A day like yesterday definitely puts life into perspective.....or it should. While I am a HUGE sports fan, that is a luxury, a stress relief meant to make life more bearable. It is not life, it is not all defining, however it does help from a healing perspective, taking your mind off difficult times and can bring people together.
Right now I can not imagine how difficult life is for the people of Japan with what they are having to deal with today and moving forward. Yesterdays magnitude 8.9 earthquake and its 100's of aftershocks, the resulting tsunami with waves now reported to have been as high as 30 feet and a potential nuclear reactor meltdown on the horizon has to be creating a sense of uncertainty and despair. Loss of life can not be accurately determined at this point however there are a couple hundred confirmed dead with between 500-600 people at a minimum missing and this could rise when you factor in remote areas that have yet to be accounted for.
The tsunami washed away buildings and cars, destroyed farm fields and caused widespread flooding and damage. There was also a resulting whirlpool in one of the bays off of Japan where a ship was visible being pulled into the center. As of this morning there is at least 1 ship unaccounted for with over 100 people on board. The tsunami effects could be felt in Hawaii where there was minimal destruction although waves were reported as high as 8 ft. Also the western coast of the US was hit where a photographer taking pictures was pulled out to sea and perished. Another 4 people were also pulled out to sea but rescuers were able to get to them and prevent further loss of life. The remaining effects in the US appears to be limited to property damage including numerous boats and a harbor reportedly destroyed.
Back in Japan rescue and recovery efforts are under way and could take years to fully recover and understand the full scope, very similiar to Hurricane Katrina which has the US still feeling its effects. The wild card in all of this is the 2 nuclear reactors damaged by the quake and overheating, one of which reportedly is 1000x above normal levels. There is a high degree of probability that there will be a meltdown which would magnify the scope of this tragedy to astronomical levels. To put it into perspective the Chernobyl disaster in Russia is still 2+ decades later resulting in loss of life and has killed 10's of thousands. This in addition to the area remaining ininhabitable for the most part to date.
The Japanese people are an intelligent, resourceful and dedicated group that will use everything at their disposal to prevent this and/or minimize any damage. The US is also rushing coolant and nuclear experts to the area to aid in prevention and stabilization if at all possible. We can only hope that no further damage results as the Japanese people have already had to deal with nuclear horror in recent history, albeit at the time the best option on the table. However with what we know today it is a power not to be messed with or taken lightly. I am hopeful that evacuation efforts are underway in the area to minimize any loss of life.
Thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan and anyone else affected by this tragedy. Hats off to all those aiding the rescue and recovery efforts, please stay safe!
VOYAGEUR COUNTRY PRESS: A comprehensive view of the sports scene in Minny from a fans perspective. Covering local favorites such as the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Golden Gophers & yes even the Minnesota Timberwolves. Updates on MSHSL tournaments, World Cup, Olympics and other major sporting events as appropriate.Stories on life in the outdoors here in Minnesota. Occassional off topic rants are possible when major events outside the sporting world occur.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Minnesota & Stadiums A Never Ending Debate
Back in the late 1950's Minnesota was looking to make the jump from an isolated farming state in the Upper Midwest to a state that was relevant nationally. Politicians and business leaders for lack of a better term or phrase wanted to make it to the big leagues. It was at that time the 1st of many stadium debates to come began & which resulted in Metropolitan Stadium being built on what is now the site of the Mall of America. The Met became the home of the MLB Minnesota Twins, formerly the Washington Senators an original American League franchise, & the expansion NFL Minnesota Vikings in 1961.
Metropolitan Stadium was last used in 1981 as both teams moved to the newly built & poorly planned Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome begnning with their 1982 seasons.The Metrodome was a disaster from the outset, a dome built in a community constantly clamoring to be outside. Minnesota is an outdoor state by nature and with a limited timeframe to enjoy the weather, being stuffed indoors was never the answer. In addition the Metrodome had insufficient restrooms for the capacity of the building, insufficient concessions and was so narrow it was hard to walk the concourses. All of this was topped by the fact it was sterile, lacked any character and did not reflect Minnesota in any way.
Despite all its failings the Metrodome has provided many memories, some good and some bad. There has been 2 World Series Championships for the Twins and several division championships. It has hosted the Super Bowl (not Vikings), Final Fours in NCAA Basketball, NBA games for the T-Wolves in the early '90's, college baseball, college football and numerous other events. All of this resulted in the dome being paid off in roughly 1/2 the scheduled time and bringing large revenue streams into the state coffers.
This isn't an article about ripping on the #biginflatabletoilet (dome) although maybe it should be as it is one of the most despised facilities in all sports. However you feel about the dome it served a purpose for awhile, but it has outlived its usefulness and lost the majority of its tenants with its lone remaining tenant homeless as it sits in disrepair due to winter storm damage. The Twins after a lengthy stadium discussion that began in 1997 finally gained approval for a new facility in 2006 with construction completed in 2010. The team played its inaugural season at the newly christened Target Field the same year.
