Paul Tagliabue: (joined in progress)…It’s very rare for infrastructure to be repaid. I’m not aware of any instance in the NFL where that has been done.

Q: Do you think the Massachusetts legislature is being unreasonable, or that the public isn’t understanding what this project is about?

PT: I don’t think anyone is being unreasonable. I have found that there is a need to focus on the project at hand and not get caught up with generalized discussions on other projects, especially when it as unique as this one. This deals with two parts: the largest private investment in any NFL stadium, and most likely in any stadium in any sport. Secondly, you can’t get caught up in the general concept of public-private partnerships when there is a significant component of public money because here you really have a private investment in a public interest. What’s unique here is that Bob Kraft, who’s been a Patriots fan since the early 70s, understands the public’s attitude and he’s funding a project that satisfies any taxpayer’s complaint. What’s really needed is to focus on this project and not engage in generalizations on what’s happening in Seattle or Tampa or other parts of the project when you’re dealing with such a unique project.

Q: Do you think the payback on the infrastructure should silence any critics?

PT: That’s what makes it unique compared to any other project in the country. In Maryland, for instance, the infrastructure is regarded as normal public expenditure because it comes out of the highway department’s annual operating fund. There was never any consideration of paying back with private funding that type of public expenditure. Here it is unique in that it hasn’t happened anywhere else in the country.

Q: Is it frustrating for the NFL to watch the politics unfold in Boston when it seems like such a logical thing elsewhere?

PT: The key thing is to recognize the opportunity and to have patience and see it through for what it is, a unique project. I think we have found all over the country two things. First, we try to respect the public’s perspective on these projects. Secondly, we take the time to explain what’s unique about the project to try to justify their approval.

Q: Are you worried that the tide is turning nationally in regards to support for the building of stadiums?

PT: No. In Colorado last night, the committee voted to approve the Broncos’ funding with an element of taxpayer funding. It will go to the assembly on Thursday or Friday with a strong vote from the committee. It has already passed with the support of the Senate. I think there is very strong sentiment still to invest in public infrastructure, especially when a huge segment of the public benefits. And they clearly do. In Massachusetts, as in Colorado, a huge percentage of the public benefits economically and enjoys its entertainment.

The question is, ‘Do you lay the entire cost on a small segment of the public, namely the season-ticket holders and the businesses that are directly committed, or do you recognize that there are millions of people throughout the state and region that enjoy and benefit from the team?’. All of that is irrelevant because it’s all private money.

Q: What if this bill doesn’t get passed and he can’t build a new stadium?

PT: I don’t think you want to speculate because that tends to be counterproductive. The key thing we have found, in Seattle or wherever we have been, is to recognize the uniqueness of this project and to get on with the specifics rather than to vent about what may be happening in San Francisco or San Diego. The key thing here from the standpoint of the average person is the complexity of this kind of financing. The average person needs assistance to get through the travails of an average mortgage loan on a home.

Q: Is there anything you can do as Commissioner to try to change or alter the situation?

PT: I was there, going back several years, with members of the Senate and Assembly, and with the Governor. It has been a while since I addressed

individual members. I think right now what I am talking about is the critical thing. It’s all private investment, with a totally unprecedented repayment to the infrastructure, which on its own has value every day of the year for two or three decades.

Q: Have you spoken to Robert Kraft about strategy or how to approach this?

PT: The only thing he and I have discussed is how unprecedented his infrastructure repayment is. Now is the time to understand the project and get on with it.