Looking At Tom Connolly's Connection To The Packers And Vikings

by Brandon on Feb 21, 2012 10:01 AM CST in Green Bay Packers History

After reading the extensive article on the Green Bay Packers' front office, one of the points brought up by Kevin Seifert was that current Packers VP Tom Connolly was the Vikings GM back in 1999 and 2000. Since I don't spend a lot of time analyzing who is running the team's sales department, this was a connection I hadn't previously made.

I wanted to find out more about Connolly's departure and found this 2000 article from the Brainerd Dispatch (insert Fargo joke here). He lost a power struggle with Dennis Green, and instead he spent most of his 15 months with the team working on their bid for a new stadium. Yep, the Vikings have been trying to push for a new stadium for over 10+ years, and they still haven't gotten a final deal done for a new stadium or a temporary home during construction. Maybe Connolly was blamed for the fiasco of drafting Dimitrius Underwood, but I thought that was Green's blunder.

That 2000 article also said that Vikings former owner Red McCombs was willing to contribute $100 million to build a new stadium for $400 million. The price has gone up a bit since then. Current owner Zygi Wilf would now contribute $427 million of the $975 million for the proposed stadium.

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Red McCombs was clearly a cheapskate. That was probably the best offer he ever made for the stadium. Amazing to see how much stadium prices have gone up though in a little over 10 years…WOW!!

The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010

by TrevorR on Feb 21, 2012 12:01 PM CST reply actions

That McCombs was...

I always wonder what kind of team we would have had if Mike Tice had an owner like Zygi Wilf rather than Red McCombs. Not surprising we never got a deal done under McCombs when he is only willing to pony up 1/4th the cost of the new stadium.

It would be nice if the league would allow other teams to sell shares of “Stock”, as we could close the gap between lawmakers and the Vikings by selling a few shares here and there.

by Bjorno on Feb 21, 2012 12:29 PM CST up reply actions

1/4 is still better than the 1/10 Zygi is fronting.

Don’t let that 427 million fool you when 150 of it is from the NFL and around 100 is from seat licensing.

Taked baby. Meet at later bar, night or day sometime.

by Charlie Kelly on Feb 21, 2012 12:31 PM CST up reply actions

PSL and NFL are good points...

But it is more like $100 million from the NFL and $75 million from PSLs.

Mondale said that, according to calculations by the consultants who reviewed other stadium deals across the country, the Vikings could get $75 million from the sales of personal seat licenses and an estimated $100 million from the National Football League in a loan that would be repaid mostly through new stadium revenue typically earmarked for visiting teams.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/133726558.html

Putting the Wilfs contribution at more like $250 Million, which is back to the 1/4th mark. Though we would have to consider how much the NFL and PSLs would have factored into McComb’s offer.

Either way, Zygi has proven himself willing to spend money on the team, and McCombs did not.

by Bjorno on Feb 21, 2012 12:53 PM CST up reply actions