Front Office Football Central - Royals winning through 7!

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Royals winning through 7!

The Royals win the pennant! The Royals win the pennant!

THE ROYALS WIN!!!! THE ROYALS WIN!!!!

Work is already beginning on the Mike Wood statue for outside Kauffman Stadium.

Put Barry Zito and the A's on suicide watch. This is a massive blow to their playoff chances.

This pisses me off.

It was shaping up to be the story of the year.

Way to go Chokeland!

The Royals blew a shot at history. Now noone will remember them.

Win a game, ask for $200M...

Quote:

Published Sunday, August 21, 2005

Royals Want $200 Million for Stadium Upgrades
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Royals owner David Glass wants Jackson County to spend about $200 million for upgrades to Kauffman Stadium, as part of an overhaul of the Truman Sports Complex that also includes Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs' owner, Lamar Hunt, also wants extensive renovations to the sports complex -- including $312 million fixing up and expanding Arrowhead. The two teams are scheduled to begin lease negotiations with the county later this week, as county officials weigh whether to put a stadium tax on the April ballot.

In the past, Glass has said he favored asking voters only for enough money to pay for repairs and maintenance required under the current lease.

"I think we've got to do it long term," he said Friday, after officials from both teams met with county officials.

Glass said the team's architectural firm had not set specific improvements and their price tags. He took the $200 million figure from figures used in last year's failed bistate tax election.

The current leases expire in 2014, but the county could be in default well before then because it lacks money to make lease-required repairs. If the county goes into default, the teams could move as early as 2007.

County officials say they would need new 25-year lease agreements in place by February to place a tax on the April 2006 ballot. That would draw fewer voters than a November election and some backers of a stadium tax say a low turnout would increase the chances of passage.

"We have a fairly short timetable for developing a funding plan," said Jack Holland, a financial adviser and lease negotiator for the county. "But there is enough time. There is nothing like a deadline to focus people's energies on a goal."

Some, though, believe that waiting until November 2006 would allow supporters to put together a stronger campaign.

Glass said he would like to see an election as soon as possible, although he and Hunt both said they would respect the county's decision.

"We tend to take too long to do it," Glass said. "We need more a sense of urgency."

Kaufman is a beautiful stadium to see a game at but it's also 30 years old and just doesn't generate revenue like the new parks. The politics involved are just really wonky and it seems like the Chiefs, who are making money hand-over-fist, are always the ones asking for money and for much more than the cash-strapped Royals. What the Royals really need is to be separated from the Chiefs but it seems like they've been strongarmed by Chiefs management into keeping the two teams together when the best thing for the Royals would be a downtown stadium while keeping the Chiefs out at the Truman Sports Complex.

To demonstrate the politics angle, the county they are in (Jackson County) has fallen behind on renovations and they are in danger of defaulting on their lease next year when it should be up in about 10 years (I forget the exact year- 2013, I think). So you'd think the Royals would have some leverage and would be trying to use it to get that downtown stadium they need. But instead, earlier this year, when there was an exploratory commission looking at possible options for stadiums downtown, David Glass said basically "thanks but no thanks" about 30 days into the 100 day process. The general rumor is that the Chiefs have either strongarmed or sweet talked the Royals into staying in the Truman Sports Complex despite it being in their best interests.

All that said, I'm not sure where you saw this story but it's kindof old news. I'm not sure Glass has ever actually asked for a dollar figure since during the bi-state tax vote last year but it was bound to happen because the County basically has defaulted and there were meetings a couple of weeks ago about that. Probably just figured during the middle of a losing streak that they couldn't ask straight up for money.

SI