The Twins Inaugural Season at Target Field was by all accounts a complete success and an example of how stadiums should be done and how they benefit a community. They easily surpassed 3 million in attendance for only the 2nd time in team history, the 1st being 1988 after the 1987 WS Championship when they were the 1st American League team to hit that mark. Sports Illustrated ranked Target Field (#thebullseye) #1 in all professional sports for gameday fan experience. It was 1 of 2 Minnesota facilities to crack the top 5! The other being the Xcel Energy Center at #3 behind (uggghh) Lambeau Field. Being at Target Field evokes many memories of Old Met Stadium, however its many new modern amenities and conveniences are quite evident.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers also gained approval at the same time as the Twins in 2006 although TCF Bank Stadium (#thebank) was open for business during the 2009 season. It also evokes many memories of Old Memorial Stadium which once stood proudly down the street until the U of M erred in moving to the #humptydump in 1982 with the Vikings and Twins. The new facility resembles the old, again with modern amenities and conveniences. It also was designed to handle future expansion to over 80,000 seats if needed.
This brings us to the Vikings who as mentioned have called Met Stadium which was a minor league baseball park, and the Metrodome which was a poorly planned practice field at best, their homes over a 50 year existence, neither of which was a fitting and permanent home deserving of the states most popular team. The Vikings have been fighting to get approval for a new stadium about as long as the Twins. They graciously stepped aside in 2006 at the request of the state legislature to allow for the completion of the bills for the Twins & Gophers. Had they not done so there is a chance all 3 would remain unresolved. The legislature promised the Vikings issues would be addressed at a later date which obviously remains unresolved in 2011, & just happens to be the last year of the Vikings lease in the dome.
Is is it beneficial to Minnesota? Can it be funded without using money from the states general fund or without new taxes? The answer to both questions is yes. Why though are the standards different for 1 team than they have been for all the other state teams and/or assets? Benefits to Minny and funding mechanisms will be laid out in a future post to come soon.
The basis of this article has been the stadiums and ballparks in Minnesota, however there has also been smaller ballparks and arenas for all levels of Pro/College teams. This adds even more credence to the fact the Vikings are being treated differently in this debate despite being arguably the states most popular team.
Our 2 newest stadiums/ballparks, TCF Bank Stadium & Target Field as well as the Xcel Energy Center have all been VERY beneficial to the local community and the state. They have generated lots of revenue, added lots of permament jobs and many jobs during their construction as well. They are also responsible for rejuvenating the areas in which they were built.
The time is now to find a #vikingsstadiumsolution that does benefit Minny and keeps the #vikings where they belong! The Vikings currently are responsible for $20 mil being generated & pumped into the state economy each year, not counting residual revenue streams. This number is expected to jump to $25-30 mil per year in a new stadium. That alone is a benefit not to mention all the jobs, work in the community, etc....
While there may be concerns they are by far outweighed by the benefits. This does not discount the concerns but they can be addressed through dialogue and resolution in a final bill. Lets sit down and get this done, put people to work, pump money into the economy and resolve an eyesore in Arden Hills not likely to be developed otherwise for some time, if ever.
#skolvikes
Metropolitan Stadium was last used in 1981 as both teams moved to the newly built & poorly planned Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome begnning with their 1982 seasons.The Metrodome was a disaster from the outset, a dome built in a community constantly clamoring to be outside. Minnesota is an outdoor state by nature and with a limited timeframe to enjoy the weather, being stuffed indoors was never the answer. In addition the Metrodome had insufficient restrooms for the capacity of the building, insufficient concessions and was so narrow it was hard to walk the concourses. All of this was topped by the fact it was sterile, lacked any character and did not reflect Minnesota in any way.
Despite all its failings the Metrodome has provided many memories, some good and some bad. There has been 2 World Series Championships for the Twins and several division championships. It has hosted the Super Bowl (not Vikings), Final Fours in NCAA Basketball, NBA games for the T-Wolves in the early '90's, college baseball, college football and numerous other events. All of this resulted in the dome being paid off in roughly 1/2 the scheduled time and bringing large revenue streams into the state coffers.
This isn't an article about ripping on the #biginflatabletoilet (dome) although maybe it should be as it is one of the most despised facilities in all sports. However you feel about the dome it served a purpose for awhile, but it has outlived its usefulness and lost the majority of its tenants with its lone remaining tenant homeless as it sits in disrepair due to winter storm damage. The Twins after a lengthy stadium discussion that began in 1997 finally gained approval for a new facility in 2006 with construction completed in 2010. The team played its inaugural season at the newly christened Target Field the same year.
