Irsay has broken his silence. Sort of.

[zibby43]

13 hours ago, WoolMagnet said:

Sooooo you know as much as the rest of us about the situation.

not much.

and no, i dont waste time on twitter.  Not a fan of facebook either.

i prefer to interact with people i can see, touch, etc. not "imaginary" friends.  

this forum is my main "cyber" connection because (usually) its the best, most up to date colts info i can get, especially since inlive in steeler/eagle country. (Pray for me)

part of the problem here is, unless you type 4 pages like u just did, its hard to really convey your message.  And most here skip over long posts like i just did (kinda) if i'm being honest.

we all feel the same disappointment, we just all express it a little differently.

still, i have NO problem with the way Jim supposedly (we dont know) handled this.  To each his own.

 

Yeah, sorry for the length of my last post.  As an attorney, most of my writing is concise, so I tend to get a bit more verbose when I'm writing for fun.

 

I didn't claim to know anything beyond what has been reported.  I simply offered my opinion on Jim's handling of the situation.  I appreciate the fact that he made an effort, but he definitely deviated from how the vast majority of NFL franchises operate when it comes to replacing top-tier positions.

 

The Twitter comments weren't directed at you.  If you go back and look at my response, I was quoting southwest1. 

 

I use Twitter to keep track of news.  Stories tend to break there before anywhere else.  Most of the information you get from this board is announced/shared on Twitter first.  And because I'm interested in a variety of sports (NCAAF, NCAAM, MLB, PGA, NBA, NFL, etc.) and teams, Twitter enables to me to access information about all of these sports in teams in a matter of seconds.

 

If you're a sports fan beyond the Colts, I'd recommend checking it out if you like to stay current. 

 

 

4 hours ago, southwest1 said:

Why do people make the point that this is a message board & members of the forum are free to discuss whatever moves about the team or speculation they so desire? I believe we all know that & there is no one restricting any fans desire to talk about a wide range of Colts, NFL, & Misc. topics within well established rules of course. 

 

"The fans are why the owners are millionaires/billionaires, and if the product on the field begins to suffer to the point where the fans are no longer buying tickets, and the TV revenues begin to dwindle." 

 

Your half right here z-43. Production on the field does matter & winning does incentivize fans to buy more team merchandize & stadium tickets. However, that line of reasoning assumes that fans will boycott this squad if INDY's record fell to say 6-10 next yr. That's never gonna happen because most fans understand that down yrs are part of the football vernacular or lexicon & diehard INDY fans aren't going anywhere in the long run. Also, do fans pay Lucas Oil Stadium's monthly electric bill, water bill, gasoline bus or team plane bill on average? Not really. That's where the television deals & endorsement deals come into play normally. Perhaps a percentage of ticket sales & jersey or hat sales helps out, but not as much as you night think. 

 

Bottom line: Jimmy has the final say in any regime changes & it's cool that Jimmy listens to his fan base, but fans don't own the franchise. Jimmy does & he cuts all the checks & makes all the rules in Indianapolis about the fate of this organization. 

 

I get what your driving at, but Jimmy not you & not me, is going to do what he wants to do & we are in no position to control it. Influence it maybe, but that's about it. 

 

I made the point because you wondered aloud why I made my thread.  Why make any thread on here?  Did my explanation make sense re: why Irsay's non-silence was of some significance? 

 

With respect to our role in helping the team to survive, you do realize that Lucas Oil Stadium cost $720 million to build?  Who do you think paid for that?

 

When I was taking a state and local government course in law school, I learned that the Colts chipped in about $100 million to build Lucas Oil.  Gee, that was nice of them.  The remainder of the money was raised by the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis.

 

So, in reality, the taxpaying fans (and plenty apathetic taxpayers) helped to "buy" Lucas Oil Stadium.  Marion County raised taxes for food & beverage sales.  It raised auto rental taxes, innkeeper's taxes, and admission taxes for its share of the total cost.

 

There was also an increase in food and beverage taxes in the 8 surrounding counties (excluding Morgan County).

