Ballpark

How many times will MLB threaten a minor league city and then walk back that threat when the deadline passes?

Lately, we have seen virtually every minor league team tell their local jurisdictions that they require millions of taxpayer dollars for upgrades to their ballparks. They require it quickly too because Major League Baseball has given us a date…or else! This forced many cities to give money to the teams without much, if any, examination of the actual details. As Ballpark Digest noted in a story, this is why a number of minor league teams (Knoxville, Hillsboro, and Salt Lake City) got new ballparks. Who will pay for these upgrades or new ballparks?

Stadium

Why should Connecticut taxpayers help a multimillionaire who just bought a new soccer team?

The new team will be called Connecticut United Football Club and will compete in MLS Next Pro, essentially the minor leagues of Major League Soccer. At the initial press conference, the team announced that they intend to play in a new stadium for the 2025 season. Like every other owner of a sports team, the new millionaire owner made sure to give us ridiculous and completely baseless promises on how their new stadium will perform financially. Unlike every other sports venue every built, this new stadium would “generate $4.5 billion over the course of 25 years” as well as…