I really have no time for big business

Bretrick

Bretrick

SF VIP
Location
Perth Western Australia
Picture this.
Tasmania wants to enter the AFL - Australian Football League competition. The governing body said they must build a new stadium first. Stadium will cost upwards of $1 billion dollars.
Plans were approved; stadium will go ahead at a huge cost to the local community and the Australian public (jointly funded by the AFL, the Federal and State Governments)
Lo and behold, yesterday the consortium responsible for building the stadium has removed a major component of the stadium infrastructure. A two-storey underground carpark will no longer be built. The original plan was for a three-storey car park housing 532 car bays.
At a cost of $100 million, does that mean the total cost of the stadium will be reduce by that amount?
I bet the stadium will overrun it's total cost by at least 30%
 
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Over the years I've heard the local government promote tax subsidy of sports teams by investing huge sums in arenas and stadiums. It isn't a proposition that the tax payer can truly evaluate, because all the data comes from the promoters. Personally I think it is foolish to give a billionaire franchise owner a handout directly out of the taxpayer's pocket, many of whom never patronize the franchise in any way.
 
Here in the U.S., it’s ridiculous as to how much the state, county and municipality adds on to each ticket sale through fees and taxes. Additionally, the same can be said for parking fees, vendor licenses, food and beverage consumption and merchandising. Additionally, there are fees to be collected from TV and radio rights.

There are mounds of money to be collected from building a new stadium at the taxpayer’s expense.

“The taxpayers (us) pay for the new stadium and everyone else reaps the rewards.” Seems fair to me. Or, as one financial expert puts it, “Experts often describe these returns back to the citizens as modest, with public funding typically covering a significant portion of the construction costs.”

And, there you have it.
 
Packerjohn said:
Thank goodness, I never attend any sporting events because I believe it's all about the money.
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At one time I really wanted to go to Monaco and watch the Motor racing... I know I can see it better on TV.. but it was all about the atmosphere for me.. but Jeez... I couldn't live with myself if I paid the prices they ask for tickets..

I just want to watch a race not buy a racing car... :eek::LOL:
 
Several decades ago, the city of San Antonio, TX, wanted to build a new stadium for the San Antonio Spurs (basketball). The Spurs had their own arena but it was old and they were threatening to move to another city. The City pushed a new stadium so the Spurs wouldn't move away. There was an election held to increase sales tax by 1% for ten years to pay for it. It passed.

The new stadium was built and within a few years, the Spurs said it wasn't right for them. So the Alamo Dome became a venue for high school graduations and football games, RV and gun shows and the like.

I moved away to Austin, TX. That city pushed hard for a light rail. It was built. Nobody rode it. They decided that was because it needed more lines. Nobody rode those, either.

I moved to the mountains in Colorado. Instead of paying taxes for useless things, I put my money into a new roof and such. So there. Take that Big Cities.
 
You might find, Bretrick, that this outlay to build
a stadium, is an investment, either to get shares,
or a partnership, or even as landlords and rent the
stadium back to the team, it could also be classed
as a National Stadium, and they get to keep all of
the profit from the gate money.

Many years ago over here, somebody asked why
the Manchester United players were paid so much,
this was at the time when Alec Ferguson, was the
manager, the answer was, because they can fill the
stadium at every home game, earning the club sums
of money, between £3 & £4 million, per game.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
You might find, Bretrick, that this outlay to build
a stadium, is an investment, either to get shares,
or a partnership, or even as landlords and rent the
stadium back to the team, it could also be classed
as a National Stadium, and they get to keep all of
the profit from the gate money.

Many years ago over here, somebody asked why
the Manchester United players were paid so much,
this was at the time when Alec Ferguson, was the
manager, the answer was, because they can fill the
stadium at every home game, earning the club sums
of money, between £3 & £4 million, per game.

Mike.
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The stadium will end up costing at least $1.6 billion. My prediction. Capacity for football matches will not exceed 23,000.
No way is this value for money.
 
hollydolly said:
At one time I really wanted to go to Monaco and watch the Motor racing... I know I can see it better on TV.. but it was all about the atmosphere for me.. but Jeez... I couldn't live with myself if I paid the prices they ask for tickets..

I just want to watch a race not buy a racing car... :eek::LOL:
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Would that have been a rather civilized endeavor? My cousin and I took my kids to NASCAR. I'd never been, so I was up for it.

