Halftime: New NFL stadium, in this economy?

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USA Today

The Minnesota Vikings' strategy is becoming transparent. First they, they woo a legend out or retirement. Then they have him throw a miracle touchdown pass, raising Super Bowl expectations.

Then they hit up taxpayers for $700 million.

That's how much the Vikings say they need for a new stadium, and the campaign begins in earnest today, in meetings with political leaders. The pay-us-or-lose-us threat is implicit in a comment from Vikings VP Lester Bagley, to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.

Said Bagley: "If the answer is no, then why would you own a team in this market?"

Not exactly a slogan the Chamber of Commerce is going to jump on.

A similar rumbling is emanating from Jacksonville, where Sunday's Jaguars-Titans game may have 20,000 empty seats, just like the home opener. Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver got together with local sports media, to clarify his comment about possibly playing a future game in Orlando.

Weaver downplayed the lure of playing at Orlando's Citrus Bowl, saying, "I don't think they have the kind of facility that would accommodate the kind of revenues you have to derive out of an NFL stadium."

But what I'm reading between the lines there is Weaver telling Orlando that, "Hint, hint, my team will be a free agent in two years, which is plenty of time to get your stadium up to speed. Call me."

And no, the L in NFL has never stood for loyalty.

Here are some more lunchtime topics to munch on:

. . . The New York Times has a followup to its report on NFL players being far more susceptible to dementia than the general population. The Times says the NFL's disability plan isn't structured to consider dementia an occupational risk, which drastically reduces benefits.

The league's response was that it's a union matter that needs to be addressed during collective bargaining. Meantime, the NY Daily News has a story on Jets defender Eric Smith reflecting on the aftermath of his concussion, and how he kept knocking things over every time he went to the refrigerator.

Not an occupational risk?

. . . Big Ben Roethlisberger skipped out on his normal weekly media chat yesterday. That left everyone to wonder whether it's because another casino-related lawsuit against him has surfaced or maybe because the coaches are chafed about him organizing a team road trip to WWE's Monday Night Raw.




. . . Worth the click: Life.com is commemorating the anniversary of Hank Aaron's final game (Oct. 3, 1976) by making him a "guest editor" and posting a very cool photo gallery.
. . . It hasn't taken Herschel Walker long to get in the swing of his new MMA career. He's already challenged UFC president Dana White to a fight. And how long until we get him matched up against Jose Canseco?

. . . I'm an Orioles believer. And I firmly believe they'll get the one additional defeat they need to tie the team's second-worst losing streak all-time of 14 straight.

. . . Can someone please grab me an Ozzie Smith bobblehead at the Cardinals' game tomorrow night?

. . . Mateen Cleaves led Mighigan State to a Final Four title in 2000, and now he's paying homage to coach Tom Izzo, naming his son Mateen Izzy Cleaves. Hope that works out better than that dreaded Izzy mascot of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

. . . In addition to getting to the wedding altar at light speed to marry Khloe Kardashian, the Lakers' Lamar Odom also recently took up boxing. Hmmmm. Do you suppose too much time in the ring led to the hasty offering of an engagement ring?

. . . Here's the toddler version of the speech Herb Brooks gave before pulling off the Miracle on Ice.

. . . Big Papi must be having indigestion after seeing the way his restaurant got hammered in a Boston Globe review.

. . . Sad to hear that ever since middle school the Vikings' Percy Harvin has suffered from serious migraines. But, as that 101-yard return against San Francisco proved, he also can give them.

. . . Drew Brees, on why he won't be getting tattoos like those of Saints teammate Jeremy Shockey: "No, I’ll leave that to him. You have to have biceps of a certain size to have tattoos and I’m not in that category."

. . . And the Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis would love for you to give him a call. Seriously.