Jags: We'll Cut Off Nose to Spite Face if State Doesn't Pay Us $30 Million!

The News Service of Florida reports after state legislators kicked the can down the road again on potential 2015 stadium subsidies, one of the suitors, the Jaguars, announced their club renovations were on hold since the team was really, really, really counting on those incentives:

"We won't go forward," (team rep Paul) Harden said. "We'll look for alternative sources, if they're there. This is a publicly owned building. It's the city of Jacksonville's decisions. As far as the football team is concerned, these are the dollars they were planning on spending for the upgrades."

Let's put aside the fact that the Jaguars' club-level seating renovations may not be the kind of tourism-driver Florida taxpayers should expect for their $30 million over 30 years.

And let's also put aside the fact that the team sold naming rights to the renovated club seats this week.  And that those profits will be going to billionaire owner Shahid Khan, not the public.

See, this threatmongering is absurd simply on the fact that the Jaguars' own subsidy application claims the $18 million club upgrade would net the team an additional $2.3 million per year (plus the naming rights).

So, assuming Khan has no trouble financing a construction loan, the Jags could conceivably just pay for the profitable club renovations themselves now and make their investment back in 10-15 years.  The state, however, would need about 200 years to recoup its investment based on its 6% sales tax cut of that "new" revenue.

At the end of the day, we shouldn't believe the Jags' threats.  Teams routinely exaggerate the scary repercussions of not getting state money.  But the truth is, as the Jags proved in 2013 with their scoreboard-replacement and end zone renovation project, pro teams typically just pay for construction themselves when they strike out on a subsidy.  Especially in Florida, where you can always just come back again (2014) and again (2015) asking for those dollars.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
2/19/15 - Lawmakers kick can down road again on subsidy decision
2/12/15 - Conservative group launches anti-stadium subsidy radio ad
2/11/15 - Lobbying ramps up after rankings come in

2/10/15 - State economist ranks Orlando MLS application first

1/30/15 - Lawmakers will do what Scott won't: rank projects

1/29/15 - Gov. Scott stumbles through stadium questions again

1/28/15 - Stadium bill made it easier for teams to flee spring training

1/28/15 - Campaign contributions fuel pro teams' incentives

1/27/15 - Group want to end tax help for pro stadiums

1/26/15 - Fla's "new" subsidy process is no improvement so far

1/25/15 - Teams that get rejected by state renovate stadiums anyway

1/22/15 - Gov. Scott's non-answer answers on stadium subsidies