We’ve written at great length on the bad deals struck between cities and their respective sports teams. We’ve covered Las Vegas risking their children’s education for the Raiders sports stadium, the Atlanta Falcons owners restricting which fans can attend games, and even the regular run-of-the-mill extortive activity happening between owners and local governments.

With kickoff just around the corner for the NFL regular season, you should know that the chances that you will be able to afford tickets are lower than ever. Funny, that your taxes can be spent on stadium construction, but the ticket and concession prices are set so high that you, the taxpayer can’t afford tickets. Just how bad is it?

Jay Pandya, Chairman of Global Venture Sports, has plans to invest $2.4 billion to bring eight professional cricket teams to the States. Trying to keep up-to-date on the latest in sports, we looked into this. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, we had to learn what cricket was. So we reached out to a British friend and asked if she would explain.

Both Los Angeles and Paris are vying for the opportunity to host the 2024 Olympic Games. This is a great opportunity for the sports world at large, but it's scary news for California residents who will soon come to understand just how much damage hosting the Olympics can cause on the local economy.

Dan Snyder and the Redskins have expressed interest in moving to Virginia in 2027. While far in the future, negotiations are beginning and it needs to be examined now. A move to Virginia could have negative implications for Redskins fans and VA residents alike. Terry McAuliffe’s term as governor of Virginia ends in 2018 and it is likely he will attempt to spearhead a new deal before he leaves office in an effort to make his legacy.

We love new stadiums. They can be great for teams, fans, and the communities in which they reside. It’s that third item that is the most important. Professional sports teams are a great source of local pride and their community involvement has become both a privilege and expectation for teams in every city and league. Shouldn’t the palaces they play in be held to the same standard?

Taxpaying fans have footed the bill for billionaires far too long.  Local and state governments often hand over to sports team owners cash, tax subsidies, or tax exemptions to help construct or renovate new stadiums. These agreements hardly yield any positive benefit to the taxpayer or the fans. There’s little to no economic benefit, taxpayers don’t receive discounts or reasonable ticket and concession prices, and local citizens, like high school or youth league sports teams, usually can’t use the stadium at an affordable rate. New sports stadiums can be a great thing for fans, and we know that while not ideal, public funds can be a big help to these projects-- we just want the fans and taxpayers to get a fair return on their money. Sports Fans Coalition, therefore, demands that if an owner or league receives any public benefit from taxpayers, the fans get the following in return:

• Reasonable concession prices

• Discounts for taxpayers

• Discounts for public servants like military, teachers, and nurses

• Low-income fan seating options

• Free use for public schools and youth league games

• A pledge the team will not leave its local community for at least 20 years

If our taxes go into the pockets of billionaire team owners, the fans and public should get a fair deal in return.

A contentious Florida Senate race made the prospect of David Beckham’s MLS team in Miami an issue of national importance. The use of public funds to finance construction of the stadium was debated by the candidates Diaz and Diaz de la Portilla. Diaz de la Portilla’s beliefs in particular on the funding of stadiums remained inconsistent and unpredictable.

Third time’s the charm for Minnesota United FC when they received a tax exemption for their soccer stadium late last month.

Raiders' owner and 3rd prize contest winner at a Voldemort lookalike contest, Mark Davis, attempts to also win runner-up as the worst NFL owner by screwing over a fan base Snyder doesn’t even have the cojones to screw with — public school students.