There is no question - vote YES on Tuesday

[Hammock Parties]

Sports are a passion to be enjoyed by both the young and the old. As children, we think of sports as a game, and it’s something we do because we generally excel at them before age sets in. As adults, we are far more passionate about watching sports, because our bodies are too old to take the physical pounding it takes to keep playing.

But regardless of your age, sports are something that drive our free time and offer up countless distractions. They also allow us to relive moments in our lives that define our souls as fans.

In Kansas City, we are blessed to have two major league sports franchises, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. Some cities only have one hometown team to root for. Some bigger cities have numerous teams to choose from. I’ve lived in big cities and small ones. I lived in Los Angeles when there was no NFL team. I enjoyed baseball games in Anaheim when the Angels only had one city in their name.

On Tuesday, the future of sports in our great city is on the line. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Kansas City Metropolitan area will have a vote. I don’t because I’m rooted on the Kansas side. Taxpayers and citizens in Jackson County, Missouri will decide the fate of the Chiefs and Royals.

Is this fair? Probably not, but regardless of the poor politics, poor city planning and inability to unify Kansas and Missouri politicians, Tuesday’s vote to enhance, refurbish and develop Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium is critical to the lifeblood that drives sports fans in our area.

Growing up as a Chiefs and Royals fan was easy. I’m regrettably old enough to remember the Kansas City Athletics and the Chiefs only two Super Bowl appearances. I’m also grateful that for the majority of my life in Kansas City, I’ve been able to enjoy both sports franchises.

The thought of that changing in the next 48 hours is disconcerting.

A lot has been written about the Chiefs and/or Royals leaving Kansas City. Many have speculated that if this vote fails, both of them could leave.

I think the Chiefs are far too shrewd to move this franchise. They are the kings of the city and they own the sports marketplace 365 days a year.

The Royals are a different matter. I have alot more apathy for a franchise that has been run with tight pockets and zero foresight. I love the Royals, and they would be missed in the city, but they are a franchise with no direction on or off the field. I think most fans could survive without them, especially when you consider that Kansas City will probably be home to an NBA or NHL franchise before 2008, when the Sprint Center is completed.

When the Royals won the World Series in 1985, Kansas City was a baseball town. That's changed. Fighting between the players and the owners nearly killed the sport.

The Chiefs endured numerous losing seasons until Carl Peterson arrived in 1988. Since then the Royals and Chiefs have gone in opposite directions. The Chiefs began winning and the Royals began losing.

Still, the fans of our great community support the teams through thick and thin. That doesn’t happen in other cities. Fan support rises and falls with the quality of the product on the field. In Kansas City, for the most part, we enter each season with the hopes our teams will contend for championships.

Obviously the Chiefs are far closer to a championship than the Royals, but our baseball team has a solid minor league system that can produce the players capable of winning a title.

But will we see these players develop in Kansas City? Probably not, unless this vote passes on Tuesday.

At stake are major improvements to Arrowhead, including larger concourses, more rest rooms and more luxury suites. The negative side is the rumor that the press box will be moved to the top of the stadium. Since so many of the local media support the vote, we hope this won't happen.

The Chiefs, and more importantly the fans, would be the benefactor of keeping the Arrowhead bowl intact. The sight lines at Arrowhead stadium are the best in the NFL. There’s not a bad seat in the house and it could never be duplicated. It would be impossible to re-build Arrowhead from the ground up while preserving the sight lines.

The Royals would gain more luxury suites and potentially raise revenues from greater amenities. They’d also gain wider concourses, better restrooms and hopefully better food. Most importantly, they'd be able to compete with stadiums who are drawing more fans and earning larger revenues in the same small market.

David Glass has promised that he would re-invest any additional revenues back into the team. We’re assuming he’s a man of his word because we generally hear how much he hates losing.

Both teams would benefit from the rolling roof. It will all but guarantee Kansas City a Super Bowl. It also has the potential for multiple NCAA Final Fours and an MLB All-Star game. Those three events alone would pay for the stadiums until the leases expire.

I’ve heard all the negatives from the few local politicians that claim this vote for the Jackson County taxpayers. I’ve sat through sessions with the Jackson County Sports Commission when discussing the stadium issues. They’ve been taxing mentally, to say the least. But we can’t make this vote about politics. We can’t make it about which team gets the better end of the deal. We can't make it about which team is contributing more money towards the renovations.

