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Houston and Atlanta - Front-runners for the 2009 Super Bowl

Discussion in 'Houston Texans' started by Rockets34Legend, Mar 27, 2005.

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  1. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Contributing Member

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    http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3104181

    McNair's Super bid a finalist
    Houston, Atlanta are front-runners in derby to host '09 championship
    By JOHN MCCLAIN
    Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

    KAPALUA, HAWAII - Houston and Atlanta appear to be headed for a photo finish in the race to determine which city will host the 2009 Super Bowl.

    Houston, Atlanta, Tampa and Miami are the finalists for Super Bowl XLIII that will be decided May 25 when the owners vote at the NFL summer meetings in Washington.

    The four cities, all of which have hosted at least two Super Bowls, make final bids May 2.

    Although no one will admit it publicly, league sources say Houston and Atlanta are the favorites to win the bid. Houston's last Super Bowl was 2004 and Atlanta's 2000.

    As part of his bid to get a third Super Bowl for Atlanta, Falcons owner Arthur Blank has unveiled an ambitious plan to expand and enhance the Georgia Dome.

    Blank, who bought his franchise for $545 million in 2002, inherited one of the NFL's worst leases. His plan includes taking out a corner of the stadium and building an entrance with an atrium that includes restaurants, retail and game entertainment.

    Blank's plan also includes more luxury suites, club seats, private clubs and signage. He's willing to put $150 million of his money into the project, which is similar to the $250 million renovation of Green Bay's Lambeau Field that was completed in 2003.

    "By 2009, it'll (Georgia Dome) be outdated," Blank said last week at the NFL meetings. "These enhancements are necessary to support our bid. I don't know if they'll give us an advantage because there are three other great cities with three great owners making bids.

    "But there's just a small window to get a Super Bowl, which gives a city a chance to put its best foot forward. And there probably won't be another Super Bowl bid for Atlanta beyond my lifetime."

    "I don't know about Arthur, but I plan to live long enough to compete for more Super Bowls," Texans owner Bob McNair said. "I've spoken with a lot of owners, and I haven't heard any complaints about our Super Bowl."

    New England defeated Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium.

    Panthers owner Jerry Richardson took out an ad in the Chronicle thanking Houston for treating his team so well. And Patriots owner Robert Kraft donated money to several Houston organizations after the game.

    If Houston doesn't win the bid for Super Bowl XLIII, it might not get another chance for a decade at least.

    Dallas, which is building a stadium, has been promised a Super Bowl, probably in 2011.

    Last week, the owners voted the 2010 Super Bowl to New York contingent upon the city building a stadium for the Jets in Manhattan.

    When the NFL returns to this part of the country, New Orleans will be long overdue.

    The Crescent City has hosted the most Super Bowls and has gone the longest between games in NFL history. If Saints owner Tom Benson ever gets the improvements he wants at the Superdome, it'll become a regular destination again.

    Phoenix, which has a stadium under construction, has been awarded the 2008 Super Bowl and is an ideal site to become part of the rotation.

    "Everyone I talked to had a great time in Houston," said Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney. "I can't think of anything you guys need because everything went so well. ... "It seems like we've been awarding a lot of Super Bowls to cities that build or renovate stadiums."

    Blank hopes that trend continues. In his third season as Falcons owner, their record improved to 12-4 last season when they reached the NFC Championship Game.

    They have a season-ticket waiting list of 22,000.

    If approved, Blank would like to have the Georgia Dome improvements completed in 2008.

    For possible Super Bowl sites, the area around the Georgia Dome including the Georgia World Congress Center, Phillips Arena, Centennial Olympic Park, the new World of Coke, a children's museum and the Georgia Aquarium would be unparalleled.

    Something that might work against Atlanta was the ice storm that paralyzed the city at the 2000 Super Bowl.

    "I don't think the weather affects our situation at all," Blank said. "Everybody's subject to bad weather."

    Miami is a popular destination for the Super Bowl.

    "Listen, I'm not going to say anything negative about another city," McNair said. "All I'm going to do, no matter whom I'm speaking with, is to tell them about (our) strengths and how much we want to host another Super Bowl."

    john.mcclain@chron.com
     
    #1 Rockets34Legend, Mar 27, 2005
  2. redgoose

    redgoose Contributing Member

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    I just can't see the Super Bowl being played somehwere where it might be cold. If it's between Atlanta and Houston, we definantly have the upper hand.
     