 

Furthermore, in August 2006, the Capital Improvement Board (the CIB operates the stadium) estimated that daily operating expenses of Lucas Oil would be nearly $10 million more per year than the RCA Dome. The board urged the State Legislature to authorize funding to cover the shortfall.

 

As a result, the Indiana General Assembly ultimately authorized a tax increase in Indianapolis/Marion County.

 

That's only part of story (it ended up getting worse for taxpayers), but you get my gist.

[WoolMagnet]

Just now, zibby43 said:

 

Yeah, sorry for the length of my last post.  As an attorney, most of my writing is concise, so I tend to get a bit more verbose when I'm writing for fun.

 

I didn't claim to know anything beyond what has been reported.  I simply offered my opinion on Jim's handling of the situation.  I appreciate the fact that he made an effort, but he definitely deviated from how the vast majority of NFL franchises operate when it comes to replacing top-tier positions.

 

The Twitter comments weren't directed at you.  If you go back and look at my response, I was quoting southwest1. 

 

I use Twitter to keep track of news.  Stories tend to break there before anywhere else.  Most of the information you get from this board is announced/shared  on Twitter first.  And because I'm interested in a variety of sports (NCAAF, NCAAM, MLB, PGA, NBA, NFL, etc.) and teams, Twitter enables to me to access information about all of these sports in teams in a matter of seconds.

 

If you're a sports fan beyond the Colts, I'd recommend checking it out if you like to stay current. 

 

 

 

I made the point because you wondered allowed why I made my thread.  Why make any thread on here?  Did my explanation make sense re: why Irsay's non-silence was of some significance? 

 

With respect to our role in helping the team to survive, you do realize that Lucas Oil Stadium cost $720 million to build?  Who do you think paid for that?

 

When I was taking a state and local government course in law school, I learned that the Colts chipped in about $100 million to build Lucas Oil Gee, that was nice of them.  The remainder of the money was raised by the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis.

 

So, in reality, the taxpaying fans (and plenty apathetic taxpayers) helped to "buy" Lucas Oil Stadium.  Marion County raised taxes for food & beverage sales.  It raised auto rental taxes, innkeeper's taxes, and admission taxes for its share of the total cost.

 

There was also an increase in food and beverage taxes in the 8 surrounding counties (excluding Morgan County).

 

Furthermore, in August 2006, the Capital Improvement Board (the CIB operates the stadium) estimated that daily operating expenses of Lucas Oil would be nearly $10 million more per year than the RCA Dome. The board urged the State Legislature to authorize funding to cover the shortfall.

 

As a result, the Indiana General Assembly ultimately authorized a tax increase in Indianapolis/Marion County.

No worries. You have good points.

i'm just tired of the crazy speculation around here.  I've been watching all the sports shows and none of them are discussing this.  WE are the ones with our undies in a bunch.  The fact this isnt a story nationally should tell us something i believe.  

I just dont see the big problem here.

[zibby43]

Just now, WoolMagnet said:

No worries. You have good points.

i'm just tired of the crazy speculation around here.  I've been watching all the sports shows and none of them are discussing this.  WE are the ones with our undies in a bunch.  The fact this isnt a story nationally should tell us something i believe.  

I just dont see the big problem here.

 

Thanks, WoolMagnet.  So do you.  And I agree that the speculation is exhausting. 

 

On a side note, I am friends with one of Jim's daughters (went to school together).  She's a great human being.  And Jim cares very deeply about his franchise and the city of Indianapolis.  He wants the team to do well.  The criticism that he gets around here, and elsewhere, is very, very unfair.  The comparisons to his father are way out of line, too.

 

Have a good weekend.

[southwest1]

1 hour ago, zibby43 said:

 

Yeah, sorry for the length of my last post.  As an attorney, most of my writing is concise, so I tend to get a bit more verbose when I'm writing for fun.

 

I didn't claim to know anything beyond what has been reported.  I simply offered my opinion on Jim's handling of the situation.  I appreciate the fact that he made an effort, but he definitely deviated from how the vast majority of NFL franchises operate when it comes to replacing top-tier positions.

