Bengals seeking $900,000 in turf reimbursement

[Hap]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2694522


Associated Press

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals are invoking a provision in their lease that forces Hamilton County to reimburse the team for Paul Brown Stadium's artificial turf.

The lease says the county, which owns the stadium, must pay for the turf if it also has been installed at seven of the other publicly funded stadiums in the National Football League.

The Bengals added the FieldTurf before the 2004 season. The same surface is now used at publicly funded stadiums in East Rutherford, N.J.; Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, St. Louis, Buffalo and Minneapolis.

The clause in the lease will cost Hamilton County taxpayers about $900,000.

"This is another example of how unfair this [lease] is to the taxpayers of Hamilton County," Commissioner Phil Heimlich said in Monday editions of The Cincinnati Enquirer. "There's no limit to the number of gadgets they can buy and charge to the taxpayer."

Commissioners are expected to approve paying the Bengals in three annual payments.

The team failed in several attempts to grow suitable natural grass at Paul Brown Stadium, which opened in 2000.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

[traderumor]

"This is another example of how unfair this [lease] is to the taxpayers of Hamilton County," Commissioner Phil Heimlich said in Monday editions of The Cincinnati Enquirer. "There's no limit to the number of gadgets they can buy and charge to the taxpayer."

Well, except this gadget had to be in seven other taxpayer funded stadiums, which obviously is intended to say "industry norm established." Sounds to me like a pretty precise provision in the lease. The taxpayers are also paying the salary of someone with poor reasoning skills.

[Hoosier Red]

Here's what I don't get. Even assuming the deal was a terrible deal for the county. Mike Brown used all his leverage and power and got a phenomenal deal for the Bengals that will take more taxpayer dollars than needed.

What good is griping about it now? Does anyone expect Mike Brown to say, well jeeze sorry bout that. I know you are all contractually obligated to pay for this, but no, it's cool it's on me.

Does anyone know where this has happened?

[Heath]

Bob Bedinghaus got absolutely jobbed on this deal.

[dsmith421]

Originally Posted by Heath

Bob Bedinghaus got absolutely jobbed on this deal.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Bedinghaus and Heimlich were both eventually forced off the County Commission.

[traderumor]

A question I have. Did the Bengals have to get authorization from the landlord to make the improvements? I think that is relevant here.

[BoydsOfSummer]

The Browns (as in Mike,you wise-asses) should reimburse their fans for the previous decade.

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by traderumor

A question I have. Did the Bengals have to get authorization from the landlord to make the improvements? I think that is relevant here.

I believe everyone involved felt the move to Field Turf was a good idea. I'm not sure, but I believe at the time the turf was installed, it was stated that the Bengals would be on the hook for improvements to the stadium unless seven other teams playing in publicly-funded stadiums made the same improvement. Personally, I think this is one improvement the county should pay for. It's not like its something frivolous, like personal flat screen monitors for every club-level seat. When they put the grass field in, I think they chose a horrible mix of soil supposedly to favor drainage, but it ended up just making it easier to tear the field up. By putting Field Turf in, it not only saves resodding costs, but also makes the stadium more useful for non-Bengals events. Before the resurfacing, the Bengals would veto the use of PBS for high school games because of wear and tear, but that is no longer an issue.

Not living in Hamilton Co., it's hard for me to say whether the lease is fair or unfair. I don't bear the burden of the tax. However, I do appreciate that the voters of Hamilton County chose to pass a tax to keep the Bengals and Reds from leaving. Whenever I'm in town, I make it a point to spend money in Hamilton County to show my appreciation. Now if only they had put the Hofbrauhaus on the Cincinnati side of the river, I'd have no reason to go to KY on my visits. I think the politicians of Hamilton Co. and Cincinnati need to move on from this "good lease/bad lease" battle and look into getting the Banks project moving ASAP.

[traderumor]

Personally, I'd do everything I could to buy the stadium from the county just to not have to listen to the politicians belly-aching anymore.

[Reds4Life]

Originally Posted by dsmith421

I don't think it's a coincidence that Bedinghaus and Heimlich were both eventually forced off the County Commission.

I don't think its coincidence that Bedinghuas now works for the Bengals.

Must be nice, you get to own an NFL team and almost all of the expenses aside from payroll are footed by the taxpayers. :thumbdown

[Virginia Beach Reds]

Part of the money the Bengals make should go BACK to Hamilton County. Like into a fund for scholarships or for improvements around the stadium. If the fans decide not to come out, then the fund goes away.

[traderumor]

Heimlich

What a rough name to live with.

[traderumor]

Originally Posted by Reds4Life

I don't think its coincidence that Bedinghuas now works for the Bengals.

Must be nice, you get to own an NFL team and almost all of the expenses aside from payroll are footed by the taxpayers. :thumbdown

In this business, the expenses are almost all primarily player and management salaries anyhow.

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by traderumor

What a rough name to live with.

How many people have their own maneuver?

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Virginia Beach Reds

Part of the money the Bengals make should go BACK to Hamilton County. Like into a fund for scholarships or for improvements around the stadium. If the fans decide not to come out, then the fund goes away.

Well, it does, in a way with all the fines the players have to pay from getting in trouble.