"Making his most intensive attempt yet to keep the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis, Mayor R.T. Rybak went to the State Capitol on Thursday to promote three plans that rely on a combination of new sales taxes or casino gambling revenue to pay for the local share of a downtown football stadium.

He acknowledged that getting political backing for his plans will be tricky.

"I'm here today because I'm comfortable standing up, and putting my neck and other parts of my anatomy on the line," he said.

In a testament to how difficult his task may be, Rybak made his Capitol pitch alone -- without no City Council members or downtown leaders by his side.

And just hours before Rybak touted his plans, several legislators from Minneapolis, including DFL Sen. Scott Dibble, appeared at a news conference with a group of Republican colleagues who oppose any expansion of gambling to help build a Vikings stadium. Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, said advocates are minimizing that casino gambling "is highly destructive to individuals, to families."

The Vikings also quickly dismissed Rybak's proposal, saying the team is committed to Ramsey County. "Arden Hills is the ideal stadium site for the state, the Vikings and our fans," the team said in statement, almost as soon as Rybak ended his briefing.

One funding option presented by Rybak would rely on a citywide sales tax to fund Minneapolis' share of the project. A second approach would allow for a downtown casino on Block E, with 5 percent of revenue going to the stadium until 2020, when it would drop to 3 percent. Casino operators would also pay a $20 million licensing fee."