Vikings stadium battle intrigues

For more than 10 years, the Vikings under various owners have petitioned the Legislature to approve a stadium bill, now, among some of the toughest economic circumstances and the worst Legislative imbroglio, we have two proposals getting political support.

Go figure.

I like the Minneapolis Metrodome revamp proposal because it seems less costly and offers higher value for taxpayer money. On the other hand, I like the idea of options for tailgating at the Arden Hills site.

Thinking about where Vikings owners come from - New York Giants fans, ala Meadowlands, I'm not surprised the went for the more "romantic" option, the option the brings football back to its blue collar roots.

You presumably won't have to buy an $8 beer going to the game at Arden Hills, or at least you won't have to buy as many of them. You can bring your food and coolers to the tailgating party.

And we can even compete, in that respect, with Packer fans.

I also remember tailgating and excessive drinking gave Minnesota the reputation for the most high profile injuring of an NFL official. Somebody hit the ref with a whiskey bottled tossed from the seats. It was ugly.

The big money hangup appears to be the road infrastructure costs would exceed by in some estimates $100 million what the state was willing to pay into the project.

But if the commissioners in Ramsey County and road engineers are worth their salt, they'll find a way to come up with the money IF they really need that much.

StarTribune has been noting in its editorials favoring the Minneapolis site, that it has a land interest near the Metrodome site and the value of that land would be "affected" by that. They don't say how much.

So I'm torn. I like the idea of tailgating, and Arden Hills is not far from some of my old stomping grounds. And since Hennepin County said it couldn't afford another stadium, it may be Ramsey County's turn.