There are, in my experience, few no-brainer situations in this world. You obviously say yes to a date with Kate Beckinsale, or a game of one-on-one with Kobe Bryant, or even a game of one-on-one with Kate Beckinsale. And, as a government you should never, ever turn your back on a good thing. The South Georgia Wildcats definitely qualify as a “good thing” in anyone’s book.
Currently, the Wildcats are working on trying to get the City to sign a 5 year deal with a 3 year option, which could tie the Wildcats in place for the next 8 years. In exchange for staying, the team wants to pay a flat fee and perform $15,000 worth of capital improvements to the Albany Civic Center…$15,000 worth of improvements the tax payers of Albany won’t get stuck with. They also want 100% of the concession revenue.
I find myself siding with some unlikely folks on this one. City Manager Alfred Lott and Downtown Manager Don Buie, for example. You see, the Wildcats pay to use the facility, one that is empty far to much of the time. An professional football season lasts 16 games, and this is true of an af2 franchise as well. Half are home games, half are away, so the Civic Center is tied up for a minimum of 8 weeks during the year. These aren’t all in a row either. You also have the potential for playoff games though, so that can be a bit extended.
The flip side is how many people walk through the doors of the Civic Center to watch a game. The stands are packed. The cost is reasonable. And families flock to the game from all over the region. The estimated economic impact is somewhere around $2.2 million dollars each season. If, and I do mean if, but if downtown has a shot in hell of being revitalized, it must start with keeping the Wildcats here in South Georgia.
Besides…anything that can put some cash into the city is a great thing. Every dollar in from ticket sales is a dollar we’re not getting taxed, right?
Tom,
My comment has nothing to do with the contract. You make some great points and I am with you. My comments are about the Wildcats’ agreement to teach flag football to the kids at Cub Scout Day Camp in Albany. There were more than thirty disappointed boys there. Some had brought Sharpies in hopes to get team signatures on their camp shirts. There was a little rain the morning that they were to show. I explained to the scouts that cats hate water and these particular cats are only used to playing inside.
Yeah, that’s really unacceptable, and not just because it’s the Wildcats. People need to live up to their obligations. Period. Everyone needs to step up and do what’s right, whether they’re professional athletes or not