Indiana

Colts Fumble Getting Their Facts Straight

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Although, the Indianapolis Colts are saying they never asked for a new stadium as part of a deal to stay in the city, the facts seem to indicate otherwise.

Here’s the excerpt from today’s post at the Colts website.

The Colts never asked for a new stadium. In 2004, the City of Indianapolis approached the Colts about the possibility of a new stadium, not the other way around.

If that’s true then why in a 2004 interview with RTV 6, did Colts Owner Jim Irsay said a new stadium will be needed sooner or later?

Negotiations to keep the Colts in Indianapolis may be skirting the issue of a new stadium, but make no mistake: In the not-so-distant future, the football team will try to get The key question, team owner Jim Irsay says, is when.

“There’s no denying saying that sooner or later, you have to have a new stadium,” Irsay (pictured, left) told RTV6’s Ray Cortopassi on Thursday.

The Colts have been negotiating for a new agreement with the city, saying their revenues are among the bottom third of the league. According to Forbes.com, the Colts ranked 27th out of 32 NFL teams in terms of revenue in 2002 (and 29th in terms of value).The team’s current lease at the RCA Dome runs into 2013, but the Colts could break it after the 2006 season if their revenue isn’t equal to or greater than the median in the NFL in two out of the next three seasons, beginning with this season.

And what about this excerpt from the same story…

Irsay points to the NFL teams whose revenues have soared with new stadiums. Of the NFL’s top 15 revenue-making teams in 2002, 13 had stadiums that either were built or significantly renovated within the past 10 years, Cortopassi reported.

“A new stadium, obviously, is … something we have to get to,” Irsay said. “I think a new stadium provides the additional luxury suites, club seats, tickets, et cetera, that allow the people who love football … to take more pressure off the political element, so to speak.”

Never asked for a new stadium, eh?  Sure you didn’t.  (Wink. Wink.)

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on April 24, 2009 (boomark / email).