'How the NFL fleeces taxpayers'

He said they bring in a shitload of money to the cities.

What you're talking about is money that goes straight into the owner's pocket.

 

There are reams of academic studies that all confirm the teams don't bring in money for the cities.

You may be getting confused because there are reams of NFL and city press releases saying Super Bowls brought in ONE BILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!! of economic activity.

But it really isn't that confusing.

 

You don't think the Packers bring in a ton of money to Green Bay? You don't think the Steelers bring in a ton of money to Pittsburgh? I talked with the manager of a restaurant in Indianapolis and he said, "Without sports fans, we'd be out of business." Obviously, in that case, it's not limited to the NFL, but still...

If people don't think it's worth it, they can vote against the tax.

 

The city where I live, if you try to go out on a Friday or Saturday when the local NFL team is in town, you can't get a seat at any restaurant and all the hotels are booked.

But other than that, I'm sure the local teams makes no difference on the local economy.

 

The Packers bring in a lot of money for the Packers. The Steelers bring in a lot of money for the Steelers.

I'm sure your one anecdote (if it actually happened) is powerful to you, but it doesn't meet reality.

 

The argument would be that while his restaurant, right near the stadium, might be out of business, the money spent there, would be spent elsewhere, at different restaurants, or at the movies.

Now, if a team just moves to the next town, then the money might just go with it.

 

Isn't the argument that even if the money isn't spent elsewhere, or if less of it is, neither would the taxpayers have had to foot the bill for the stadium and other costs related to the Colts. Therefore, no Colts would be a net gain for the city of Indianapolis. That's the argument, at least.

A lot of these teams - the Colts are definitely one of them - get around public outrage by levying hotel taxes. In other words, locals aren't taxed. Out-of-towners are. And fuck them. That's what makes it palatable.

 

I'll use Indy as the example because unlike New Orleans, where everything is also so centralized, Indy is not a normal vacation destination. Yes, the teams get rich, that goes without saying. But I don't buy the argument that if you took the Pacers and the Colts (which would also mean all of the Final Four and Combine and Super Bowl money would go away as well) that downtown Indianapolis would be better off.

 

Super Bowl Lands on Taxpayers’ Backs as Indianapolis Stadium Deal Sours

While Super Bowl fans are riding zip lines through downtown Indianapolis this week in the runup to the National Football League’s championship game, taxpayers are digging deeper in their pockets to pay for the stadium where the game will be played.

The $720 million Lucas Oil Stadium, where the New York Giants meet the New England Patriots on Feb. 5, has prompted local officials to raise hotel, restaurant and rental car taxes, and make other payments on top of about $43 million in unexpected financing costs related to their sports and convention facilities.

“They said, ‘We’re going to have one great fantastic party with an unbelievable advertisement for Indianapolis (8383MF) and it isn’t going to cost taxpayers a dime,’” said Pat Andrews, 60, a blogger and community activist who ran unsuccessfully for City Council last year. “Well, baloney.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-02/super-bowl-lands-on-taxpayers-backs-as-stadium-deal-turns-sour.html

 

Here's what usually happens in Indianapolis -- and in most cities -- around pro sports stadiums. Fans come to the game. They park. They go into the stadium. They get into their cars after the game. They go home. Amount spent in surrounding area: zero. (Unless the parking isn't owned by the stadium.)

A sports stadium sells itself as something that benefits the community, but it's designed to suck as much money in as possible. The thriving nightlife around Wrigley Field, to team owners, isn't a benefit -- it's a scary thought that someone might be spending money somewhere else.

There are some businesses in downtown Indianapolis that rely heavily on visitor business, and probably do OK on game days. But for the city as a whole? I'm sure Indianapolis, with its spiraling, near-Chicago murder rate, might have other places to spend the money, like on police.

http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2013/10/city-county-council-chooses-subsidizing.html

Oh, and now you have the Indianapolis Motor Speedway finally deciding to grab the public teat, asking for $100 million.

Hey, I'm a fan of the teams, and I do think they bring some value to the city. But the value is way outstripped by the public money spent on them, and that's true for just about every team in every city.

 

Again: All of these taxpayers are out-of-towners. Other than community activist Pat Andrews, actual citizens of Indianapolis and its collar communities don't care about them. They don't rent cars and stay in hotels.