Venue News: Toronto Wants NFL Team Despite Lack of Stadium
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Toronto wants an NFL team. But the New Orleans Saints don’t expect to be their dancing partner. Saints spokesman Greg Bensel on Thursday rejected a report from a Toronto city councilor that the team is one of two being considered for relocation. But Toronto’s lack of an NFL-ready stadium also is an obstacle. The Buffalo Bills currently play an annual game in Toronto at the Rogers Centre. But Goodell has said Toronto must build a new stadium if it is to attract a full-time NFL team…
…Generations of Brazilians have grown up in the Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, known around the world as the Maracanã. Built for the 1950 World Cup and at the time the largest stadium in the world, it became a symbol of Brazil’s soccer-centric culture. The stadium is likely to host the 2014 World Cup opener and final. But with an admission cost of $18, tickets are out of reach for most locals. The view of the field from the standing-room general admission area of the Maracanã, on the other hand, cost just $1.80 not long ago. Not anymore. That general admission area known as the geral has steadily disappeared…
…Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said Wednesday he wouldn’t let unfinished state budget business get in the way of a new Vikings stadium, offering to sign a stadium bill even if lawmakers blew a deadline to finish the budget. The Democratic governor said that the stadium project was “a separate standalone matter for the Legislature to consider” and would bring several thousand jobs. Dayton consistently has said he would like to see action this year on a new home for the NFL team…
…New York City won’t consider landmark status for the Forest Hills tennis stadium, a structure that had hosted numerous U.S. Open tennis championships as well as musical acts including the Beatles. The decision is a setback for some local residents, who hoped that a landmark designation would limit potential redevelopment of the site. One controversial proposal called for transforming the crumbling structure into luxury condominiums.
