KarateKen

Unfortunately, they did not, Sabers won it 3-2. Fortunately, the Ducks lost 5-1 so the Knights remain in first place.

Agreed. It's pure greed. Stick the taxpayers with the bill then make the tickets so expensive that many of the same people who helped pay for the stadium can't afford to attend. What is also terrible is that the taxpayers often don't get a vote on it. When it goes to a public vote, it tends to be shut down. The taxpayers don't want to fund stadiums for billionaire owners and millionaire athletes, but in many cases, they are not given a say. The state government simply decides to do it, and the taxpayers pay out hundreds of millions whether they support it or not. It happened in Minnesota, Las Vegas, Buffalo, and now in Chicago, as well as many other places. While a few NFL stadiums are funded with private money (such as SoFi in Los Angeles) that is the exception, not the rule. Most are funded at least in part with tax money. Both building the stadium and renovations that happen years later. There are arguments for taxpayer funding for stadiums, and typically they are that the stadium creates jobs and stimulates the local economy. There are debates as to whether or not the juice is worth the squeeze on that one. Also, state governments, especially governors, don't want it on their watch that a team left. It is bad for reelection. So, while fans and locals will be upset about the tax hike for the new stadium, they are also going to be angry if their favorite team moves because the governor didn't get a deal done. It's a catch 22 for the governor, but I think the feeling among legislature is that more damage is done if they team moves than if they stay at the taxpayers' expense. This gives owners more leverage in negations, threatening to move the team if they don't get what they want. That is what happened in Minnesota. The Vikings were playing in the Metrodome in 2010 when it was falling apart. The roof even caved in hours before a game, which lead to the game being moved to Detroit. Back in 2010 the NFL did not have a team in Los Angeles, and the owners knew how much the NFL wanted one. So what the Vikings owner did was use the threat of moving to LA to get a new stadium with taxpayer money. Give me a new stadium, make the taxpayers pay for part of it, or I will move the team to LA. It worked. The Vikings now play in US Bank stadium and the taxpayers paid much of the bill.

Despite the seller doing nearly 40 grand in renovations the inspector still found many issues. Heating and air, plumbing, electrical issues, problems with the doors and windows to name some. The water heater was ten years old and not installed properly, plus the pipes connecting it were old and corroded. That entire thing would need to be replaced. Plus, it did not have the proper protections if it were to break, and water would leak and cause water damage and likely mold. The inspector said that could happen any day. Also, the AC was 25 years old. An AC does not last forever and is very expensive to replace. It was looking at 15k-20k in repairs On the positive side it has brand new floors, a renovated kitchen with a new stove, sink, and counter, as well as the bathroom counters and one of the showers. No mold, gas leaks, pest problems, or issues with the foundation. The inspector told me these are all typical issues. I was thankful for how thorough and professional they were. I would use them again, so I understand your feeling on that one. One of the stresses of home ownership is that there is usually a problem. Something needs to be fix, replaced, or improved. This place was built in 2001, but I've known people who lived in homes that were over 100 years old, and there is always something wrong. Home ownership has its blessings, but it comes with a price. I also agree that some agents are more interested in rushing to a sale and a payday than helping you find the right home. I went through several agents before landing on my current one who is being patient with me.

After a three-week NHL break the winners on the first night back were the Lighting, Sabers, Capitals, Stars, Golden Knights, Avalanche, Ducks, and Jets. Twelve more games on Thursday.

Some of the state legislation in Indiana passed a vote 95-4 supporting building a stadium for the Bears. Next it would have to pass the state senate, then be signed by the governor who has said he agrees with the stadium. If everything does pass the plan for the stadium is a multi-billion-dollar dome covered field that could be used for events year around. Possibly a future Super Bowl as well. The NFL has requirements that need to be met for a stadium to host a Super Bowl, and they tend to like domes more than open air stadiums so that there is not weather interference. The only way a place like Chicago gets a Super Bowl is with a dome. The league likes to put the game in warm weather climates, but we have seen the SB played in places like Minneapolis and Detroit because they are indoors. They did have it in New York/NJ one year but that is not typical and unlikely to happen again anytime soon. The Illinois governor is fighting to keep the Bears, but it is trending more towards the team going to Indiana. The stadium would likely cost the Indiana taxpayers at least 885 million dollars, with the possibility of it being much higher. Meanwhile the city of Chicago still owes about 500 million on Solider Field for renovations that were done in 2023. Crazy.

