MDK in the House-The New City Planner

I've decided since I have ALL the answers that I would try and solve the ills that plague downtown Jacksonville. The fate of the city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Jaguars is one and the same. I believe that unless until downtown starts to attract residents and tourists alike it will continue to be fodder for journalists. Also, I believe until the Jaguars start winning and going to the playoffs consistently, with a trip to the Super Bowl soon,  they will be fodder for journalists to say negative things. Who cares? I do. I didn't spend my childhood listening to news reports and reading newspapers insisting we HAD to have a NFL team (circa 1991), to get one (1993) and squander the opportunity (2012). I lived in Atlanta for 12 years. I returned in 2003 to a city transformed. I became a season ticket holder in 2005. I have since been questionable luck for the Jaguars. They have been rebuilding ever since.
I hear discussions about how downtown Jacksonville isn't very attractive, exciting, insert your own adjective here. I'll admit, until my return in 2003, I wasn't really one to go downtown. There was nothing down there.  So, what about downtown can be improved to make it more attractive? And by attractive, I mean to say attractions, food, shopping facilities. You get the idea.
What's sad is that The Landing is in the shambles it's in. It was once grand. I know that's hard to believe. They had an original Banana Republic (you know the original jungle themed BR), Laura Ashley, and others. Parking this or that? Make it work people. This is not brain surgery.
First, let's tear down the old courthouse and put something attractive, that actually pays taxes, and is entertaining. It baffles me why they put a courthouse on riverfront property. While we are on the subject, I believe they should move the Duval County Public Schools offices off of the southbank (prime riverfront property)  and move it to somewhere on the north side of Jacksonville.  Also, move the jail, from one block off the river to another not so prime location. I mean really??! Who planned this nonsense?
Let me be clear. This blog was not to be about who is paying taxes and who isn't. But, if taxes aren't being paid on MAJOR pieces of land in and around downtown and the river, shouldn't this property  be built up and taxes paid on them? What is the benefit of having city buildings where revenue could be made? That revenue could go towards I don't know parking and attracting the right businesses?!! Am I crazy?
Make Maxwell House something like Annheiser Busch. Give tours. Why not bring schools through there and educate children on how coffee is made. I don't know. But attract young people to downtown and bring some education to it.
I hate to go here, but I'm going to because I HAVE to. I have been told the reason nothing gets done downtown is because of First Baptist Church downtown. I've heard they own half of downtown. How can they own half of downtown??!! Who does this? Which by extension means that they don't pay taxes because they are a religious institution? So, how is it they get a say in what happens downtown?
How about getting Ben Carter developers, the brains behind St. Johns Town Center, and get them to develop the riverfront in downtown? DO SOMETHING.  Oh that's right someone tried to develop the area along the river by the stadium but it defaulted. So who's paying taxes on that? WOW. Am I the only one paying taxes at this point??? 
Some of my friends have even said put casinos on the river. That will NEVER happen. Also a credit to the downtown religious institutions.
So if you want Jacksonville to be relevant, let's do something. ANYTHING. I'm tired of being irrelevant. Are you?

MDK in the House

We must protect this house.

What Jacksonville Jaguars and Murdered Out Cars Have in Common

Do you see these cars? Can you tell me why they are different from other cars?
Some cars think they are "murdered out". They black out the tail lights, but still have SHINY rims. That's not murdered out. Some people paint their cars flat black and leave the shiny trim and emblems. Some people black out the whole car, buy black rims with silver edge. That's not murdered out peeps. Do you know why people do these things to their cars? They want to be stealth. You will never see these cars coming.
So you're asking "what does that have to do with football?" Well, tonight, while I waited 20 minutes for my Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken at Publix, I decided I would start scoping out Fantasy Football  magazines. It's never too early and there is no off season. I started browsing through the FF magazine. Maurice Jones-Drew is listed no.4 in running backs. Well OK. Justin Blackmon is listed no. 41 in wide receivers. Ouch. You know because apparently to these idiots we still have Jack Del Rio coaching. Apparently new coaching and ownership means nothing to these people. I took a look at Marcedes Lewis on the tight end list and then I half threw down the magazine back into it's spot and returned to the deli for my rotisserie chicken. I realize the Nay Sayers make more money by being negative than positive. Just know this Matt Ryan would not be Mattie Ice without Coach Mularkey. And Coach Mularkey is our new coach. So Nay Sayers, LISTEN UP: IT'S A NEW YEAR, IT'S NEW OWNERSHIP, IT'S NEW COACHING. I don't care what you say, we are going to sneak up on you like these stealth cars.
One final car that snuck up on me around Daytona several weeks ago:

