New Vikings stadium could up talent level

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. - Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand approached with well-wishes, extending a congratulatory handshake. Lewand hoped Mark Wilf was appreciating the progress being made on the largest project topping his to-do list: that oh-so-daunting and always fluid drive to get a new Vikings stadium built.

Yet Wilf, the Vikings' president and co-owner, has been careful not to hang the "Mission: Accomplished" banner prematurely. So he accepted Lewand's congratulations with only a small shrug.

"I know," Lewand said. "You don't want to start celebrating before you get into the end zone."

On Tuesday, during Day 2 of the NFL owners meetings, Wilf updated the league's other owners on the stadium push. It was a presentation, as brief as it may have been, that required amending Monday when the Vikings received encouraging news that a majority of the Minneapolis City Council now favored the downtown stadium proposal.

"We added a little bullet point to recognize that fact," Wilf said. "It is significant."

Yet as Wilf expressed his hope that the political wheels may now turn fast enough to get the stadium approved during this session of the Legislature, it was worth wondering how big an impact a new playing venue could have on the Vikings' on-field product.

Sure, for the longest time, the organization has emphasized the perks a new stadium would bring the community. And Wilf and Lester Bagley, vice president of stadium development, stressed again Tuesday the importance the team places on enhancing the game-day experience for its fans.

"We're fully aware of what's around the country in terms of stadiums around the league," Wilf said. "We believe we have some of the best fans in the NFL. And we want them to have the kind of first-rate experience other cities have."

Yet a new downtown palace could also provide the Vikings at least a small boost toward again becoming a contender -- at least so much as it would finally relieve the Wilfs of the one project that's commanded so much of their attention and resources.

At present, General Manager Rick Spielman asserts that ownership has been plenty supportive in helping equip the front office to acquire and keep quality players. But Wilf said Tuesday added revenue from a new stadium would help the team become more competitive in that department.

Plus, it's no secret the team's Winter Park training facility is outdated, cramped and in Bagley's words "usable but significantly below NFL standards."

From that perspective, a breakthrough with the stadium could open the gate for the Wilfs to begin investing in other areas of the team.

"It's very competitive to recruit free agents as well as coaches and personnel. And facilities are important. So that's part of this whole objective."

At present, the team meeting rooms at Winter Park are confined. The technology in the building could also use a boost.

Five lower-tiered assistant coaches are forced to share an office at Winter Park. Another small office houses four public relations employees. Meanwhile, the team's sales and marketing team resides in a different building across the street.

"We're barely hanging on for where this league is headed," Bagley said. "And there needs to be significant investment in the Winter Park headquarters. Which won't happen unless this stadium issue is resolved."

There's also that little, but oft-overlooked detail of improving game days for the players, too.

Said Spielman: "I know the venues that we go into and that we play in now. And it's different, just from a facilities standpoint, than the Metrodome."

From that vantage point, Wilf's reserved optimism right now seems understandable.

A handful of important dominoes can't begin to fall until the boulder that is the stadium issue finally drops.

Yet on Tuesday, Wilf reported important progress to the league.