Brain Fertilizer

I've discussed this issue with many back home and it seems to apply here too. Why should the tax payers have to foot the bill to pay for a new stadium?

Why can't a franchise that can afford to pay millions of dollars to its players fund its own needs?

A couple of reasons.

First, the tax-payers always have a choice. See: Cleveland Browns. They also have to deal with the consequences. See: Baltimore Ravens winning a Superbowl with a team that used to belong to Cleveland.

Second, sports franchises tend to bring in lots of revenue, making it a bargain for the tax-payers. "Why should the tax-payers pay?" is just a variation of leftist class warfare, expecting that The People should get stuff for free. That's not how the world works. Because, leading right into the next point,

Third, taxpayers should pay simply due to the simple law of Supply and Demand. Enough taxpayers want a sports franchise in their area that there naturally develops a cost to retain it. If nobody cared that much about sports, the demand would evaporate and there would be no need for taxpayers to fund it.

Fourth, "why can't a franchise that can afford to pay millions of dollars to its players fund its own needs?" is an illusion. There is a minimum cost to remain competitive, and a maximum price that can be put on the entertainment. Thus, every dollar the Chiefs pay to renovate the stadium is one less dollar that can be dedicated toward being competitive.
Understand this: the franchise is going to make its money. Fans can pay for it through taxes, or pay for it through having ticket/parking/concession prices so high that only the ultra-rich can afford it, and pay-per-view TV so the average can't watch it at home. How does that serve anyone.

Fifth, how is this different than a state/city paying to help build a state-of-the-art facility to entice, say, GM to build a factory in the area? If all things are equal, why should a big-money business choose a worse deal? ...which goes back to supply and demand.

Sixth, one might as well ask why taxpayers should pay for Light Rail or Bus Services or half a million other programs that satisfy ever-smaller percentages of constituents.

Seventh, the taxpayers (through their duly elected leaders) promised to keep the Chiefs in a state-of-the-art facility. They aren't keeping that promise. If they continue to not live up to their promises, the Chiefs should go elsewhere.

Pragmatically speaking, unless a political system is a Political Machine of corruption that ignores popular will (like the US Tammany Hall era or modern Taiwan), the people tend to get what they want, or they vote the bums out of office. If the Jackson County voters don't want to pay for the KC Chiefs to stay there, they won't. And the Chiefs should be, and are, free to move to a different venue.

That's probably the best argument I've seen anyone give for supporting such a move.

For the record, I'm not against having new stadiums built for teams that deem themselves worthy of such an undertaking. I was just prodding you for an explanation.

Indiana was having the same debate over whether or not to build a new stadium for the Colts and when I mentioned the extra revenue the Colts contribute to the state economy, I got completely slammed by all the leftists.

Not only would having a larger stadium mean more seats which equal more money as long as the team is performing, but having a retractable dome would be a great advantage when playing the warmer climate teams. It also might give us the cold weather experience we need to finally beat those pesky Patriots. Not to mention the ability to actually host a Superbowl. Do people not realize how much money a Suberbowl generates for the State economy?

I'm not sure they've thought it through. Or if they have, they don't care. It's all about "opposing establishment/privilege" for some people, whether or not they even know what that means.

The NFL ranks Chiefs 10th in consecutive league sell-outs since their opening game of the 1991 season when the Chiefs competed against the Atlanta Falcons at Arrowhead. It is the best and loudest Stadium in the country. The way 78,000 screaming fans cheer the stars in red and gold, the hometown spirit comes to life!!!!!!!!!!!
There is nothing like the adrenaline rush when entering the parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium and arriving hours before the game and "tailgating" is the mere start of the Arrowhead experience.
So, what if the city is funding for the team’s publicity, nobody can deny this fact if any team abandon its city, the proponents die to get the team back. I fully agree that why can't a franchise that can afford to pay millions of dollars to its players fund its own needs?

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