I knew the Saints were bitter but damn.

[AsylumGuido]

(02-06-2013 04:58 PM)RFlagg Wrote:  Ok, let's play the "Who's most likely to host the Super Bowl" game.

Currently assigned Super Bowls
2014 - New York
2015 - Arizona

2016 Candidates
Miami
San Francisco

2017 Candidates
San Francisco
Houston

Source

So we know those teams will not host the 2018 Super Bowl. Now, we also know that Minnesota will be opening a new Dome stadium by 2018, and that has helped a lot of cities secure the Super Bowl. So I think that jumps them way up the list. Also, there is still the outside possibility that the Falcons will have a new stadium by that time (if a deal gets done), so I think they would be on the list as well.

So that's definitely Minnesota, maybe Atlanta. Now let's look at past hosts. Anyone that thinks the Super Bowl in Indianapolis wasn't a raging success is kidding themselves, and they have already announced they are pursuing the 2018 Super Bowl. Then there is Dallas and JerryWorld, which everyone said hosted a successful Super Bowl in 2011, despite all the ice.

So right there, we have Minnesota, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Dallas. And now, one final nugget. The NFL invited (yes, INVITED) Denver to bid for the 2018 Super Bowl. Source

Bids are due by May of 2014, but right now, the list of candidates looks like:

Minnesota (New Stadium)
Atlanta (If Blank can get a deal done and break ground in time, otherwise cross us off)
Denver (Fucking invited to bid by the NFL)
Dallas (2011 Host)
Indianapolis (2012 Host)
New Orleans (2013 Host)

So, tell me again how New Orleans bid can't be matched?

It takes far more than just a stadium to host the Super Bowl. It takes the infrastructure. Here are the criteria:

source

Each November, the NFL issues a 200- to 300-page bid book to cities looking to host the game. Draft bids are due in April, and the NFL’s 32 owners vote on the location at an owners’ meeting sometime thereafter. Baseline hosting requirements, according to SportsBusiness Journal, include the following:

A 70,000-seat stadium or one that can be expanded to at least that size
At least 19,000 hotel rooms that require three- or four-night minimum stays, including rooms for both teams and NFL personnel
A range of nearby facilities or spaces to house the media and accreditation center for more than 4,000 media representatives, the NFL Experience, the NFL Tailgate Party, and the like
An average daily temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 °C) or above the week of the game, or a climate-controlled indoor facility
Provision of police, fire, ambulance, and other infrastructure services at no cost to the NFL

Over the years, insiders indicate that the politics of the bid process have ratcheted up considerably—as have the perks. The 2007 Miami bid committee threw in the use of a yacht for each of the 32 owners, while Tampa offered all the teams free golf. The 2011 North Texas group went green instead, offering the NFL an additional $1 million to cover game-day expenses at Cowboys Stadium, enticing enough as that new facility is on its own.

Miami and New Orleans best meet all of these criteria. That is why New Orleans has hosted so many and will host many more. There is no question that they will remain in a frequent rotation. Now, 2018 coincides with the city's 300th birthday and would be a major media draw for the NFL. No one else can match that alone. On top of that, New Orleans is already planning to submit a bid (monetarily) that no other site can match. This is all about advertising. It is all about money. The owners make the decision on the Super Bowl site. Benson will have had his politicking done at that time. He will have cut deals with a majority of owners to ensure the 2018 date. I wouldn't be surprised if there were no other bids for that year.