WASHINGTON (May 25, 2005) -- Shortly after being welcomed into the NFL as the new owner of the Minnesota Vikings, New Jersey real-estate developer Zygmunt Wilf pledged that the team would "be in the Minneapolis area forever."
"I'm not changing that at all," said Wilf, who leads a group that has agreed to purchase the team for $600 million from Red McCombs.
By a vote of 32-0, NFL owners approved the transfer of the franchise during their annual May meeting.
Wilf's next chore is to move forward the process of getting the Vikings a new, state-of-the-art venue in which to play. He has been checking out sites around Minnesota, and is emphatic in putting to rest any talk of the team moving elsewhere.....
...He had no specifics on the location of a new venue, other than to say he and the rest of his ownership group are "exploring different options in the Minneapolis area." There is a possibility that the Vikings, who play in the Metrodome, would move to an open-air venue.
"I'm a strong believer of an open venue," Wilf said. "From the standpoint of the franchise, I think that it is a good advantage to have some of the other teams come up to our nice, warm Minnesota winters so that they can enjoy playing football where it hurts." ....
