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January 9, 2005
The Importance of a 40-Yard Field Goal
Man, you had to feel bad for Nate Kaeding last night. After the 22-year-old rookie missed a game winning field that would have sent the Chargers into the second round of the playoffs, images of him on the sideline with a depressed look on his face had to make your heart sink. Granted, he gets paid the big bucks to come through in those situations, but I don't think I could handle that kind of pressure.
The second thought that was running through my head though was what did that missed field goal do to the future of the Chargers in San Diego? After a nine year stretch of not making it to the post-season, and a 4-12 record last year, the people of San Diego where ready to send the Chargers packing. The majority of the community was going to have no part in helping to finance a new stadium with tax dollars that the Charges demanded if the city wanted to keep the team in San Diego.
But it is amazing what flipping that record to 12-4 did to public opinion this year. Even though the city is in the middle of a pension fund crisis, public opinion changed and a recent poll showed that a majority of San Diegans now favor keeping the team in the city. A current proposal that had the city donating the land for the stadium (land that could be sold to help fill the depleted city coffers) would have no doubt passed with ease if on the ballot last week.
Whether Nate's field goal attempt that drifted a couple yards to the right will swing public opinion in the other direction remains to be seen. But one things clear, a great playoff run by the Chargers would have all but guaranteed that they would have remained in the city. It also would have all but guaranteed taxpayers of San Diego would have been the losers.
It always shocks me that millionaire players and billionaire owners feel the need to take money from everyday people to fund their line of work. You would think it would be commonsense that if these stadiums were such great deals, they could finance them on their own and wouldn't need taxpayers subsidies. Unfortunately, the excitement of your home team winning is a powerful thing and can override this sentiment.
Posted by Peter Mork at January 9, 2005 1:07 PM
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Wow... my friend over at Economics without a face gets it right for once... "...Whether Nate's field goal attempt that drifted a couple yards to the right will swing public opinion in the other direction remains to be seen. But... [Read More]
Tracked on January 10, 2005 12:36 PM
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