Should cities and governments help pay for sports stadiums?

[Jerzylvania]

You mean gigantic loss, once the event is over but maintenance is not?

It's my understanding that American football is never over.

After the brain autopsy it is.

[Greed and Death]

Govnerment spending is meant to be a loss, and really only used because the people want it. Why sports stadiums must be an Exception to this rule is beyond me.

Such a loss that is causes bankruptcy? Cities are supposed to stay afloat.

I am curious which cities are you referring to ?

[United Dependencies]

You mean gigantic loss, once the event is over but maintenance is not?

It's my understanding that American football is never over.

Excepting, of course, the 35 weeks of the year where it is, in fact, over.

[The South Falls]

It's my understanding that American football is never over.

Excepting, of course, the 35 weeks of the year where it is, in fact, over.

That's 31, but splitting hairs. Anyway, those are the saddest weeks of the year.

[Coolao]

Depends on the situation.

In my town, we host some of the NJCAA games, and travelers to these games make up a significant portion of the town's economy.

So I was fine when the city government paid for updates to the stadium, considering it benefits local businesses as well.

This case, however, is a rare exception to my dislike of frivolous spending.

[Avidius Legion]

Yeah. Well, depend really. For cities that may have little to no tourist attraction, doing such thing would really enhance the value of the cities. This practice is also known as municipal marketing, where cities "sell" landmark for sponsorship and for most part, it plays important part in how the city attract capital as well as the quality of life as its citizen.

I don't know much about sporting in US tho, so maybe the system fucked up somewhere along the line. Only in U.S after all, corporation can literally threaten to squeeze every penny from the government.

[Mystic Warriors]

Sure. It generates tax revenue.

[Dagnia]

It depends on a few things, but overall, I'd say no if it's just some fat cat owner trying to get a free stadium. I would be open to the idea of public funding for a stadium if certain conditions were met though. Did the public decide it wants this stadium, and is it entirely a public project to be owned by the city, province, or government entity funding it? When not being used for a major event like a game or concert, can any private citizen easily walk in and use it for their own purposes? If private, is the owner going to give the government some kind of return on investment, paying the total costs to build it back with interest or paying higher than usual taxes for the existence of the stadium? There are a few other things I would consider, but the more "yes" answers I would get to questions like these, the more likely I would be to consider it.

[The New California Republic]

In terms of Olympic stadiums I'd say yes, provided that the stadiums are kept within budget and have a long-term viability strategy for after the games are finished. However, the question seems to be more about football/baseball stadiums and the like, and for that I would have to say no, the government shouldn't help pay for such stadiums, as such buildings are there because of private enterprise.

[Salus Maior]

Who else would?

Things like sports are an important and valued part of culture so I don't see why a city or the state shouldn't throw some money their way.

[The New California Republic]

Who else would?

Corporate sponsors?

[Farnhamia]

Who else would?

Corporate sponsors?

Always fun, that. Invesco Field at Mile High until Invesco needed cash and sold the naming rights to Sports Authority, who endeared themselves to Bronco fans by putting up a sign in Kansas City colors. They went belly-up five years later and the team ended up buying the rights. Fun. All that after Pat Bowlen held a gun to the city's head by changing the team logos to eliminate any obvious reference to Denver and then demanding a new stadium.

[The New California Republic]

Corporate sponsors?

Always fun, that. Invesco Field at Mile High until Invesco needed cash and sold the naming rights to Sports Authority, who endeared themselves to Bronco fans by putting up a sign in Kansas City colors. They went belly-up five years later and the team ended up buying the rights. Fun. All that after Pat Bowlen held a gun to the city's head by changing the team logos to eliminate any obvious reference to Denver and then demanding a new stadium.

Don't worry, I am not advocating it, merely pointing it out as an option instead of/in addition to government funds.

[Dooom35796821595]

Always fun, that. Invesco Field at Mile High until Invesco needed cash and sold the naming rights to Sports Authority, who endeared themselves to Bronco fans by putting up a sign in Kansas City colors. They went belly-up five years later and the team ended up buying the rights. Fun. All that after Pat Bowlen held a gun to the city's head by changing the team logos to eliminate any obvious reference to Denver and then demanding a new stadium.

