"Every sports fan loves an underdog story, and today is no exception. Sports Fans Coalition applauds the Virginia General Assembly budget conferees for not including any language regarding the Monumental Sports & Entertainment arena proposal," said Brian Hess, Executive Director of Sports Fans Coalition. "There were many problems with this proposal, including spending billions in taxpayer funding, poor fan experience regarding traffic, and the myriad of conflicts of interests and questionable foreign sovereign wealth fund investments between Ted Leonsis and Governor Youngkin. Throughout the entire process, Senator Louise Lucas stood as a champion for sports fans across the commonwealth and exemplified unparalleled courage in the face of seemingly impossible odds. We urge the General Assembly to continue rejecting this 'half-baked' proposal."