 

The Twitter comments weren't directed at you.  If you go back and look at my response, I was quoting southwest1. 

 

I use Twitter to keep track of news.  Stories tend to break there before anywhere else.  Most of the information you get from this board is announced/shared on Twitter first.  And because I'm interested in a variety of sports (NCAAF, NCAAM, MLB, PGA, NBA, NFL, etc.) and teams, Twitter enables to me to access information about all of these sports in teams in a matter of seconds.

 

If you're a sports fan beyond the Colts, I'd recommend checking it out if you like to stay current. 

 

 

 

I made the point because you wondered aloud why I made my thread.  Why make any thread on here?  Did my explanation make sense re: why Irsay's non-silence was of some significance? 

 

With respect to our role in helping the team to survive, you do realize that Lucas Oil Stadium cost $720 million to build?  Who do you think paid for that?

 

When I was taking a state and local government course in law school, I learned that the Colts chipped in about $100 million to build Lucas Oil.  Gee, that was nice of them.  The remainder of the money was raised by the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis.

 

So, in reality, the taxpaying fans (and plenty apathetic taxpayers) helped to "buy" Lucas Oil Stadium.  Marion County raised taxes for food & beverage sales.  It raised auto rental taxes, innkeeper's taxes, and admission taxes for its share of the total cost.

 

There was also an increase in food and beverage taxes in the 8 surrounding counties (excluding Morgan County).

 

Furthermore, in August 2006, the Capital Improvement Board (the CIB operates the stadium) estimated that daily operating expenses of Lucas Oil would be nearly $10 million more per year than the RCA Dome. The board urged the State Legislature to authorize funding to cover the shortfall.

 

As a result, the Indiana General Assembly ultimately authorized a tax increase in Indianapolis/Marion County.

 

That's only part of story (it ended up getting worse for taxpayers), but you get my gist.

Okay, there are so many flaws in your post where do I begin...Let's start with your legislature tax payer point. Both the Chargers & the Rams have left their respective cities St. Louis & San Diego to relocate to LA & our very own franchise left Baltimore to relocate to Indianapolis as an NFL franchise as well.

 

Yes, you are right that tax revenue helps build stadiums yes, they do that is correct. However, when teams relocate are cities still on the hook for upgrades & renovations too? Nope. Also, team owners benefit from anti-trust laws as well & many legal loopholes & multi-billion dollar corporations that most other companies cannot take advantage of either. Very few ever mention this crucial point. Next, you're gonna tell look at all the money stadiums generate for their individual state as a surplus of cash for the local economy hosting NCCA Final 4 tournaments, music concerts from popular entertainers, & say political rallies during a presidential yr for a specific party etc. etc. Money funneled into a state is fine & good, but there usually are large segments in any state as a population that don't earn enough disposable income on a regular basis to attend NFL games in person frequently which means that tax dollars are taken from native citizens that may never get the opportunity to see the Colts play a home game live in person. So, please don't create the misguided impression that all citizens benefit equally from having an NFL stadium just because the legislature green lights a new or updated stadium. Totally absurd. 

 

Who benefits most from a state of the art facility z-43? The owner or pool of richest investors. Some members of the community might given their level of disposable income after expenses, but certainly not all & the last time I checked the legislature takes revenue for a new stadium from every citizen in that state even though not every citizen will be able to go to a home LOS game. 

 

I don't live in Indianapolis by the way so giving me tax increases on food by county means absolutely nothing to me. 

 

It's fine that you prefer Twitter as a key news source to stay current just please realize that not everyone is enamored with social media, selfies, or has an overwhelming desire to know everything in seconds at your fingertips. Personally, I think too many people get hung up on speed & convenience vs accuracy & patience. 

 

Nice chatting with you. 

[Lawrence Owen]

If/When he does something, and it is concrete, then i'll respond to what he has done or said.  Until then what he does is up to him.  He Cares about the Colts.  He has proven it in the past many times.  He does things his way though. Until we get to see what he has done as an owner,  just making guess's is rediculously non-productive.

