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In light of my post yesterday, I should come clean (if it’s not already obvious): I am a sports fan. Especially team sports. For both boys and girls. Team sports - when handled well by coaches, administrators, etc. - (a big “if”) - enhance socialization, self-esteem, and, yes, help prepare kids for both winning and losing in life.
I played sports all the way through college at the D1 level and loved pretty much every minute. One of the sports I played was football, through high school and for a short time in college (I played another sport for all four years in college). Football is brutal and emotional and intense and athletic and joyous and disappointing all rolled into one. Yes, it is essentially our version of gladiators - sating the masses - and it is getting harder to watch at the pro level knowing that an incredibly high percentage of the players will end up with brain damage. Nonetheless, I watch and root for my team.
But this is where I draw the line:
This stadium and the attendant facilities will cost billions (bolding mine):
“Today we are excited to take another momentous step for the future of the franchise,” Hunt wrote in a statement. “We have entered into an agreement with the State of Kansas to host Chiefs football beginning with the 2031 NFL season. In the years ahead, we look forward to designing and building a state-of-the-art domed stadium and mixed-use district in Wyandotte County, and a best-in-class training facility, team headquarters, and mixed-use district in Olathe, totaling a minimum of $4 billion of development in the State of Kansas.”
The NFL is a private enterprise, and the teams are privately owned. Per Forbes, the Kansas City Chiefs are estimated to have a value of 6.2 billion. The Hunt family that owns the Chiefs has an estimated net worth of $24.8 billion (btw, that picture of the Hunt heirs in the article is… gross).
So who is paying for the stadium? Well, the Governor of Kansas states that 60% of the costs will come from public funds. From the Sports Illustrated article I linked to earlier: “But under Kansas's proposal, 60% of the project will be funded publicly, per Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.”
Funny thing though. I don’t believe the Chiefs agreed to provide the public with 60% of their revenue and profits; no - they get to keep all of that.
Socializing costs and privatizing profits. It’s the American Dream and in late-stage capitalism, it seems as if we are all in (Laura Kelly is a Dem, btw).
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