Guest column: Let Khan pay for stadium project, Jacksonville has better uses for that money
Here is a definite minority opinion on the stadium renovation proposal for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team is a private enterprise owned by a billionaire who has been quite successful at using money from others to finance his many projects. That’s fine. Let him pay for all of this one.
Why should taxpayers continue to meet his demands? We paid for the first new version of the Gator Bowl and for subsequent so-called necessary improvements. Imagine, a swimming pool and mammoth video boards so spectators can pay high ticket prices to watch a live game they’re already watching — on that giant TV screen, despite the redundancy.
A huge and very expensive practice facility is now open, despite the fact that the team had its best season in years while practicing on a local high school field. That’s a bit of sweet irony — all that is needed to play a football game is a field of 50 by 100 yards.
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Pro football players must have high skill levels to make it at their level, but I think they (and many other pro athletes) are paid well beyond their actual value to humanity. If you’re having a heart attack or need someone to care for a sick child, do you call a pro athlete to minister to them? Need a teacher for your children? Dial up that same pro athlete.
Pro athletes should definitely be paid for their skills. I think a $200,000 cap with health benefits should allow Mr. Khan enough money to fund all the costs of this renovation project. After all, football is just a game. I have never been to a Jaguars game and never even watched more than maybe 30 minutes of one, except out of curiosity.
As an 8-year-old, I lost interest in team sports when I was not recruited for a Little League team, apparently due to a lack of skills.
A Jacksonville Beach police sergeant saw that happen to many kids in the 1950s. He thought play was for all, even the less skilled, so he formed Little League “farm teams” at a local park. Anyone could play at any time and informal (but quite fun) games ensued.
That is the purpose of “play.” Fun, healthy exercise — a break from serious stuff. Play should be something every spectator at a pro game should be deeply involved with on their own. The huge amounts of money and time spent paying to watch others play could better be spent on “toys” for personal play.
I left organized “play” and took up surfing by age 13. With surfing, there were no adults coaching me or making me sit on a bench while the “good” players got to participate in the games. All I needed was a surfboard and an ocean. Play time was on my schedule, and I later added running to improve my fitness for surfing.
I participated (not really competing) in 39 Gate River Runs and other events because it was fun to do so. Bicycling ― road and mountain — filled in when the surf was flat.
At 76, I still bike and swim, though rarely use my surf kayak. The point is simple: Go play for yourself and free the city to forget yet another downtown improvement debacle.
The city could use those billion dollars for important items like septic tank replacement, health care, villages of tiny houses for the homeless and improvements to schools. There is a long list of truly worthy projects.
The project will most likely not be stopped, however. Again, it's just the minority opinion of an old man.
Bill Longenecker is a former Shorelines contributor and an outdoor enthusiast. He lives in Neptune Beach.
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville shouldn't let stadium be next disastrous downtown project
