The deceitful scheme surrounding the construction of sports arenas has persisted for a number of decades, but this extensive history was unable to salvage Ted Leonsis’s proposal for a new arena in Virginia to accommodate the Capitals and Wizards. Despite the existence of numerous studies and evidence indicating that publicly funded arenas or stadiums do not provide any public advantages and merely serve to enrich billionaires while restricting state or local funds from being utilized for public welfare, state and local governments typically acquiesce to such endeavors. It is understandable, to some extent, that no mayor or governor desires to be associated with the departure of a sports team under their watch, especially considering the majority of voters reside in a rather apathetic pool.
However, it appears that both individuals and governments are gradually becoming more aware of this situation, although this realization did not prevent the lawmakers of Nashville, for instance, from recently approving a gratuitous offering to the Titans for an unnecessary stadium. It is a rarity for governments to genuinely heed the will of the people. Nevertheless, yesterday in Virginia, the state Senate, particularly a few democratic senators, made it clear to the owner of the Capitals and Wizards that his plans to drain hundreds of millions from the state would not be tolerated.
Senator L. Louise Luca, the head of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, effectively thwarted the bill for funding the arena project by refusing to advance it through her committee. As far as the state senate is concerned, the bill is merely inconsequential. Although there is still a version of the bill in the Virginia House, its passage is far from guaranteed, and even if it does manage to emerge from that assembly, it will not make it through the Senate. Virginia’s governor, Glenn Youngkin, is desperately attempting to revive the bill, but he faces significant obstacles in both chambers, as they are determined to obstruct anything he supports. You may recall Youngkin’s previous episode of “Selling Himself Out to Daniel Snyder,” which did not reflect well on him.
Leonsis will likely attempt to grease more palms and make additional donations to lawmakers in order to secure his arena campus, allowing him to indulge in real estate deals like other owners. The mayor of DC is still offering financial incentives for renovations to Capital One Arena, although the necessity of renovating an arena that is not even 30 years old remains a question for another day. Evidently, the destruction of Chinatown’s character was insufficient.
The potential relocation of the A’s to Vegas is not teetering on the edge due to governments becoming more enlightened, but rather because of John Fisher’s incomprehensible incompetence. Nevertheless, this revelation sheds more light on the fraudulent nature of all these stadium agreements. Perhaps Fisher’s status as one of the world’s biggest fools will serve as the catalyst for a shift in momentum, preventing taxpayers from being burdened with something they receive absolutely no benefit from. Virginia is the first legislature to actively resist, but let us hope that they are not the last.
You may have lost sight of Victor Wembanyama recently, considering the dismal state of the Spurs. Here is an update:
According to the Source deadspin.com