re: Smoothie King Center lifespan

quote:

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I think that’s fine for the Dome but I just don’t see if with SKC

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Why? The reason teams build new stadiums/arenas isn't to give the fans a shiny new building they'll think is pretty. It's typically because the older bones don't properly support more lucrative features that are a lot easier to sell in bigger cities with a large corporate base.

Maybe if the Zion era is wildly successful the team will feel the SKC is what's keeping it from making more money, but with where the team and the fan base is at now, the product on the court is what's keeping the team from making more money.

It will be interesting to see how the Benson Empire handles negotiations with the state now. Griffin is selling the "Steward of a community asset" role hard for Mrs. Benson. When Tom Benson did his shake downs and threatened to move the team, you knew he wanted the money more than he wanted to move, but you also thought he might actually move the team.

The stances Mrs. Benson has taken with the Pels really reduce her leverage. But they may not need as much leverage. Since they changed "inducements" from the state to rent from the state, maybe all they need to do is raise the rent instead of putting on a dog an pony show justifying a shake down.