Some people are pointing to the Vikings’ awful start as a reason why this is a bad time for the team to seek public help to build a new stadium in the Twin Cities. The finger-pointers are, however, not correct; the reality is it is a bad time to build a Vikings stadium with public money because there is never a good time.

Minnesota’s favorite team has embarrassed itself and its fans by building three first-half leads and then squandering them in the second half on the way to an 0-3 record in a division where two teams are 3-0. It is, of course, still possible for the Vikings to make the playoffs; but it is highly unlikely; coming on the heels of last year’s debacle, this year’s slow start has caused some fans to lose faith at a time when the team is begging hard for help to build a new stadium.

But win-loss records should not be a factor. When stadium supporters are desperate to prevent a public vote on the idea of metro-area taxes to support a new stadium, it’s a clear sign that Minnesotans – beset by tax increases and a mediocre economy – are in no mood to pay for luxury boxes. For a long time, the equation of sports franchise ownership has involved using tax money (or, in some cases, so-called fees) to pay for stadiums. Teams say they must have modern facilities, and that they can’t be expected to pay for the facilities on their own. It may be, however, that those days are coming to a close. Minnesota, at any rate, doesn’t seem to be in the mood to build another stadium.

As tempting as it is to seize on the Vikings’ on-field incompetence to undercut their stadium hopes, that would be wrong. Publicly funded stadiums are a bad idea regardless of whether the team wins or loses its games.