Roseville Poll: Vikings Stadium, a Go or No Go?

The Minnesota Vikings didn't win many football games this past season.

But the pro franchise may come away in the offseason with its biggest coup in years: Legislative approval for a new stadium.

The Vikings' push for a new stadium only a week or two ago appeared dead and, at best, on life support. Now, the proposal is making an apparent miraculous recovery.

Funny what a little pressure from the NFL and the Vikings management can do to get the issue moving again.

Both the Senate and House are hoping to vote on the stadium by Friday, if it clears committees.

Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, told Roseville Patch last Friday, "I do not plan to vote for any stadium plan, because they all use state dollars and we owe our schools $3 billion and have an ongoing deficit, not to mention all the other higher funding priorities."

Meanwhile Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, has been a long-time opponent of public subsidies for building new stadiums. He recently offered a bi-partisan plan that would essentially sell the Metrodome site to the Vikings for a $1 in exchange for the football team spending its own money to build a new stadium there. However, that plan has not gotten any traction.

On Wednesday, the Pioneer Press reported Marty saying, "I would say it (the stadium) is imminent. I think they have the upper hand, and I think they're more likely than not to get their stadium within the week."

No matter what the arguments are for not subsidizing pro sports and instead, putting that money for other more pressing public needs; I think that the Legislature is going to find a way to get this thing passed.

Yes, school districts may be more deserving to get the funding previously promised them. And yes, there may be higher funding priorities.

But in the final analysis, what legislator is going to want to be blamed for losing one of Minnesota's storied franchises? One so rich with tradition that even many fans are actually lobbying for a new stadium?

Plenty of businesses stand to lose business if the Vikings leave. They include restaurants and hotels, including some for sure in Roseville.

Yes, the political football is bouncing all over the place. The stadium stlll could pushed to the sidelines again. Politics is that way.

But I'm expecting the Vikings are going to score a "touchdown" this time. What do you think? Take our poll below and let us know.