The debates in Oklahoma City over the wisdom of coughing over arena money while other pressing issues exist is painfully familiar to longtime Seattle residents.
Firstly, before all you go “man we shouldn’t be helping this billionaire”.
BRO, the owner isn’t a billionaire. Fucken herpa derpa derpa derpa. $400m net worth, so even if he sold everything he has, he doesn’t have enough money for half the stadium.
Second, and this is the real dumb ass take, why do you think it’s a team’s stadium? Teams play at a stadium, they are the best tenant you’ll ever get, they pay way above average events and sign long term consistent contracts. BUT they can only use the stadium, what 41 times a season. 314 other days a year that the stadium, not managed by a team, used by the city’s residents for non-basketball stuff, literally 90% of the year.
Third, what fucking profesional sports team, especially a small market one just casually has enough staff to run a stadium? Stadiums are bigger business than a measly ass basketball team. Only one team ever has privately funded and run their own stadium, and that’s literally the biggest team in basketball history with the biggest financial backing imaginable.
Fourth, anyone with the “oh why do they need a new stadium”. Well they don’t right now, eventually they will, and this is getting the ball rolling. Believe it or not, it’s pretty beneficial for cities to have multiple, varier size arenas! We have a bunch within walking distance here, and man they PUMP! It becomes a destination for artists, where they can always go no matter the size. I’ve literally left a game at John Cain arena then while walking away seen Tame Impala playing at Rod Laver arena next door, and gone to that. It’s a fucking awesome thing to have for the people of a city.
Fifth. Stadiums are a public asset which involve infrastructure. Like roads, railways, they are for general public use, taxpayer funded loans pay for them, while venue hire pays back the local governments. The government’s make money back from them (I don’t care how much you think they make or not from all the related sources). This isn’t you paying for a stadium, it’s you backing a loan. This isn’t comparable to say healthcare where the system just consumes your tax payer dollars year in and out.
Sixth and holy shit, the person who was like “oh my god imagine if I only had to pay $50k for my $900k house?”. An actual god tier dumb ass take. Sure bro, you only get to stay in it 41 nights a year, and you still have to pay a yearly maintenance of like $10k, and you have to sign a 30 year lease. Like no actual human being would ever sign that fucking deal.
Man R/NBA fans are on another level of stupidity.
Firstly, before all you go “man we shouldn’t be helping this billionaire”.
BRO, the owner isn’t a billionaire. Fucken herpa derpa derpa derpa. $400m net worth, so even if he sold everything he has, he doesn’t have enough money for half the stadium.
Second, and this is the real dumb ass take, why do you think it’s a team’s stadium? Teams play at a stadium, they are the best tenant you’ll ever get, they pay way above average events and sign long term consistent contracts. BUT they can only use the stadium, what 41 times a season. 314 other days a year that the stadium, not managed by a team, used by the city’s residents for non-basketball stuff, literally 90% of the year.
Third, what fucking profesional sports team, especially a small market one just casually has enough staff to run a stadium? Stadiums are bigger business than a measly ass basketball team. Only one team ever has privately funded and run their own stadium, and that’s literally the biggest team in basketball history with the biggest financial backing imaginable.
Fourth, anyone with the “oh why do they need a new stadium”. Well they don’t right now, eventually they will, and this is getting the ball rolling. Believe it or not, it’s pretty beneficial for cities to have multiple, varier size arenas! We have a bunch within walking distance here, and man they PUMP! It becomes a destination for artists, where they can always go no matter the size. I’ve literally left a game at John Cain arena then while walking away seen Tame Impala playing at Rod Laver arena next door, and gone to that. It’s a fucking awesome thing to have for the people of a city.
Fifth. Stadiums are a public asset which involve infrastructure. Like roads, railways, they are for general public use, taxpayer funded loans pay for them, while venue hire pays back the local governments. The government’s make money back from them (I don’t care how much you think they make or not from all the related sources). This isn’t you paying for a stadium, it’s you backing a loan. This isn’t comparable to say healthcare where the system just consumes your tax payer dollars year in and out.
Sixth and holy shit, the person who was like “oh my god imagine if I only had to pay $50k for my $900k house?”. An actual god tier dumb ass take. Sure bro, you only get to stay in it 41 nights a year, and you still have to pay a yearly maintenance of like $10k, and you have to sign a 30 year lease. Like no actual human being would ever sign that fucking deal.