It has to be about restoring the pride to Kansas City. It’s also about saving our franchises from Los Angeles and Portland.

We had the vision back in the late 60’s to build two state-of-the-art facilities. We have a chance to make them the crown jewels of their respective sports once again.

Let’s forget about how we got here and the votes that failed in the past. Forget that you prefer one sport over the other. Let’s hope that the great citizens of Jackson County rise up and bail out the rest of us.

The plan isn’t perfect, but that shouldn’t matter.

This is our time to stand up and say ‘YES.’

By doing that we can insure that our children and grandchildren enjoy the Chiefs and Royals for decades to come.

[Old Dog]

What he said.

[jspchief]

So who wrote this? Athan?

[ChiefsCountry]

I agree. Good read. Dont know who gochiefs borrowed it from though.

[cmh6476]

I'm really looking forward to a yes vote just to shut keitzman's trap for awhile.

[Garcia Bronco]

Vote no...it's the fleecing of the public

[jspchief]

Vote no...it's the fleecing of the publicCare to elaborate? Or are you just trolling?

[beer bacon]

I'm really looking forward to a yes vote just to shut keitzman's trap for awhile.

It would make me happy too. I wonder how long I would have to wait until I could listen to 810 without hearing stadium bullshit. 610 AM really sucks. I need you back to normal 810 :deevee:

[StcChief]

Vote Yes. 3/8 of a penny. Buck up.

[Archie Bunker]

So who wrote this? Athan?

Yep

http://chiefs.scout.com/2/516112.html

[jspchief]

Yep

http://chiefs.scout.com/2/516112.html

It matched his style, and combined with who posted it and the lack of a byline, it was a pretty educated guess.

[CoMoChief]

A MLB Allstar game? I didnt think KC would host one because of the small capacity of seats and the lesser amount of money MLB would make off of it. There are no seats in the outfield, except over on the foul pole areas out to where the bullpens extend. I dont see a roof making it any better to host an allstar game.

[Dunit35]

I sure hope this passes. If it doesn't pass I don't know if I could enjoy the Chiefs moving to some other place (mainly L.A.). Kansas City, MO is my favorite city in the world. I love going to KC and plan on living in that area when I graduate college. I really question rather or not I could watch football if KC moved to some other city.

[beer bacon]

A MLB Allstar game? I didnt think KC would host one because of the small capacity of seats and the lesser amount of money MLB would make off of it. There are no seats in the outfield, except over on the foul pole areas out to where the bullpens extend. I dont see a roof making it any better to host an allstar game.

Well MLB has already promised one if the both questions pass.

[ChiefsCountry]

A MLB Allstar game? I didnt think KC would host one because of the small capacity of seats and the lesser amount of money MLB would make off of it. There are no seats in the outfield, except over on the foul pole areas out to where the bullpens extend. I dont see a roof making it any better to host an allstar game.

Go to the Royals website and see the pics of the stadium renovations - they add seats in the outfield. Plus the K is about the same size as alot of the new ballparks.

[Demonpenz]

of course you would vote yes if you don't even live here.

[R&GHomer]

I'm not sure what all this talk about the Chiefs moving to LA or Portland is all about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lamar Hunt say that if the stadium moves it will stay in the city. Most likely out by the race track on the kansas side. I want Arrowhead to stay right were it is, but if the good folks of Jackson county don't want to foot the bill, I'm sure those of us here in Johnson county would be more than happy to.

Edit: Having said that. As much as I like the idea of having a major NFL stadium out by the speedway, it just wouldn't be the same. I have no doubt that they could build an exact duplicate of Arrowhead "including all the renovations" but they wouldn't. They would more than likely just build a new state of the art dome, and that my fellow Chiefs fans would be the suck!.

So, JACSON county. get off your collective asses and vote yes to both items.

[Old Dog]

I'm not sure what all this talk about the Chiefs moving to LA or Portland is all about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lamar Hunt say that if the stadium moves it will stay in the city. Most likely out by the race track on the kansas side.

I could be wrong, but i don't recall Lamar ever saying that they wouldn't leave KC. (It seems to me that they would lose most of their leverage with a comment like that.)
It's fairly plain to see that the NFL wants a team in LA, and our Chiefs are one of a few teams in the sights to move. Portland is after a baseball team (as are San Antonio and Las Vegas) and if the Royals are allowed to pack up and move, those are just likely places.

