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He was flat out asked in a different interview today that if Snyder was no longer owner, would that change things and he said "that would make me need to take another look at things.."
Regarding the 'viability' comment... he wasn't referencing the team itself, as much as the return on the investment. The TEAM gets revenue sharing from TV money... that money does not get funneled back into Virgina, or wherever the stadium is. The "viability' was talking about the return from the surrounding area. Bars, restaraunts, hotels, retail... etc. The team had THE WORST attendance in the NFL last year, and that's net ticket sales. THE WORST. The VA senator (and another one came out today in another radio interview echoing the sentiments of the other guy) basically said 'the metrics' aren't there to lead him to believe there would be that return. That there is not enough draw to support a flow of money to make it worth the state funding.
They both referenced the fact that when they voted in January to continue the conversation, it was because the new name launch hadn't happened... They both referenced the 'new' brand and how there is not a connection with the community like 'Redskins' had, causing concern in the direction of the brand. They both mentioned that they dont 'know' who is going to own the team in 10 years. They eluded to the fact that a new owner could then move the team causing the investment of a new stadium to be a bad one.
One of the senators clarified that the 'vote' back in January was to basically keep the conversation going. That if the vote had 'lost' at that point, then the whole process would be dead. The vote kept the option open, which is why the number was able to drop from $1Bil to $350Mil, and now they're saying LESS than $300Mil.
I freely understand that there's political agenda at play here, but more of 'this' only gets further under the skin of the NFL and the other owners.
NFL franchises bring profit - to the franchise and all those associated with it. Yes - attendance has declined but anyone who thinks that’s a permanent state of affairs is being incredibly short-sighted. The facilities that they are proposing would be year round multi-purpose ones and the businesses that would surround them would flourish in what’s already a thriving part of the state.
Washington is too rich in NFL tradition and has been one of the most profitable franchises as recently as 5 or 6 years ago for it not to have an NFL team. NFL execs may not be willing to do anything about Snyder (yet) but they are well aware why the teams popularity is at an all time low.
Sorry, but the whole ‘viability’ argument is weak. Now - Dan Snyder’s viability? That remains to be seen.
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