Originally, back when the Jets were tossing the WSS around, I remember estimates of $800 million for that one. That number is ludicrous, looking back on it, because it didn't take into account inflation and escalating costs. A stadium in downtown Manhatten would have to be over $2 billion today. Then the Giants and Jets decided to combine and build the shared stadium. New estimates came out at like $1.2 billion, if I recall correctly. And this was without a dome or slider because Mara didn't want one. Higher numbers than that were never discussed until Mara came out with his $1.6 billion estimate the other day. So, that's where it stands as of now (and still no slider or dome). I think we all need to relax and see what the Jets put out. I know there's only a slim hope that the numbers will be what current ticketholders can live with, but still, there's a chance. This is why I'm not on the "Woody Is a Bastard Too" bandwagon as of right now. Besides that thinking not getting us anywhere, there's no reason to go there yet because the Jets have announced nothing other than the fans will be notified in August. I can only hope that there's a favorable (for the ticketholders) reason why it is taking the Jets longer to come out with an announcement. It tells me there's a chance they're working on ways to spread the debt out and cover it so that they don't have to do what the Giants are doing, which is basically taking the whole 5-year payoff load and passing the whole thing on to their ticketholders without even exploring other less painful (for their ticketholders) options. The Jets did send out the query (poll), which was frightening to say the least. I never even responded. I'm hoping many others didn't also, or, if they did respond, responded quite negatively. I saw no reason to even respond, that's how profoundly disappointed I was in the numbers. They were that far off the charts. But the Giants never even bothered to question their ticketholders, they just went ahead and pounded them. So maybe... maybe... between the responses the Jets got from the ticketholders and the negativety they see being generated by the Giants (SB Champs, no less), they've decided to take it back to the drawing board and look for other, more creative ways to finance the God-damned thing. There is absolutely no way in hell that fans and ticketholders should be asked to foot the bill on a 5-year payout for a new stadium. I had my own business which required working out of our own, physical facility. Instead of paying rent for a building and property, we bought the land and building we were housed in and payed it off over a long period of time (a mortgage), like everyone else. In all the years I was in business and all the business owners I have known, including people who owned successful real estate developments and commercial properties, I have NEVER, EVER heard of anyone attempting to take on a 5 year loan. This just isn't done... in any project I've ever heard of. Imagine what your mortgage payments would be if you took out a 5 year mortgage on your home? Yet Mara apparently has no qualms about passing on this kind of debt to his ticketholders without blinking an eye. It's unconscionable that he has not explored other avenues. In his callous interview the other day, he never even had the courtesy to mention if he had explored other avenues of finance. This is either because he just plain doesn't give a shit or because he can't and doesn't have that option. Maybe he's embarrassed that he can't come up with a better, more reasonable alternative to getting this project done, I don't know. All I know is, putting this kind of load on the fan base before you exhaust any other methods of funding the project is a criminal thing to do to your fans.
Jets PSL's will be worse then giants OK guys, sorry Woody, now that Favre was signed seaked and delivered, its back the upcoming PSL's. According to a quote in a Lupica article, the Jets PSL's are going to be more painful then the Giants. I told my buddy last week and I am going on record tonight, the Jets are going to stay under the 20K mark and spread out the PSL price tag to the upper deck. You watch, upstairs will be 2.5k-5k depending on the section and the mezzanine will be more also.
ESPN said that they ordered 60,000 #4 jerseys so maybe from all the money they will be making from that sale Woody will waive the PSL fees
I knew people who got screwed up the wazoo in their seat changes at Heinz field in Pittsburgh (went from 5 yard line in lowers to endzone upperdeck 3rd from last row!)
The toughest part of the whole PSL thing is the unknown. You know what section you''ll be in but you don't know the seats. At least the way the Giants are doing it, you have to sign up and pay the first installment, THEN you find out in the fall where your seats are located. WTF? I mean, hell, that could be anywhere in that section. You requested Row 5, paid the money and you get Row 48. That would be a triple screw job. The whole thing is one major reaming.
Are U going to speak at this? http://www.giantsfootballblog.com/2008/08/11/rally-for-fans-against-psls/
I jsut received a response from my assemblyman that I wrote regarding this. I will post the contents of the letter later on, but basically it says thay he is against the psls, is aware of the possible bill banning them in Nj and will support the bill if it is in fact propoesed.
