Vikings Want to Host Future NFL Draft

Now that the NFL Draft is, like everything NFL, an event in and of itself, it makes sense that the Vikings would throw their horned hat in the ring and attempt to host what has become a boon for Philadelphia and Chicago (The last two cities to host it) . That is, if the reports out of Winter Park are true and the Vikings have sent in an application to host a future NFL Draft after Philadelphia showed a new kind of draft that was a gigantic success, even with all the booing. Considering the first day of the draft broke records for the NFL (With over 250,000 people stopping by to boo Roger Goodell), you can see why a team/market would want to get in on the action. According to Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson, who initially broke this story yesterday, the Vikings are aiming for either 2022 or 2023…

While news surrounding their brand-spanking-new stadium has been negative as of late (With falling objects becoming potential public health hazards), it looks like the Vikings want to not only highlight their nigh-albatross but also the city/county and state that helped fund it. While it’s really next to impossible to quantify what a sports team means to a market, in terms of sheer economic potential, it’s nice to see that the decision to keep the Vikings in Minneapolis is something that will pay off for the city beyond the Super Bowl at the end of the 2017 season and the inevitable once a year lawsuits from those citizens lucky enough to be struck but not killed by falling panels at ‘The Vault’.

For a city that is nearly invisible on the national stage (Partially because our sports teams are all named after Minnesota as opposed to Minneapolis), events like this are incredibly important to not only our tourism bureau (If that’s even what it’s called, see? Pretty invisible) but also the pride that us… Minneapolitans (? Again, invisible!) take in our city. Following up a Super Bowl hosting with a draft (and hopefully a Super Bowl Championship sprinkled in there for good measure) would mean a lot for a city that doesn’t get the credit it deserves as one of the cleanest, healthiest, best educated (Despite our inability to build a stadium that, you know, can handle being outside in Minneapolis) and all around best cities in the world. It’s things like this that couldn’t have happened had we, the tax-payer, not paid for US Bank Stadium, so… You’re welcome? Invisible enemy!

It could also, finally, put the tiresome notion of “Minnesota Nice” to rest by giving us the opportunity to boo Goodell just as long and hard as other cities have (Assuming he’s still the commissioner in five to six years). As a long time both business to individual and business to business sales person, let me tell you, people in Minnesota aren’t necessarily “Nicer”, they’re just different about how they vent their frustration. I like to call it, “Minnesota Passive Aggressive”, so I can only imagine Goodell walking to the podium while 250,000 Minnesotans sarcastically applaud him. That’s the type of burn that never heals.

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