OT: Schefter on WHY Jersey got 2014 Super Bowl

[Tunescribe]

Per Adam Schefter from his recent WEEI interview: New Jersey was awarded the 2014 Super Bowl on a "one-time only basis" by Goodell and company for one reason and one reason only: to boost the asking price for the new Meadowlands stadium naming rights. It had nothing at all to do with exploring cold-weather venues, etc., etc. but to help the Giants and Green Beans ownership collect $$$ on their billion-plus investment. So, don't expect to see another cold-weather Super Bowl in our lifetimes.

 

[Joker]

Of course, some people will continue to say there's nothing to Jetdell's NY/NJ agenda...yet the evidence keeps mounting..this is no mole hill

 

[Kontradiction]

Money is pretty much the bottom line in every big decision made in this world. To say the least, this does not suprise me.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Of course, some people will continue to say there's nothing to Jetdell's NY/NJ agenda...yet the evidence keeps mounting..this is no mole hill

The owners are trying to help out franchises that have invested heavy amounts of money in their stadia. Is that a problem? Not to me. (And Mr Kraft obviously voted for it with enthusiasm.) Would they have done the same thing for the Patriots? Who knows -- but, even so, it doesn't stop it being the right thing to do.

(But yes, the Jets STILL suck -- first, last and always!)

 

[DaBruinz]

The league did do the same thing for the Patriots. The league backed $400 million of the stadium cost for the Patriots. Yes, they have to pay it back, but the league still helped them out.

 

[Tunescribe]

The league did do the same thing for the Patriots. The league backed $400 million of the stadium cost for the Patriots. Yes, they have to pay it back, but the league still helped them out.

What? First time I've heard this. My understanding was that Kraft footed the full stadium cost and the state kicked in a minor sum for road improvements.

 

[PatsSox363804]

The league did do the same thing for the Patriots. The league backed $400 million of the stadium cost for the Patriots. Yes, they have to pay it back, but the league still helped them out.

I read that it was 150 million? Either way, yes the league helping out with stadium costs is not new, they did it for the Eagles as well.

 

[Disco Volante]

So, don't expect to see another cold-weather Super Bowl in our lifetimes.

ESPN - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says more Super Bowls possible at cold-weather sites

 

[Ian]

What? First time I've heard this. My understanding was that Kraft footed the full stadium cost and the state kicked in a minor sum for road improvements.

The fight was over $70 million in innfrastructure the state at the time refused to pay. I'm at work so I can't pull the details - but I don't recall the league being directly involved financially. I do remember Tagliabue meeting with state reps in an effort to get a deal done, but that's it.

Since I'm not home I'll have to defer to someone else to find the info.

 

[Tunescribe]

ESPN - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says more Super Bowls possible at cold-weather sites

Lip service, nothing more. So if New Jersey doesn't have a blizzard crippling the event that gives a green light to future Super Bowls in Foxboro, Buffalo, Green Bay and Denver? I highly doubt it.

The fight was over $70 million in innfrastructure the state at the time refused to pay. I'm at work so I can't pull the details - but I don't recall the league being directly involved financially. I do remember Tagliabue meeting with state reps in an effort to get a deal done, but that's it.

Since I'm not home I'll have to defer to someone else to find the info.

That's how I remember it. The league had nothing to do with backing Gillette's construction financially.

 

[efin98]

The fight was over $70 million in innfrastructure the state at the time refused to pay. I'm at work so I can't pull the details - but I don't recall the league being directly involved financially. I do remember Tagliabue meeting with state reps in an effort to get a deal done, but that's it.

Since I'm not home I'll have to defer to someone else to find the info.

The league was involved in marketing the new stadium to Boston area business trying to get sales of luxury boxes in motion to guarantee revenues to pay back the state's potential investment around the stadium. The legislature problems were before and after that visit and while indirectly influenced by the visits was not a direct attempt to win over support in the legislature. Some borderline plagiarized articles here about the situation:

http://football.ballparks.com/NFL/NewEnglandPatriots/newindex.htm

The situation in Foxborough spurred the other owners enough for the league to start their "G3" program that subsidized renovations and construction of new stadiums- the biggest of which was Foxborough's loan of $150 million. This is what people are thinking of and the league did in fact lend the team money to pay for the stadium construction- most of it really.

An old article about the program, the only teams not listed there are the last teams to get money from the fund- the Giants/Jets:

Cowboys and Colts score stadium grants

 

[Ian]

The league was involved in marketing the new stadium to Boston area business trying to get sales of luxury boxes in motion to guarantee revenues to pay back the state's potential investment around the stadium. The legislature problems were before and after that visit and while indirectly influenced by the visits was not a direct attempt to win over support in the legislature. Some borderline plagiarized articles here about the situation:

Gillette Stadium

The situation in Foxborough spurred the other owners enough for the league to start their "G3" program that subsidized renovations and construction of new stadiums- the biggest of which was Foxborough's loan of $150 million. This is what people are thinking of and the league did in fact lend the team money to pay for the stadium construction- most of it really.

