This mess around Nashville’s Major League Soccer stadium, this apparent mayoral renege on a deal that was done, has much potential for litigation and harm to the city and its reputation. Many facets, too.



One of them is the idea of soccer versus racing. That’s an obvious way to frame it. Ten acres at the Fairgrounds Nashville site, to be developed by John Ingram’s ownership group after a lot of negotiating, compromising, screaming, vetting and voting, includes a 2.4-acre chunk of land that is at issue now. It is “Parcel 8c,” a term that could be to Nashville in 2020 what “hanging chad” was to Florida in 2000. It sits between the planned stadium and Fairgrounds Speedway racetrack. And among the things Mayor John Cooper hasn’t answered — for instance, what in the world is going on here? — is the question of his support for Speedway Motorsports’ $60 million plan to renovate the track and clear the way for NASCAR to...