they were more than eager to talk about some lugheads who threw a ball into a basket more times than the other team of lugheads! What the hell?
I think most sports fans grew up playing the games they are fans of and enjoy watching it done at a higher level they could never achieve. At least that's my excuse.
You don't think the '80 Olympic hockey team victory didn't have any importance?
I assume you actually meant to say, I assume you don't think the 80 Olympic hockey team victory had any importance ?
It's always hard to define the importance of intangiable things like that. I know there was pride in the team that as I recall beat a team (Russians maybe ?...not sure), that was supposed to be favored. I guess anytime we can beat the Russians on anything it makes us feel good and feeling good is always a good thing.
My overall point though, is that obscessing on sports as so many do is what makes me wonder about the mentality (sometimes reminds me of those attracted to shiny objects of little ultimate importance) of some of them is and how beneficial it is for them and/or society to be there.
It's certainly anyones right to think or obscess about anything you like, but there are so many other more useful things all of us Americans can and probably should be thinking about that are of much greater importance to all of us.
I believe it was Karl Marx who said "Religion is the opium of the masses". I think we all understood what he meant by that comment. I would add that Sports isn't far behind and in all liklehood has taken over religion as the opium of choice to preoccupy minds and ultimately distract you from other more important subjects....that many none the less place great importance on. Items that the powers that be would rather not have us thinking about anyway. We're falling right into their hands when we worry and obscess and place way to much importance on issues that really don't ultimately matter for much.
Look at the run up to the SuperBowl every year. Can you even remember who won it two or three years ago ? Doesn't matter one bit either way....but for weeks prior to the "big event" it's all some can (and I work with some unfortunately) and do talk about.....makes me yawn and desperately seek out truly stimulating conversation.
Sports is a hobby. It's entertainment. They could probably name every paint one could use on their models? Sports are fun, people play them from the time they are old enough to walk and become fans of the game. How does that make one's mental state come into question? Sports/Religion is a very big jump your trying to make.
What makes one yawn interests another. What's the big deal. Don't like sports then don't watch or partake. It's a free country. To try and paint those that do as having mental problems makes me wonder about you. lol
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