An old article about the program, the only teams not listed there are the last teams to get money from the fund- the Giants/Jets:

Cowboys and Colts score stadium grants

Good stuff, thanks for posting it - I had forgotten about a lot of that, so it was interesting to go back and look at how it all came together.

 

[zoostation]

That's how I remember it. The league had nothing to do with backing Gillette's construction financially.

with all due respect, that's a naive statement.

it was in the leagues best interest a stadium got build in the boston area with its 8 largest television market (not providence or hartford).

as Kontradiction says above ' every big decision made is based on money'.

 

[Tunescribe]

with all due respect, that's a naive statement.

it was in the leagues best interest a stadium got build in the boston area with its 8 largest television market (not providence or hartford).

as Kontradiction says above ' every big decision made is based on money'.

For heaven sakes, read what I said before declaring it a "naive statement." I said it was my understanding that the league didn't finance the stadium's construction and Kraft footed the bill. I made no reference to Boston area vs. anywhere else.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Of course, some people will continue to say there's nothing to Jetdell's NY/NJ agenda...yet the evidence keeps mounting..this is no mole hill

This is no big deal and certainly not new. The NFL is big business, gets bigger with time and helps teams (including the Pats) as they put up expensive stadiums, one way or another. One of the first to jump on the bandwagon for this particular form of help to the Jets/Giants were the Krafts. There is no hidden agenda or conspiracy and we embarrass ourselves to suggest there is.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The league was involved in marketing the new stadium to Boston area business trying to get sales of luxury boxes in motion to guarantee revenues to pay back the state's potential investment around the stadium. The legislature problems were before and after that visit and while indirectly influenced by the visits was not a direct attempt to win over support in the legislature. Some borderline plagiarized articles here about the situation:

Gillette Stadium

The situation in Foxborough spurred the other owners enough for the league to start their "G3" program that subsidized renovations and construction of new stadiums- the biggest of which was Foxborough's loan of $150 million. This is what people are thinking of and the league did in fact lend the team money to pay for the stadium construction- most of it really.

An old article about the program, the only teams not listed there are the last teams to get money from the fund- the Giants/Jets:

Cowboys and Colts score stadium grants

Thanks. It was lingering in my memory banks and you saved me spending time looking it up. Good stuff!

 

[zoostation]

For heaven sakes, read what I said before declaring it a "naive statement." I said it was my understanding that the league didn't finance the stadium's construction and Kraft footed the bill. I made no reference to Boston area vs. anywhere else.

lol...take it easy. I did add 'with all due respect'.

Let me put it this way, boston is the largest single team market in the league (this excludes the NY Jets). Keeping the stadium in the boston area will make the NFL billions (with a B) in network television contracts in the long term. Do you honestly think the league wanted to get out of this market? Is it fair to say the league would do everything in it's power to keep the team in this market? All I'm saying is read read between the lines.

Gotta run.

 

[mgteich]

Folks here are not embarrassed to state ignorant conspiracy theories about Goodell and the league office and their supposed hate for the patriots. Obviously Kraft is one of the owners with the best and closest relationships with the league office, and has more influence than almost any owner. The SB proposal had little chance without the support of Kraft.

This is no big deal and certainly not new. The NFL is big business, gets bigger with time and helps teams (including the Pats) as they put up expensive stadiums, one way or another. One of the first to jump on the bandwagon for this particular form of help to the Jets/Giants were the Krafts. There is no hidden agenda or conspiracy and we embarrass ourselves to suggest there is.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Folks here are not embarrassed to state ignorant conspiracy theories about Goodell and the league office and their supposed hate for the patriots. Obviously Kraft is one of the owners with the best and closest relationships with the league office, and has more influence than almost any owner. The SB proposal had little chance without the support of Kraft.

Absolutely. If Kraft and two or three others hadn't been on board from the beginning, it never would have come to the table.

Folks here have to realize that Bob Kraft and the Patriots are the single greatest "success story" among NFL owners in the last 15 years, taking a sleepy, low value franchise to the billion dollar range. Goodell and the league have no interest or incentive in doing anything that makes Bob unhappy.

The NFL is a business and there is littler "personal" bad blood among the owners. Yes, there are feuds that go back to the establishment of the modern NFL [most of them involving Al Davis (surprise!) and the now deceased Lamar Hunt].

But, if people think that there is anything but professional respect and, in some cases, friendship among people like Irsay, Jones, Kraft, Laurie, Mara, the Rooneys, Snyder, Tisch and even Woody Johnson, they are just wrong and/or projecting their own feelings onto what they perceive. Are they highly competitive with each other like you would expect self-made (mostly) billionaires to be? You bet! Do they have fights and shouting arguments from time to time? Absolutely! But, in the end, this is a bunch of rich guys who are making each other richer...and they all know it. At the end of the day, they break out the good cognac and cigars.

 

[dhamz]

Of course, some people will continue to say there's nothing to Jetdell's NY/NJ agenda...yet the evidence keeps mounting..this is no mole hill

Does he also have a pro-Arizona, Dallas, and Indy agenda since all 3 of those places also got Super Bowls to help their owners collect $ on their new stadiums?