NFL commissioner, owner coming to MN

Gov. Mark Dayton says National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney ll are coming to Minnesota tomorrow to meet with state officials and try to impress upon them the importance of getting a stadium deal done now. Rooney is the chair of the league's stadium committee.

Dayton said he talked with the two on the phone again today and that they told him that the VIkings situation in Minnesota was unacceptable.

"The situation is really way below their standards," Dayton said. "It's an antiquated stadium. It's not something that they would want to have, to carry forward into the future. And the reality is that there are other cities that are looking for an NFL franchise. Again, its putting us on notice, and it was very justified what they said."

He also said they rebuffed his suggestion earlier this week that a deal could still be done next year. Dayton said the prospect of a new Legislature and winding through four more months of talks next year left too much uncertainty for the league and the team.

Dayton also said he put the chances of calling a special stadium session later this year "somewhere between extremely slim and extremely none." He said that since the Legislature isn't constitutionally required to adjourn before May 21, there was still plenty of time for the team, the state and a local host to hash out the details of a deal.

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