In the wake of THE DAILY's report yesterday that U.S. Bank's naming-rights deal for the Vikings new stadium is worth $220M over 20 years, U.S. Bank Senior VP/Corporate Communications Dana Ripley said that "averaging that over 20 years still would be on 'the high side.'" Ripley: "If you did the same math over 20 years and you looked at the $8.8 million number, that number (of $176 million) would be wrong. It's on the high side. But both sides have agreed that we were not going to disclose the terms." In St. Paul, Chris Tomasson noted the bank and team also announced the "Places to Play" program, a multiyear, $1M "statewide investment into locations for youth across the state for Minnesota including parks, playgrounds, trails and athletics facilities." U.S. Bank and the Vikings will "make grants totaling $250,000 annually over four years" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/15).
DEAL OR NO DEAL? In Milwaukee, advocacy group Wisconsin Jobs Now Exec Dir Jennifer Epps-Addison in an op-ed wrote under the header, "Just Say No To A Bad Arena Deal." The deal for a new downtown arena for the Bucks has "outrageously, but unsurprisingly ... undermined the democratic process at every turn." Milwaukee County Exec Chris Abele as it stands "wants to heavily finance the arena on the backs of working parents." The negotiations are "happening behind closed doors, without seeking participation or agreement from the community." Without community input and community support, there is "no such thing as a good deal" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/15).
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE: In Boston, Nick Cafardo reported the D-backs "don’t want to talk about it, but they extended the netting at Chase Field last season on their own to better protect fans." They probably "don't ... want to discuss it," so as "not to rub it in as other teams await an edict" from MLB to do so (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/14).
UP AND DOWN: In Houston, David Barron noted one of the "more obscure, head-scratching provisions of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code -- the paragraph that prevented stadium or arena patrons from taking an alcoholic beverage from one seating level to another -- has been amended." Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan said, "It enables people to go between different licensed areas in the stadium with an alcoholic beverage. Under the previous law, if you had a beer and you’re on the lower level and wanted to go to the club level with it you couldn’t, but now you can." Barron noted changing stadium or arena levels with an alcoholic beverage is "now legal in Texas if the beverage is in an open container" and if it "remains within the confines of the facility" (CHRON.com, 6/14).