[Boozer]

It also has the potential for multiple NCAA Final Fours and an MLB All-Star game. Those three events alone would pay for the stadiums until the leases expire.



Is that true? I'd like to see the figures that back that up.

[R&GHomer]

I could be wrong, but i don't recall Lamar ever saying that they wouldn't leave KC. (It seems to me that they would lose most of their leverage with a comment like that.)
It's fairly plain to see that the NFL wants a team in LA, and our Chiefs are one of a few teams in the sights to move. Portland is after a baseball team (as are San Antonio and Las Vegas) and if the Royals are allowed to pack up and move, those are just likely places.

I'm pretty sure I heard that, or something along those lines from both Lamar and Carl. They want to keep the Chiefs in the area, it just wouldn't be in Jackson county. Why would they just up and leave when they already have an established fan base. It's not like the local population of LA has kept a major sports franchise from leaving in the past.

[cookster50]

LOL, both owners have gone on the record in the past week and a half as to saying they have no plans to leave the KC area. This isn't about KEEP OUR TEAMS. Screw all those who say it is.

[chiefqueen]

Care to elaborate? Or are you just trolling?

Garcia's trolling.........the LA Chiefs basically means Denver gets 9 home games every year.

[chiefqueen]

I'm not sure what all this talk about the Chiefs moving to LA or Portland is all about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lamar Hunt say that if the stadium moves it will stay in the city. Most likely out by the race track on the kansas side. I want Arrowhead to stay right were it is, but if the good folks of Jackson county don't want to foot the bill, I'm sure those of us here in Johnson county would be more than happy to.

Edit: Having said that. As much as I like the idea of having a major NFL stadium out by the speedway, it just wouldn't be the same. I have no doubt that they could build an exact duplicate of Arrowhead "including all the renovations" but they wouldn't. They would more than likely just build a new state of the art dome, and that my fellow Chiefs fans would be the suck!.

So, JACSON county. get off your collective asses and vote yes to both items.

Yeah, but the Chiefs probably could not get a new deal in place b/f a new, conservative KS governor shuts off the pipeline of state dev. incentives.

IMO Sebellious will not be reelected.

[Garcia Bronco]

Care to elaborate? Or are you just trolling?

I was just joking...I don't live there..and would like the chiefs to stay in KC because it's tradition. Other than that...I've got no horse in this race.

[luv]

So who wrote this? Athan?
I was just wondering about who wrote it. I was thinking gochiefs lived in Texas, not Kansas.

[jspchief]

LOL, both owners have gone on the record in the past week and a half as to saying they have no plans to leave the KC area. This isn't about KEEP OUR TEAMS. Screw all those who say it is.The owners have the choice of two approaches to take with the upcoming vote.

1. They can threaten to leave.
2. Or they can display loyalty in an attempt to get some in return.

After asking the city to do something about the stadium situation so many times, they are eventually going to start looking at the economic reasons to go elsewhere, over the emotional reasons to stick with a city that doesn't appear to stand behind them.

Right now they are saying what they believe to be the right thing. I'm not naive enough to believe they won't consider looking elsewhere after pouring money into three failed campaigns to get the stadium issue resolved. There are too many financial reasons for them to not consider other options

[King_Chief_Fan]

LOL, both owners have gone on the record in the past week and a half as to saying they have no plans to leave the KC area. This isn't about KEEP OUR TEAMS. Screw all those who say it is.

You keep telling yourself that.
If you are an owner and another city offers you more money than you make now, new stadium etc..........you go, even if you aren't looking to go.

[ROYC75]

Lamar did mention that the Ks side would likely accomidate them.

[Fire Me Boy!]

If it doesn't pass (which is what's going to happen), I suspect one of the things will go down...

a. JaxCo will buck up and pay the estimated $90 million to satisfy the current lease which ties the team to KC through 2015.

or

b. The Royals will leave altogether, and the Chiefs will be the Kansas City Chiefs in Overland Park.

[R&GHomer]

The owners have the choice of two approaches to take with the upcoming vote.