My boys were 11. My daughter didn't want to go so she stayed with Grandpa. The boys learned what a drunk was, before we'd even had a chance to enter the racetrack area. They couldn't understand why people were so thrilled to see the crashes. I told them I go to pro hockey games to see the fights. It's the same idea, sort of.

Then in the two rows ahead of us, 2 men got into an actual fistfight. I'd never seen one, and neither had the boys. I stood up, ready to pummel those drunken idiots if they fell anywhere near my boys. Truly, no should even be a bit of a threat to my kids. Because then they will have to mess with me.

My cousin was alarmed. He's a card-carrying member of my family on my dad's side. He was sure I was going to end up killed. But the cops showed up before anything bad happened.

This cousin is a kind, peaceful person. He got beaten up by a group of thugs for no reason. So we held a family meeting of the male cousins and me. He walked in on it, just as I was finalizing what we were going to do to the thugs. I could not believe it. He is just like his father, who was my favorite uncle. He made us agree not to punish the thugs. We were all so disappointed. But the fact is that he who was beaten up calls the shots on retribution.
 
My only gripe or concern with using tax dollars to fund stadium construction is that the great unwashed that bear the cost through their tax dollars will most likely never get to use the facility.

I believe that some sort of low priced tickets or events should be a part of the deal to insure that everyone in the community has an opportunity to enjoy the facility if they choose to.
 
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Aunt Bea said:
My only gripe or concern with using tax dollars to fund stadium construction is that the great unwashed that bear the cost through their tax dollars will most likely ever get to use the facility.

I believe that some sort of low priced tickets or events should be a part of the deal to insure that everyone in the community has an opportunity to enjoy the facility if they choose to.
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I absolutely agree.. same thing happens here....
 
hollydolly said:
I have never known a fight to start in the audience at the very upmarket, expensive Monacco race track.... :eek:
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Hey, this was in Kentucky, which explains it all. My family on dad's side lives in KY. It is a wonderful state unless one is dragged from mall to mall looking for a high school Christmas dance dress, by two shopaholics.

When I took the kids there for the first time, they were astonished that I knew everyone in KY. Nah, people are just friendly and everyone talks to one another whether they know each other or not. My kids are from Boston. It is not that way there.
 
WheatenLover said:
Hey, this was in Kentucky, which explains it all. My family on dad's side lives in KY. It is a wonderful state unless one is dragged from mall to mall looking for a high school Christmas dance dress, by two shopaholics.

When I took the kids there for the first time, they were astonished that I knew everyone in KY. Nah, people are just friendly and everyone talks to one another whether they know each other or not. My kids are from Boston. It is not that way there.
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I've heard this about Boston... people are supposed to be very unfriendly.. from what I've heard anyway...
 
hollydolly said:
I've heard this about Boston... people are supposed to be very unfriendly.. from what I've heard anyway...
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They aren't, they just seem that way to people who are from the South. When you walk down the street, nobody says hello or even looks at you. This one homeless woman used to follow me back to work. She was hungry and thirsty, so I made sure she had breakfast and lunch. Then my boss got rid of her. Seems like in such a liberal state, most people would be interested in helping others.

BUT, when my mom visited me, she just treated the Bostonians like they were Southerners and they responded in kind. She was surprised at how friendly everyone was. Maybe it was because she was older and had a slight foreign accept that people always thought was French because, even though she was German, her accent was not. She spoke several languages. She spoke British English. Every word I mispronounced in my childhood was directly attributable to that.
 
WheatenLover said:
They aren't, they just seem that way to people who are from the South. When you walk down the street, nobody says hello or even looks at you. This one homeless woman used to follow me back to work. She was hungry and thirsty, so I made sure she had breakfast and lunch. Then my boss got rid of her. Seems like in such a liberal state, most people would be interested in helping others.

BUT, when my mom visited me, she just treated the Bostonians like they were Southerners and they responded in kind. She was surprised at how friendly everyone was. Maybe it was because she was older and had a slight foreign accept that people always thought was French because, even though she was German, her accent was not. She spoke several languages. She spoke British English. Every word I mispronounced in my childhood was directly attributable to that.
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Bold^^^ This is the exact opposite to the UK.... here in the south people don't talk to strangers, and they react with horror if you start up a conversation with them.. in a queue or at a bus stop... for example...