    #2 redgoose, Mar 28, 2005
  3. PhiSlammaJamma

    PhiSlammaJamma Member

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    The logo tho', that was bad, and To this day cannot fathom who in their right mind sat back and said, damn, that logo kicks ass, it's a go.
     
    #3 PhiSlammaJamma, Mar 28, 2005
  4. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    somehow i doubt that will play into the decision!!! :D particulalry since the NFL designed that logo.
     
    #4 MadMax, Mar 28, 2005
  5. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

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    I don't know, Atlanta has some good strip clubs, we have some good strip clubs.

    We need to build more quality strip clubs.
     
    #5 Kam, Mar 28, 2005
  6. NJRocket

    NJRocket Contributing Member

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    it was just in Detroit...no? I think we have the upper hand because we have a better place to have it....i dont think weather will come into play since its indoors
     
    #6 NJRocket, Mar 28, 2005
  7. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    it was in J-Ville...and it didn't go very well. not enough hotels.

    in Detroit this year. a good snowstorm will keep it out of the north for a good long time again...with the exception of the new Jets stadium on Manhattan.
     
    #7 MadMax, Mar 28, 2005
  8. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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    The fact that the Atlanta owner has decided to rennovate the Georgia Dome specifically for this event has me worried. The NFL tends to "reward" teams and cities for improving/building new stadiums, and it hasn't been in Atlanta since 2000.

    Then again, the NFL had a disasterous time there in 2000 because of the freak ice storm, which shut down the entire city.

    If we don't get this super bowl, it might be awhile before we're in the running for another one... especially since by then, Dallas will have their mega-stadium (that will try to trump ours in every way possible), Phoenix will have theirs, the Superdome will likely be refurbished, and San Diego should be playing in a new place as well.

    The Rotation will be tough to crack... but I have faith that McNair can seal this one up.
     
    #8 Nick, Mar 28, 2005
  9. NJRocket

    NJRocket Contributing Member

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    and the murder
     
    #9 NJRocket, Mar 28, 2005
  10. Svpernaut

    Svpernaut Contributing Member

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    LOL! Touche'!
     
    #10 Svpernaut, Mar 28, 2005
  11. Smokey

    Smokey Contributing Member

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    Don't we have the Final Four in 2009? I think it would be sweet to lock down the SB and FF in the same year. I wonder if we can do "improvements" too.
     
    #11 Smokey, Mar 28, 2005
  12. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

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    regional finals in '10, national semis in '11
     
    #12 Kam, Mar 28, 2005
  13. shsu33

    shsu33 Member

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    Aight, I'll do it for you. Atlanta is a big time city but it lacks the large cultural diversity Houston has. I have family in Atlanta and I know the city, it has a very big downtown (at least twice as ours), but there's only one other area of large structure buildings and thats a medical center(its about the size of the Beltway@westhiemer area). Atlanta is basically a smaller Houston without Hispanics, Asians, Arabics, and a beautiful brown water beach 30 miles south. Plus, Houston has much, much more venues to party at such as bars, clubs, strip clubs, head shops, kereoke, everything the NFL wants their to be plenty of for the Superbowl. Being from here, it is really different seeing only white and black everywhere you go, there are hispanics and asians every now and then but not anywhere close to Houston's. I like Atlanta but even my cousins that live their had to admit Houston is a much better city. I really much prefer our diversity and I think the NFL takes that into account when choosing.
    The NFL has to pick Houston, the city has proven to be one of the elite cities in the nation. Thats why you always hear about it even at the national level, when I was younger it wasn't like that. I always remember Dallas getting the recognition that Houston is getting now and now I hardely ever hear about Dallas.
     
    #13 shsu33, Mar 29, 2005
  14. NJRocket

    NJRocket Contributing Member

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    national semis? isnt that the same thing as the final four?
     
    #14 NJRocket, Mar 29, 2005
  15. TheFelderFirm

    TheFelderFirm Member

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    Dont forget Derrick Thomas Death on the way to the game.
     
    #15 TheFelderFirm, Mar 30, 2005
  16. A-Train

    A-Train Contributing Member

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    I think the NFL is overlooking a much more important issue...like why the heck are they still using Roman Numerals?
     
    #16 A-Train, Mar 30, 2005
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