The media's JOB is to make things interesting and get readers.  Even if they have to come up with thier own guess's and turn to rumor mills.  It is all smoke and mirrors until facts come out.

My own guess? Jim took John out to the Bar for a virgin pinacolada, and a bubble gum cigar. While playing Shoots & Ladders....

[zibby43]

2 hours ago, southwest1 said:

Okay, there are so many flaws in your post where do I begin...Let's start with your legislature tax payer point. Both the Chargers & the Rams have left their respective cities St. Louis & San Diego to relocate to LA & our very own franchise left Baltimore to relocate to Indianapolis as an NFL franchise as well.

 

Yes, you are right that tax revenue helps build stadiums yes, they do that is correct. However, when teams relocate are cities still on the hook for upgrades & renovations too? Nope. Also, team owners benefit from anti-trust laws as well & many legal loopholes & multi-billion dollar corporations that most other companies cannot take advantage of either. Very few ever mention this crucial point. Next, you're gonna tell look at all the money stadiums generate for their individual state as a surplus of cash for the local economy hosting NCCA Final 4 tournaments, music concerts from popular entertainers, & say political rallies during a presidential yr for a specific party etc. etc. Money funneled into a state is fine & good, but there usually are large segments in any state as a population that don't earn enough disposable income on a regular basis to attend NFL games in person frequently which means that tax dollars are taken from native citizens that may never get the opportunity to see the Colts play a home game live in person. So, please don't create the misguided impression that all citizens benefit equally from having an NFL stadium just because the legislature green lights a new or updated stadium. Totally absurd. 

 

Who benefits most from a state of the art facility z-43? The owner or pool of richest investors. Some members of the community might given their level of disposable income after expenses, but certainly not all & the last time I checked the legislature takes revenue for a new stadium from every citizen in that state even though not every citizen will be able to go to a home LOS game. 

 

I don't live in Indianapolis by the way so giving me tax increases on food by county means absolutely nothing to me. 

 

It's fine that you prefer Twitter as a key news source to stay current just please realize that not everyone is enamored with social media, selfies, or has an overwhelming desire to know everything in seconds at your fingertips. Personally, I think too many people get hung up on speed & convenience vs accuracy & patience. 

 

Nice chatting with you. 

 

No offense, but I have no idea what you're on about.  And I have a very difficult time following your posts.

 

Nowhere did I say that citizens benefited from the stadium.  In fact, my point was more the opposite.  The citizens, the taxpayers, got HOSED on the Lucas Oil Stadium deal.  

 

I'll break it down as simply as I can, again.

 

You asked who paid Lucas Oil Stadium's utility bills and my point was, who cares?  Taxpayers were primarily responsible for financing/building Lucas Oil Stadium.  And I explained how that tax revenue was generated for that project.

 

If you don't follow what I'm saying, feel free to ask for clarification.  You completely misinterpreted my previous post and went on a tangent about unrelated topics.

 

I tried to keep it simple as I don't think you or anyone else wants to be taught about the intricacies of municipal bonds.

 

Finally, you don't have to be a jerk to me because you don't like social media or know how any of it works.  

 

I don't take selfies, and I don't post them on Twitter (that's not what Twitter is for, by the way).  Are you using a selfie in your avatar??

 

And if you don't like Twitter, you probably should've just steered clear of this thread instead of taking it off-topic and using it as an opportunity to thump your chest about how old-school you are.

 

That's just more of a manners issue.

 

Do you know that news organizations (ESPN, Fox, etc.) tweet links to traditional articles and pieces of journalism on Twitter?  So you can EASILY find those "accurate" articles you were waxing poetic about.  It's not just a collection of random individuals sharing thoughts in 140 characters or less.

 

Have a nice weekend.

[zibby43]

By the way, southwest1,

 

The team (that is, the Colts organization) pays just $250,000 a year in rent and the city of Indianapolis covers all operating and maintenance expenses at Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

So there's your answer to the utility bills question as well.