Sidney Crosby is expected to miss at least a month due to a lower body injury, so bad news for the Penguins. The Penguins also made a trade for Sam Girard and a 2028 2nd round pick while the Avalanche received Brett Kulak. Eight games on the schedule today as the regular season resumes. We will start to see how the long Olympic break impacts teams. Sometimes a break like this helps teams get healthy and regroup and other times teams come out flat and struggle.

My understanding of HOAs is that they can make things miserable. Many are not well managed and the people who run them are often unpaid volunteers who create petty rules and are selective about enforcing them. The goal behind the HOA is to make sure that people are taking good care of the outside of their homes to make sure they go up in value, but sometimes the board members abuse their authority, and it can be challenging for the homeowners the fight back.

Last Words by George Carlin

The NHL resumes on Feb. 25 with eight games.

Just like in the women's division, the men's gold medal game was between the USA and Canada. Again, the final was 2-1, again, in overtime, and, yes, again, the USA wins it. Jack Hughes put in the game winner about three minutes into OT and the USA has won the gold for the first time since 1980, 46 years to the day after defeating the USSR. What a story!

Good question. My guess is yes, they will because the 49ers play in Santa Clara, which is closer to San Jose than San Francisco, yet kept the city in the name. The Jets and Giants have been playing in New Jersey for decades but are called New York. So for those reasons I am guessing they will, but I don't know.

The USA dominated Slovakia and advances to the gold medal game. The USA was up 5-0 and won 6-2. They will play Canada for the gold. The game is Sunday, Feb 22, at 8:10 am eastern time. February 22 also will mark the 46-year anniversary of the USA beating the USSR in the 1980 Olympics.

In women's Olympic hockey the USA defeated Canada 2-1 to win the gold. USA was behind then with two minutes left and a pulled goaltender they scored to tie it at one. The game went to overtime where the USA scored during a Canada line change to win it. The women's team was a force to be reckoned with, dominating opponents and outscoring them 31-1 entering the gold medal match. Congratulations to them for being able to finish the job and win the gold. The Olympic semifinals are set in men's hockey. The USA will play Slovakia and Canada will play Finland, both on Feb. 20. The winners advance to play for the gold.

Some news that has been kicked around for a while now, the Chiefs appear to be relocating, moving across the border to Kansas for a new stadium with a targeted opening date of 2031. This would take the Chiefs out of historic Arrowhead Staduim, which has been their home since the early 70s. A couple years ago there was a push to get both the Chiefs and Royals taxpayer funding for a new stadium, but the vote did not pass. Rumors then started about the team moving to Kansas. This coming down the same week the team restructured Mahomes contract to open up cap space. Something similar could be happening to the Chicago Bears, as talk has heated up about a possible move to Indiana. The Bears have also been trying to get a new stadium deal in recent years, either upgrading Solider Field or building a new stadium, but now there is a chance the team could end up in Hammond, Indiana, about 30 miles outside of Chicago. Wild to think that two historic franchises could be on the move at the same time.

Dear Karate Forums members, I am in the process of shopping for my first home, a condo, and would appreciate any feedback, especially if you have experience buying a condo or in real estate. I am finding so far there are a lot of things to factor in. Price, location, building structures, neighbors, HOA, inspections, and on and on. As I mentioned this is my first time through the home buying process, and I have no background in real estate, so I am learning as I go. I have probably looked at 12-15 locations so far and keep finding problems with them. I did make an offer earlier this week, however after inspection I am started to reconsider. What are some red flags to look for? How do I manage the stress of the process? I am working with an agent who has over 25 years' experience, this was after meeting with four agents and deciding on who to work with, including one who I fired. Thanks for the feedback, I am finding the whole process to be nerve wracking. I am not enjoying this at all, instead of being excited about finding a home to own I just dread and worry about what can/will go wrong.