The Twins Inaugural Season at Target Field was by all accounts a complete success and an example of how stadiums should be done and how they benefit a community. They easily surpassed 3 million in attendance for only the 2nd time in team history, the 1st being 1988 after the 1987 WS Championship when they were the 1st American League team to hit that mark. Sports Illustrated ranked Target Field (#thebullseye) #1 in all professional sports for gameday fan experience. It was 1 of 2 Minnesota facilities to crack the top 5! The other being the Xcel Energy Center at #3 behind (uggghh) Lambeau Field. Being at Target Field evokes many memories of Old Met Stadium, however its many new modern amenities and conveniences are quite evident.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers also gained approval at the same time as the Twins in 2006 although TCF Bank Stadium (#thebank) was open for business during the 2009 season. It also evokes many memories of Old Memorial Stadium which once stood proudly down the street until the U of M erred in moving to the #humptydump in 1982 with the Vikings and Twins. The new facility resembles the old, again with modern amenities and conveniences. It also was designed to handle future expansion to over 80,000 seats if needed.
This brings us to the Vikings who as mentioned have called Met Stadium which was a minor league baseball park, and the Metrodome which was a poorly planned practice field at best, their homes over a 50 year existence, neither of which was a fitting and permanent home deserving of the states most popular team. The Vikings have been fighting to get approval for a new stadium about as long as the Twins. They graciously stepped aside in 2006 at the request of the state legislature to allow for the completion of the bills for the Twins & Gophers. Had they not done so there is a chance all 3 would remain unresolved. The legislature promised the Vikings issues would be addressed at a later date which obviously remains unresolved in 2011, & just happens to be the last year of the Vikings lease in the dome.
Is is it beneficial to Minnesota? Can it be funded without using money from the states general fund or without new taxes? The answer to both questions is yes. Why though are the standards different for 1 team than they have been for all the other state teams and/or assets? Benefits to Minny and funding mechanisms will be laid out in a future post to come soon.
The basis of this article has been the stadiums and ballparks in Minnesota, however there has also been smaller ballparks and arenas for all levels of Pro/College teams. This adds even more credence to the fact the Vikings are being treated differently in this debate despite being arguably the states most popular team.
Our 2 newest stadiums/ballparks, TCF Bank Stadium & Target Field as well as the Xcel Energy Center have all been VERY beneficial to the local community and the state. They have generated lots of revenue, added lots of permament jobs and many jobs during their construction as well. They are also responsible for rejuvenating the areas in which they were built.
The time is now to find a #vikingsstadiumsolution that does benefit Minny and keeps the #vikings where they belong! The Vikings currently are responsible for $20 mil being generated & pumped into the state economy each year, not counting residual revenue streams. This number is expected to jump to $25-30 mil per year in a new stadium. That alone is a benefit not to mention all the jobs, work in the community, etc....
While there may be concerns they are by far outweighed by the benefits. This does not discount the concerns but they can be addressed through dialogue and resolution in a final bill. Lets sit down and get this done, put people to work, pump money into the economy and resolve an eyesore in Arden Hills not likely to be developed otherwise for some time, if ever.
#skolvikes
Tragedy In The Pacific
Early this morning an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9, which is the 5th largest in modern recorded history since 1900, hit the island of Japan near Honshu. In addition more than a dozen aftershocks ranging from around 4.0 to 7.1 have hit over the last few hours.
The earthquake also triggered a Tsunami which hit the island with an estimated height of 13 feet. Early reports have stated at least 50 dead and it also washed away cars and buildings.
A smalller unrelated quake also reportedly hit Hawaii however no major damage, deaths or other activity reported as a result of that. Hawaii is however bracing for a Tsunami from the Japan quake and it is anticipated to strike within the hour. Reports say the Tsunami waves could be as high as 8 feet. They come in fast and hard regardless of size which is why they can be so devastating. Tsunami warning sirens have been sounding all morning. Early Tsunami watches have also now been upgraded to warnings for the Western coast of the US.
More information will be posted as it becomes available. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those that have been affected by this tragedy. Hopefully the extent of the damage does not get any worse and no further seismic activity is coming. However tweets of earthquake activity in the region have been very active the last month.
The earthquake also triggered a Tsunami which hit the island with an estimated height of 13 feet. Early reports have stated at least 50 dead and it also washed away cars and buildings.
A smalller unrelated quake also reportedly hit Hawaii however no major damage, deaths or other activity reported as a result of that. Hawaii is however bracing for a Tsunami from the Japan quake and it is anticipated to strike within the hour. Reports say the Tsunami waves could be as high as 8 feet. They come in fast and hard regardless of size which is why they can be so devastating. Tsunami warning sirens have been sounding all morning. Early Tsunami watches have also now been upgraded to warnings for the Western coast of the US.
More information will be posted as it becomes available. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those that have been affected by this tragedy. Hopefully the extent of the damage does not get any worse and no further seismic activity is coming. However tweets of earthquake activity in the region have been very active the last month.
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