Bummer. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3195969 UPER BOWL XLIII Tampa, not Houston, to host Super Bowl in '09 By JOHN MCCLAIN Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle WASHINGTON -- In a surprising vote by NFL owners today, Tampa beat out Houston, Miami and Atlanta for the right to host Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. The owners eliminated Houston first and Miami second with Tampa beating out Atlanta for the winning bid. Atlanta and Houston had been considered the favorites, with Tampa a longshot. "In terms of timing, (the owners') feeling was that Houston had just had a Super Bowl and that seemed to override everything else," Texans owner Bob McNair said in reaction to why Houston was eliminated first. Miami was voted out because it is hosting the Super Bowl in 2007. "It's a surprise, but that's life, " McNair said of the winning bid. "Our bid team was great. I'm proud of the effort given by a lot of people." "This was the most highly contested bid process anybody has seen," he said. "I'm not shocked by anything anymore, but I'm surprised which city was selected." McNair, Mayor Bill White, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels and bid committee chairman Chuck Watson all said that Houston would continue to enter the bidding for future Super Bowls. "Of course, we'll continue to try to bring another Super Bowl to Houston," White said. "This was a cheap but effective way to promote Houston to a lot of influential people. ... We'll continue to promote Houston and bring mega events whenever the opportunity arises," White said. Titans owner Bud Adams, a Houstonian, who had promoted his hometown behind the scenes, said he was stunned that Tampa was the winner. "I'm surprised Houston was knocked out because they made a great presentation." Adams said."I'm surprised Tampa got it. It doesn't make sense. I'm in Houston's corner all the way and Houston had the best bid."