NFL, you are next to be snuck up on. The Jaguars will be stealth. We will be the underdog. Bring the hate and nastiness. We will feed on it like yesterday's spaghetti. Keep trash talkin'. It's on.

MDK in the House

We must protect this House.

It's Us Jaguar Fans Against the World

The last several days in Jacksonville have been interesting. The Alvin Brown vs. Shad Khan showdown was quite the entertainment none of us needed. Personally, I believe most of the hate and vehemence should be aimed at Wayne Weaver and Jack Del Rio for selling us a less than viable product for the last several years. I respect Wayne Weaver for bringing the Jaguars. But I believe the  venom that is spewed toward Jacksonville, its team and fans is largely a result of Wayne Weaver not firing Jack Del Rio in a timely fashion. Like after the 2007 season. Because the Jaguars have not seen a playoff game or a better than 8-8 season in five years or so, they have become an easy target to the media. Easy Pickins as we call it in the south.
This week we had the crown jewel of events go down. After a very successful soccer match between the US and Scotland (if it's not Scottish it's crap), Jacksonville was riding high. The Jaguars submitted their pick for management of the stadium and facilities to the City of Jacksonville. The city promptly sends Shad Khan a letter saying,  the decision was to be made jointly (which is not what the contract says. The Mayor just made it up. The Jaguars have the final say in who manages the stadium) and because it hadn't, the Jaguars and Shad Khan were in default in regards to their contract with the city. Rumor has it, that a management group who donated to Alvin Brown's Campaign for Mayor, was not given as big of a chance as they would've liked. Shad Khan responds with a "let me know what you want to do because I have a training camp that's supposed to take place in July and I need to know if I need to move the team to another city". Thank you Alvin Brown. I now have nightmares of Mayflower moving trucks driving down Bay Street, in the middle of the night, moving the team to the other end of I-10 (L.A.) ala Baltimore Colts to the Indianapolis Colts. Shad Khan does not play people. He spent 700 million dollars for his dream and he doesn't care about some podunk bull crap over picking the same management firm to run the stadium that's been running it for 18 years. Jacksonville doesn't even have a Mayoral Mansion.
The result of all of this was something I thought we might have put to bed. However, it is back with a vengeance. The media is now all over the Jaguars to L.A. story. It's very frustrating as a fan to listen and read all of that nonsense. I'm truly over it. Find a real story somewhere else and if you can't do that, please be quiet. That's as nice as it's going to get.
On a recent trip to Chicago, I wore a Jaguars sweatshirt on the plane (As a matter of fact, I make it a point to wear Jaguars gear all the time but especially when I fly into Chicago. You know because just because my franchise isn't a "storied" franchise, that doesn't make me any less of a fan.)  I also had a Jaguar shirt under it. Did I mention I had my toenails painted Teal? It's the off season. Why am I still wearing my gear? Because I want to and because of all this nonsense about L.A. I'm sick of it. I'm not especially fond of the color teal, but I have all but made it my travel uniform. People have to know out there that there are real Jaguar fans. They are Season Ticket Holders. They sweat to death watching in the stadium on Sundays. I can't believe I'm going to say this, Jaguar fans have feelings too. And we get really mad when people keep dissing us.We don't appreciate people talking crap about us constantly. I have been a season ticket holder since 2005. Did you know we've been rebuilding since 2005? I'm still here and I'm still going to travel in Jaguars gear. Am I drinking the Kool-Aid? Quite possibly. But I still believe. Winning silences naysayers. Winning solves everything.

MDK in the House

We must protect this house.