Don't worry, I am not advocating it, merely pointing it out as an option instead of/in addition to government funds.

Lottery funds helped a lot a London 2012, and in funding various sports.

[The New California Republic]

Don't worry, I am not advocating it, merely pointing it out as an option instead of/in addition to government funds.

Lottery funds helped a lot a London 2012, and in funding various sports.

Indeed it did, as well as many other sports-related projects around the country.

[Puldania]

Fuck no.
That's how we ended up with the useless marlin's stadium.

[Shofercia]

Don't worry, I am not advocating it, merely pointing it out as an option instead of/in addition to government funds.

Lottery funds helped a lot a London 2012, and in funding various sports.

You know what would've really helped London? Their moronic organizers, led by Sebastian Coe, actually selling tickets. They failed to sell football (soccer) tickets to their national women's team. The games were held in Millennium Stadium, capacity 74,500. Number of tickets sold to the British Opening Game? 24,445. Coe's lame excuse? The allocated tickets were withheld from the sale. Sebby, Sebby, Sebby, do you know how to count? Only 25% of the tickets were allocated. So let's see here, (0.75 * 74,500) - 24,445 = 31,430. Similar results were there for the rest of the tournament.

My tip: don't blame rank amateurs for the failure of stadiums. And here's Coe doing what I think he does best - lying his ass off:

Empty seats at Olympic events were reported during the first two days of the games. Although events were reported to be sold out, many empty seats were observed in highly visible areas at multiple venues. Sebastian Coe, the Head of LOCOG, stated in a press conference on 29 July that the seats were reserved for "the Olympic family and sponsors" and that the events were otherwise "stuffed to the gunwales". The empty seats were also from NOCs which had not used up the entire allocation and had not returned the unallocated tickets. Coe stated that LOCOG would investigate the claims of empty seats.

Riiight. Somehow LA managed to have a profitable Olympics, not once, but twice. Oh, right, because LA had a great organizer, Peter Ueberroth. The Russians also made a profit: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olym ... KR20150226

But how was that possible? Out of the $51 billion, the extreme majority was spent on improving infrastructure in the war torn Caucasus Region. The amount actually spent on Hosting the Olympics, the Olympic Infrastructure, and the Olympic Venues, was less than $10 billion. Out of that amount, the Russians made roughly $53 million in profit. And most of those venues are heavily used.

[Pope Joan]

Corporate sponsors?

Always fun, that. Invesco Field at Mile High until Invesco needed cash and sold the naming rights to Sports Authority, who endeared themselves to Bronco fans by putting up a sign in Kansas City colors. They went belly-up five years later and the team ended up buying the rights. Fun. All that after Pat Bowlen held a gun to the city's head by changing the team logos to eliminate any obvious reference to Denver and then demanding a new stadium.

Brings back echoes of Jennifer Government, to me.

[The Great Imperator Jeffrey]

Sports are a waste of time and money. I don't see why the government should pay for such frivolous things.

[The New California Republic]

Sports are a waste of time and money. I don't see why the government should pay for such frivolous things.

Yes, who would even consider spending money to keep fit and/or be entertained? Absurd! Unthinkable!

[The South Falls]

Sports are a waste of time and money. I don't see why the government should pay for such frivolous things.

Why, sports are too far below you?

[The Black Forrest]

If they are getting a cut from all sales; sure why not?

[LiberNovusAmericae]

Sports stadiums should be privately owned and funded in a free market system. Sports shouldn't be on any government's agenda.

[Ethel mermania]

Lot of ways to slice this. Who owns the stadium for one? The sports team, or the city?

What kind of financing are we talking about? Direct subsidy? Tax breaks? Tax free bonding? And who is getting the subsidy, team ownership, a public or semi-public authority? What about infrastructure improvements? New subway line, highway exit, who pays for that?

I don't think it's a flat decision. Each case should be judged on it's merits.

[Shofercia]

Sports are a waste of time and money. I don't see why the government should pay for such frivolous things.

Sports are neither a waste of time, nor money, if the investment is done right. I play sports, and go to sporting events, and I have a lot of fun. Claiming that sports are a waste of time and money is like claiming that anything of even the most basic entertainment value is a waste of time and money. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.