Two days ago, the Vikings were “extremely frustrated” by Governor Mark Dayton’s decision to propose a new football stadium in Minneapolis. Then, owner Zygi Wilf reportedly was willing to “reluctantly accept” the situation.
Now, the five stages of grief have yielded to apparent giddiness.
Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Wilf said Wednesday that he’s “optimistic” about a stadium built on the location of the team’s current venue, even though the team holds out hope for the preferred location at Arden Hills.
The comments came after a three-hour meeting between Wilf, Dayton, legislative officials, and city officials.
“We’re a lot further than we were a few hours ago,” Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak told the Star Tribune after the meeting.
As to Arden Hills, it appears that the Vikings are keeping that option alive solely as leverage to get the best possible deal in Minneapolis. If so, that’s about the only leverage the Vikings have. The team without a current lease to play football in any stadium has until February 15 to inform the league of an intention to relocate, and there currently is no evidence that the Vikings are talking to any city not situated in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.