1. They can threaten to leave.
2. Or they can display loyalty in an attempt to get some in return.

After asking the city to do something about the stadium situation so many times, they are eventually going to start looking at the economic reasons to go elsewhere, over the emotional reasons to stick with a city that doesn't appear to stand behind them.

Right now they are saying what they believe to be the right thing. I'm not naive enough to believe they won't consider looking elsewhere after pouring money into three failed campaigns to get the stadium issue resolved. There are too many financial reasons for them to not consider other options

True, but... It's not the entire city and more importantly "the majority of the fan base" voting on this issue. It's jackson county.

[jspchief]

True, but... It's not the entire city and more importantly "the majority of the fan base" voting on this issue. It's jackson county.This is third different direction they've approached it from. At some point they are going to run out of options, and start shopping for a location that actually wants them.

[R&GHomer]

If it doesn't pass (which is what's going to happen), I suspect one of the things will go down...

a. JaxCo will buck up and pay the estimated $90 million to satisfy the current lease which ties the team to KC through 2015.

or

b. The Royals will leave altogether, and the Chiefs will be the Kansas City Chiefs in Overland Park.

I don't think it would be Overland Park. Were in the heck would you put it. I really can't think of a better place than out by the speedway. Hell, from an econmic stand point it would probably be perfect, even better then it is now.

[R&GHomer]

If it doesn't pass (which is what's going to happen), I suspect one of the things will go down...

a. JaxCo will buck up and pay the estimated $90 million to satisfy the current lease which ties the team to KC through 2015.

or

b. The Royals will leave altogether, and the Chiefs will be the Kansas City Chiefs in Overland Park.

I don't think it would be Overland Park. Were in the heck would you put it. I really can't think of a better place than out by the speedway. Hell, from an economic stand point it would probably be perfect, even better then it is now.

[penguinz]

Well MLB has already promised one if the both questions pass.All-Star game only depends on the renovations. Has nothing to do with the roof.

[R&GHomer]

This is third different direction they've approached it from. At some point they are going to run out of options, and start shopping for a location that actually wants them.

I agree, and that would be on the kansas side. IMHO

[penguinz]

Vote no...it's the fleecing of the public
37.5 cents per every one-hundred dollars is really a fleecing of the public.

[Fire Me Boy!]

[/B]

I don't think it would be Overland Park. Were in the heck would you put it. I really can't think of a better place than out by the speedway. Hell, from an econmic stand point it would probably be perfect, even better then it is now.
Sorry, I was less suggesting that they'd end up in OP as they would move to Kansas. And I was making a dig at the Angels.

You're right, though. If they move it'll be by the speedway.

[jspchief]

I agree, and that would be on the kansas side. IMHOThe new craze with these stadiums is to make them a year round destination spot. Owners want to draw crowds on days other than just gamedays. They are building restaraunts and pro shops and museums that cater to the non gameday experience. They are putting in conference halls and areas that can be used for weddings and parties.

I don't think out by the Speedway is a very enticing area in that regard. It's kind of out in the middle of nowhere.

[Brock]

The new craze with these stadiums is to make them a year round destination spot. Owners want to draw crowds on days other than just gamedays. They are building restaraunts and pro shops and museums that cater to the non gameday experience. They are putting in conference halls and areas that can be used for weddings and parties.

I don't think out by the Speedway is a very enticing area in that regard. It's kind of out in the middle of nowhere.

In 10 years it won't be the middle of nowhere.

[Fire Me Boy!]

It's kind of out in the middle of nowhere.
Which leaves all kinds of room for development, no?

[Fire Me Boy!]

In 10 years it won't be the middle of nowhere.
Yeah... what he said.

[jspchief]

In 10 years it won't be the middle of nowhere.That's certainly a possibility. Is that area growing that fast?

[R&GHomer]

In 10 years it won't be the middle of nowhere.

Bingo, and it already has Cabelas "sp", minor league basball, nebraska furniture mart and many, many others. If the Chiefs build a new stadium out there the place would explode "economicly speaking" of course.

[R&GHomer]

That's certainly a possibility. Is that area growing that fast?

Yes and if the stadium went up out there it would probably become the biggest tourist destination in the city. Actually, I'm sure it would. It would have just about everything you mentioned in you previous post.

[ct]

The owners have the choice of two approaches to take with the upcoming vote.

