A New Vikings Stadium

Frankly, I'm disappointed in what's going on with the state of Minnesota and the stadium debate. But I decided to do what little I can do about it: contact those in charge. I wrote this to Kurt Zellers, the speaker at the Minnesota House of Representatives at rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn

If you want a Vikings stadium, and the Vikings to remain the Minnesota Vikings, I urge you to write too.

Dear Mr. Zellers,

I haven't lived in Minnesota a long time - fifteen years to be precise - but I have remained an avid Minnesota Vikings fan since I was six years old and saw my very first game in September 1994.

The Vikings are so much more than just a football team; they are the driving economic force behind downtown Minneapolis (this was clearly demonstrated to me as a Florida Gator - I'm told three restaurants went out of business when the stadium authorities forbade people to leave and come back at halftime) and they are a symbol of unity and pride for the entire state. How many football teams are named for states rather than cities now? We are unique, and with Christian Ponder, Percy Harvin, Adrian Peterson, and Jared Allen at the helm, we will only get better.

Frankly, if the Gophers and the Twins deserve funding for new stadiums, the Vikings deserve it ten times more. Not to mention the new stadium wouldn't be solely for the Vikings! Lacrosse games, soccer games, UFL games, even concerts could be held there depending on the type of venue built. Privatize the parking around it and have people pay to park there during the week (I believe they did this with parking at the new Amway in Orlando) to up the income as well!

The Vikings are so much more important than politics. I may not have a vote in Minnesota, but I have a voice and I will send as many emails, call as many people, and write as many blogs, tweets, and Facebook statuses as it takes to get the voters to pay attention to you (and the other Minnesota politicians), and what you're prepared to do for the state - and the Vikings.

Yours sincerely,

Carla E. Pereira, BA