John Oliver Takes On Public Funding For New Stadiums In Latest "Last Week Tonight" Episode
HBO's John Oliver put stadium funding in his crosshairs last night, said that sporting venues in the U.S. are "increasingly fantastic" and most new buildings "look like they were designed by a coked-up Willy Wonka." New features at venues are "clearly amazing," including the fish tank behind the plate at Marlins Park that is "indeed awesome because you get to watch baseball, while at the same time watching fish develop panic disorders." However, the "problem is they're also expensive, and the vast majority of stadiums are built using public money." Oliver cited one analysis that found that between '00-10, $12B of public funds was spent on "building new facilities for professional teams." Oliver: "Why? Sports teams are successful businesses with wealthy owners, and yet they still get our help." He noted the city of Detroit in '13 approved to spend more than $280M "in taxpayer money on a new arena project for the Red Wings just six days after the city filed for bankruptcy" despite Red Wings Owner Mike Ilitch being worth an estimated $5.1B. Oliver: "That’s a little hard to swallow. I mean, sure, not as hard to swallow as a Little Caesars Crazy Bread with an assortment of Caesar dips, but still pretty hard. And we don't just help teams build stadiums. We let them keep virtually all the revenue those stadiums then produce.” Most teams keep money for selling naming rights "even when it's as stupid" as the Smoothie King Center, which the Pelicans call home. Oliver: "You have to feel a bit for the Pelicans players. It can't be easy to protect your home court when it's named after a slop of yogurt and kale ejaculated from a blender.”
THREATS TO MOVE A COMMON TREND: Oliver noted the "ultimate bargaining chip that teams like to use" regarding attempts to land new facilities is "threatening to leave" for another city. The Rams, Raiders and Chargers are "all threatening to move to Los Angeles unless they get new stadiums." Chargers fans are "currently so terrified their team might leave ... they campaigned to spend public money on a stadium." Oliver: "Teams don't just use threats to get what they want, they also promise that new stadiums can work economic magic.” However, stadiums "very rarely revitalize their surrounding areas or create large numbers of permanent jobs.” Additionally, he said, "No one has ever said, ‘Hey, let's go hang out in the area around the stadium and I’ll tell you why: I've got a new shirt and I really want someone to vomit Miller Lite and nachos all over it.’ In fact, a major review of almost 20 years of studies showed economists could find ‘no substantial evidence that stadiums had increased jobs, incomes or tax revenues.” People can “almost sympathize because when politicians do try to stand up to teams, it can cost them." Oliver: "But we have to come to our senses and stop signing these deals” (“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” HBO, 7/12).
