With the economy in the tank, the State of Minnesota facing a 5 billion dollar budget shortfall, and public sentiment strongly against public funding for a yet another new stadium, few were surprised when news leaked out today that Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf will be pulling up stakes in Minneapolis and moving his team to Sioux City, Iowa. According to an unnamed source within the organization, the move would occur in 2011, the year the team’s contract with the Metrodome expires.
The source cited Wilf’s frustration with the state legislature’s unwillingness to fund a new football venue in the Twin Cities as the primary reason for the move, but added that moving to someplace like Iowa would be “deliciously spiteful to those tight bastards in Minnesota.” The last straw in Wilf’s frustration is the fact that the team needed an extension from the NFL just to sell enough tickets for the recent Vikings/Eagles playoff game to avoid a local media blackout. The source quoted Wilf as ranting “it’s clear this town doesn’t support our team, so we’ll be packing up. They’ll be sorry some day, just you wait and see! Eat your hearts out Minnesota!”
The inside source added that numerous Iowa cities had competed for the team, with Sioux City offering the best accommodations.
“It’s really a great opportunity,” added the insider. “That bustling little farm town really wants to put itself on the map, and seems more than willing to pony up the bucks to do it. They even have a football field waiting for us out on the edge of town somewhere.”
However, Twin Cities sports journalists appeared deeply depressed at hearing the news. At a local sportswriters luncheon today, the room was filled with long faces.
“People here always like to say that Minneapolis will become a ‘cold Omaha’ if a major-league team were to leave,” said columnist Sam Hintzman. “Cold Omaha, my ass! Those guys are going to friggin’ Sioux City!”
Some criticized the idea of the team moving to a small community of 80,000, better known for cheap computers and its meat packing plant aroma. But Sioux City officials say the town can support the team.
“Size doesn’t matter here,” said Loren Leih, spokesman for the Sioux City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Let it be noted that Green Bay is about the same size and the Packers do just fine there. Sioux Citians are stoked about the Vikes, and will come out in droves to show support. Not that there’s much else to do here, but that’s beside the point.”
Repeated calls to Wilf’s office were not returned, but a spokesperson for the team flatly denied the rumor, saying she couldn’t even find Sioux City on a map, thinking it was in South Dakota.