1. They can threaten to leave.
2. Or they can display loyalty in an attempt to get some in return.

After asking the city to do something about the stadium situation so many times, they are eventually going to start looking at the economic reasons to go elsewhere, over the emotional reasons to stick with a city that doesn't appear to stand behind them.

Right now they are saying what they believe to be the right thing. I'm not naive enough to believe they won't consider looking elsewhere after pouring money into three failed campaigns to get the stadium issue resolved. There are too many financial reasons for them to not consider other options

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't both tax proposals been Jackson Co. only? We're not talking about the KC Metro area, it's the home county that is sick and tired of paying the bills.

edit:
True, but... It's not the entire city and more importantly "the majority of the fan base" voting on this issue. It's jackson county.

That answers my question.

I love the idea of a new stadium in the I-435/I-70 area, there is some serious development already. I just hate to lose Arrowhead.

[jspchief]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't both tax proposals been Jackson Co. only? We're not talking about the KC Metro area, it's the home county that is sick and tired of paying the bills.The Bi State proposal included a bunch of counties didn't it?

As for paying the bill, every person that spends money in your county pays the bill. It certainly affects residents the most, but you'll also be getting the money from a lot of other people.

How many businesses in Jackson county benefit from the stadium being there? Does the county get money directly from the ticket sales? You have to understand there their are financial advantages to having that stadium in your county. It may not go directly in your pocket, but it benefits the county as a whole, and puts money in the pockets of people living/working there.

[ct]

The Bi State proposal included a bunch of counties didn't it?

As for paying the bill, every person that spends money in your county pays the bill. It certainly affects residents the most, but you'll also be getting the money from a lot of other people.

How many businesses in Jackson county benefit from the stadium being there? Does the county get money directly from the ticket sales? You have to understand there their are financial advantages to having that stadium in your county. It may not go directly in your pocket, but it benefits the county as a whole, and puts money in the pockets of people living/working there.

You see that, and I see that, but after footing the bill for so long, do they still see that?

I'm not a KC resident, but I think you're right about the Bi-state, I do remember a vote referred to by that name.

[jspchief]

You see that, and I see that, but after footing the bill for so long, do they still see that?

I'm not a KC resident, but I think you're right about the Bi-state, I do remember a vote referred to by that name.No, they don't see it. There is no one devoting entire sports radio shows to tell them that, like they are being told the other side of the story. And even if they are being told, they won't believe it or choose to ignore it because the average joe doesn't think in a "for the good of the community" way when it comes to something like this. They think of the money out of their pocket, and the rich NFL owner that wants the money.

5 years from now, when hotels and gas stations, restaraunts and grocery stores are closing and cutting back, they won't realize that the reason those jobs are lost is because the stadium is 30 miles away in Kansas. And there will be a few less jobs, and the area will get older and dumpier, and bumf*ck Kansas or somewhere in LA will see a boom from the new team that just arrived, and all these people will be moving out of the county, or wishing they could move out. (yeah, I know, a little melodramatic).

[tyton75]

any early polls starting to come in yet??

just curious

[jspchief]

any early polls starting to come in yet??

just curiousThe vote is tomorrow I believe.

[ROYC75]

Any chance we can get the Florida election board to supervise this vote ?

They know how to rig an election........

[chiefqueen]

In 10 years it won't be the middle of nowhere.

Over Thanksgiving weekend last year we had trouble fimding parking spots in got in a couple of traffic jams in that "middle of nowhere".

[Mr. Laz]

Over Thanksgiving weekend last year we had trouble fimding parking spots in got in a couple of traffic jams in that "middle of nowhere".

that's because too many women are allowed to drive

[tk13]

There is one thing I disagree with in the article and it's something most people seem to think anyway. I don't think the Royals have much to gain by moving, whereas the Chiefs have everything to gain. The Royals would just move to another small/medium market, not have a super great TV deal, and still not be much more competitive from a financial standpoint than they are now. On the other hand the Chiefs are sitting there, and the Los Angeles market is sitting out there waiting for somebody to jump in. I mean the Chiefs aren't the poor sisters of the blind here, but there is an opportunity to move up and become a Dan Snyder-Jerry Jones type of owner.

