The Stadium Games Are Over

Both houses of the Minnesota state legislature Thursday approved the Vikings' new stadium, which will be built (partially) on the site of the current Metrodome. A few thoughts on the passage:

- Sure, using that much public money on a sports stadium is questionable both morally and economically. But I won't lie and say I'm not thrilled that my team will remain in Minnesota.

- The team picked the right city and the right site, much better than Blaine or Arden Hills would've been. It's still uncertain whether or not it'll have a roof; I'm hoping for not but I'm sure the promise of one Super Bowl or one Final Four will outweigh the potential advantage of becoming a feared cold weather team again.

- One of the best parts of this passing? No more wankery from Mike Florio on the subject. "Adrian Peterson is rehabbing his knee? Maybe he'll be rehabbing.... in Los Angeles!"

- Even better, the Wilfs want to bring an MLS soccer team to the stadium. What will it be called? FC Twin Cities? Minneapolis Hotspur? They really should work "City" into "Cities." Target Center improvement funds are part of the deal as well.

- Will the stadium make the team any better? Probably not, although when it opens in 2016 I'm guessing most of the current management or nucleus won't be around anymore.

- The strangest thing of all is that the approval brings to an end 20 years of stadium fights in the Twin Cities. Every local team is all set, so Minnesota politics will be free of this from now on. Until Target Field needs replacing in 20 years, that is…

- If you'd asked me a few years ago when the Vikings would get a new stadium, I'd have said, "yea, right, that'll happen the day the president endorses gay marriage"

Thursday Writings

Here's my review of "Dark Shadows," and here's my latest Week in Electronics Retail Crime.

Obama on Marriage

It's brave, historical, and I applaud him. True, it's mostly a symbolic gesture, the president doesn't have the power to legalize same-sex marriage all by himself, and just about everything he could've done to make marriage equality a reality, he had been doing already. So let people be bigots and show themselves as such.

New Writings This Week

Thanks for all the happy anniversary wishes yesterday, I greatly appreciate it.

Here's my new Philly Post column, on the failure of Americans Elect. See also a column from a month ago, where I talked about whether the president will back same-sex marriage.

At Dealerscope, here's something I wrote about Zagg, the maker of iPhone accessories, striking back against a blog that accused them of lying about their financials.

And at EntertainmentTell, I did an essay on that stupid Phil Mushnick/Jay-Z controversy.

Check out everything that's going on at EntertainmentTell here, or see all of my posts here. And follow us on Twitter, too.