Northerners on th OTOH will talk to anyone pretty much.. very easy, friendly manner... so I as a northerner living in the South for all these years have never got used to people being so standoffish... and I still strike up a conversation... and only when I see the horror in their eyes do I stop talking...lol
 
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Mike said:
You might find, Bretrick, that this outlay to build
a stadium, is an investment, either to get shares,
or a partnership, or even as landlords and rent the
stadium back to the team, it could also be classed
as a National Stadium, and they get to keep all of
the profit from the gate money.

Many years ago over here, somebody asked why
the Manchester United players were paid so much,
this was at the time when Alec Ferguson, was the
manager, the answer was, because they can fill the
stadium at every home game, earning the club sums
of money, between £3 & £4 million, per game.

Mike.
Click to expand...
Mike, A question about the football club that Canadian actor bought a few years ago. At the time the club was in the third level of the league they played in. Is it Everdon ? I seem to remember hearing that under his ownership the team has been elevated at least one level of play, and their home matches are near 100 percent ticket sold. Have I got it right ?

The city of Toronto council is ramping up planning for this summer's FIFA matches that will be played in Toronto. Many International fans were NOT buying tickets for games to be played in the USA so some have been switched to Canadian venues. JIMB.
 
jimintoronto said:
Mike, A question about the football club that Canadian actor bought a few years ago. At the time the club was in the third level of the league they played in. Is it Everdon ? I seem to remember hearing that under his ownership the team has been elevated at least one level of play, and their home matches are near 100 percent ticket sold. Have I got it right ?

The city of Toronto council is ramping up planning for this summer's FIFA matches that will be played in Toronto. Many International fans were NOT buying tickets for games to be played in the USA so some have been switched to Canadian venues. JIMB.
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Jim,
I think that you mean Ryan Reynolds, with Rob McElhenney, I understood
that they were American, because, the "Hollywood Stars" have bought
Wrexham A.F.C.

They have done a fine job, they took the club from the bottom league up to
the second tier, EFL Championship, where they are 7th in the table, if they can
get to number 6, they will then be in the play-offs to get into the Premier League.

Mike.
 
One example of a public funded stadium, be leased
a football team, it is the Olympic Stadium in London,
West Ham United F.C. took it on, I don't know if the
local council, or whoever built it are making a profit
from the deal, but the football team is still there, so
the money men have to be happy to accept them.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
Jim,
I think that you mean Ryan Reynolds, with Rob McElhenney, I understood
that they were American, because, the "Hollywood Stars" have bought
Wrexham A.F.C.

They have done a fine job, they took the club from the bottom league up to
the second tier, EFL Championship, where they are 7th in the table, if they can
get to number 6, they will then be in the play-offs to get into the Premier League.

Mike.
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Ryan Reynolds is a Canadian citizen. I think he may also have bought a part ownership in the Sheffield Steelers hockey club. A few years ago a number of hockey fans from Scotland, who supported the Firth Flyers club, came to Toronto to see a number of National Hockey League games. They were outstanding in both their interest in the sport, and finding out all about my city and the Province on Ontario. Great people, and I still stay in contact with some of them. JIMB.
 
hollydolly said:
.... here in the south people dn't talk to strangers, and they react with horror if you start up a conversation with them.. in a quue or at a bus stop... for example...

Northerners on th OTOH will talk to anyone pretty much.. very easy, friendly manner... so I as a northerner living in the South for all these years have never got used to people being so standoffish... and I still strike up a conversation... and only when I see the horror in their eyes do I stop talking...lol
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That first part sounds just like North Dakota.

I actually grew up in central New York, which is kind of mid when it comes to friendliness (i.e., not overly friendly, but not standoffish). After living in Missouri and then Virginia (very friendly states) for several years, plus moving around a lot and having to continually adapt to new communities, I got a lot more outgoing and chatty.

After getting reactions here like you described in the second part of your post, @hollydolly, I've learned my lesson. Now I just keep my mouth shut like everyone else here does.

I was delighted several weeks ago when I was volunteering at a fundraiser and the woman next to me was so friendly and chatty—it was great! We spent most of the time chatting. Turns out she was from Missouri. 😄

The people I've hit it off the best with here have all been from other states.
 
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