[Hammock Parties]

There is one thing I disagree with in the article and it's something most people seem to think anyway. I don't think the Royals have much to gain by moving, whereas the Chiefs have everything to gain. The Royals would just move to another small/medium market, not have a super great TV deal, and still not be much more competitive from a financial standpoint than they are now. On the other hand the Chiefs are sitting there, and the Los Angeles market is sitting out there waiting for somebody to jump in. I mean the Chiefs aren't the poor sisters of the blind here, but there is an opportunity to move up and become a Dan Snyder-Jerry Jones type of owner.

Yes but as it says, the Chiefs DOMINATE the market here. In LA, they wouldn't, would they?

[Saulbadguy]

There is a part of me that wants this to fail. I want them to move the Chiefs to the Kansas side, and want the Royals to get a downtown stadium. Who knows if that would happen though.

[Mr. Laz]

Yes but as it says, the Chiefs DOMINATE the market here. In LA, they wouldn't, would they?

tell you right now that Hunt and peterson bull**** wouldn't fly in a market the size of LA.


the question is ... would they try to run the team the same way in a big market?

[tk13]

Yes but as it says, the Chiefs DOMINATE the market here. In LA, they wouldn't, would they?
So? Who cares? That's just typical arrogance of Kansas City fans. I've been harsh about this but I think a lot of people are completely missing the boat on this entire thing. Most sports owners want to dominate one thing.

$$$$$$$$$$$

They wouldn't dominate the LA market, but they would get a lot of attention. The Lakers and Dodgers do pretty well for themselves, and they'd be the only football team in town anyway. Not just on a local level, but a national level because of market size. They could dominate the national scene, be on national TV, get talked about more on SportsCenter, etc, etc, things they could never do in Kansas City. You probably would be trading in some amount of local "dominance" for more national attention and money. That's a decision they'd have to make.

I mean, I really don't want them to move. But, if you stripped emotion out of the decision and looked at it as a business decision, they'd probably be foolish to stay in Kansas City and not move to Los Angeles.

[Hammock Parties]

I don't want the Chiefs to move because I want them to win a championship in Arrowhead. Then I don't care. Blow it up and build a new one in Kansas or in Missouri. I just want to see the Chiefs give Arrowhead a sendoff.

[jspchief]

Yes but as it says, the Chiefs DOMINATE the market here. In LA, they wouldn't, would they?You might be suprised at how quickly the loss of thousands of average joe fans can be made up by filling a few high end luxury suites.

And that luxury revenue isn't subjected to the same revenue sharing as standard ticket sales.

A half full stadium in LA would make more money than a full Arrowhead, simply because they would be able to attract high end clientele to fill the suites. The kind of people that don't give a shit about the team's success as long as they have the status symbol of an NFL box.

[Saulbadguy]

I have a bad feeling that whatever happens, lots of "average joe" fans including myself will get priced right out of a season ticket.

[jspchief]

I have a bad feeling that whatever happens, lots of "average joe" fans including myself will get priced right out of a season ticket.Yep.

[tk13]

I have a bad feeling that whatever happens, lots of "average joe" fans including myself will get priced right out of a season ticket.
There is probably some truth to that. In that way the NFL is a victim of its own success.

[Simply Red]

Well done Go Chiefs!

I am going to go poop now.

[stanleychief]

As a resident of said Jackson county and as someone who voted yes on the Bi-State tax, I think I'll politely disagree with those who think the residents of Jackson county aren't loyal supporters of the teams. It was Jackson county that had the lone 'yes' vote on the last proposal to 'save the teams'. All of the other counties basically thumbed their noses at the teams when it came time to cough up some dough. Granted the last proposal sucked because of the open ended provisions to improve 'Arts and Entertainment', but it showed that the county has an interest in keeping the teams. I think these measures will pass, I'd be quite surprised if they do not.

Threatening the area with economic losses should they lose the teams is a joke though. If you look around the stadiums, there's not much in the immediate area that would see a negative impact. Maybe a few hotels close but certainly no big loss. The area immediately surrounding the stadiums is pretty much wasting away on its own. You need to go at least 10-15 miles in any direction to get anywhere resembling 'nice'. Since I've lived out here, two malls have folded up, one of which has now been completely levelled. I would like to think that the citizens of the area would be able to look ahead and anticipate the growth that could follow a revitalized stadium. Perhaps some of these advertisements should have promised a little investment back into the community.