Indianapolis was never promised a Super Bowl in exchange for building a stadium, but the NFL did dangle the possibility as lawmakers debated new restaurant, hotel and car rental taxes to help pay for the venue.
During a visit to Indianapolis in March 2005, then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said a new facility would make Indianapolis a "strong candidate to host a Super Bowl."
While those words were far from a guarantee, Indianapolis should be celebrating right now if history is a guide.
In the past two decades, eight stadiums have been built that are eligible to host the Super Bowl under NFL rules, meaning they are enclosed or in warm climates.
Only one -- St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome -- hasn't hosted the big event. And that city never bid, a Rams spokesman said.
Of the seven others, none had to ask twice.
Six of the cities -- Miami, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Fla., Houston, Detroit and Phoenix -- were awarded the Super Bowl the first time they bid after building new stadiums, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
Tampa, Fla., which opened Raymond James Stadium in 1998, wanted to host the 2000 Super Bowl but lost in something of an upset. Yet rather than leave city officials empty-handed, NFL owners awarded them the 2001 game on the spot, even though the owners weren't set to choose a location for the game that year.
Why wasn't Indianapolis extended the same courtesy?
"It had been made very clear to all interested communities that we were specifically voting on 2011, and we weren't going to award others at this time," McCarthy said.
Asked why, McCarthy said: "To ensure focus on 2011. It would not have been fair to other potential cities that would want to bid for 2012."
Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell, who worked with the group that put together Indy's Super Bowl bid, said he and others involved in the effort aren't bitter that the NFL didn't give Indianapolis a consolation Super Bowl.
"It's their league, and they get to make the rules as far as whether they do it one or two or three at a time," he said.
Still, Glass said, he was disappointed that the new stadium wasn't more of a factor.
"We were next in line in terms of when our stadium started and when it will come online," he said. "I'm very disappointed that they (Dallas) jumped in front of us in the queue."
So it really was a slap in the face to Indianapolis for the NFL not to award the city the bid this year. If city leaders are insistent upon bidding again next year, not one more dime should be invested in the effort. By all indications, the proposal Indianapolis put together represented the single-greatest effort than any city before it had put out to win the Super Bowl. If city leaders want to take the same proposal off the shelf and re-present it next year, that's fine. But they shouldn't go to any extra effort to make any further public commitment on the part of the city to what has to be the greediest group of super wealthy men in the United States.
9 comments:
The City needs to step climb out from under this dead horse.
Indianapolis is taking on the persona of Rodney Dangerfield regardless of how much time, money and effort they put into something.
I'm sure that had the NFL had it's way the Indianapolis Colts would not be in Indianapolis.
We're on the hook for the next 30 years for a stadium that will ultimately cost us over $1 billion dollars and Irsay is not contractually liable to keep the team here that long. When the Colt's contract with the City is up then I'm sure Irsay will be ready to unload the team and retire.
Regardless of what the powers that be in Indy say, it's time to cut bait and move on with improving the quality of life issues that we have placed on the back burner for too long.
If the previous poster actually knew what he was talking about, he'd be more credible.
And: it's "Colts'"...apostrophe after the s. Otherwise, well, it's just one Colt. And drop the apostrophe from its.
Indy spent not one public dime on this bid. Nada. Except, of course, the timecard issues of multiple city employees. But the city lends executive talent to all kinds of bids like this all the time, hoping to land an event in the future. It's part of the job.
These events breathe millions into the economy, and the visitors love Indy, by all measures. Our convention space had been surpassed by multiple cities, so we were going to start losing some of these events if we didn't react.
The NFL owners breathe rarified air. Tagliabue wasn't around to tell the owners what he told folks here when the stadium was being considered.
If this city made one Super Bowl error, it was not courting the new Commisioner's staff more closely.
2012 works just as well, or later, even. As a matter of fact, 2011 would've been difficult, but possible, logistics-wise.
And, for your information, according to the NY Times, 16 NFL teams, 12 NBA teams, and multiple baseball and hockey teams, including some recent champions, are not liable to stay in their current cities beyond 2010.
It's a sign of the times.
Indy being compared to Rodney Dangerfield is hilarious! Damn shame it's true.
Did you happen to see the Miss Universe Pageant last night? Miss USA fell flat on her ass.
I had to laugh because it is so ironic that America, under it's republican president has clearly fallen on its ass.
Don't you think?
BTW, another 10 Soldiers died in Iraq today.
VOTE BUSH! (the idiot son of an asshole)
I support the deals the city made with Irsey and the Simon's to retain the Pacers and Colts by offering non-football and non-basketball event revenue at Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse.
I just ask Jim Irsey and the Simon's to invest the millions of dollars it is going to take to fill these stadiums on the off season. Certainly Conseco sits empty more than it should. The RCA Dome is no better.
Hopefully both families will live up to the city management agreements for both facilities and spend the millions it will require to land the large conventions and events in the future.
More Risk, More Reward
9:13am
Yes, our city DID spend taxpayers money on the bid. Peterson himself exposed this by stating that he "put very little of {his} own personal time into this" based on an Indpls Star article posted May 23rd. This means he spent city time working on the bid. And I'm sure he was not the only one. I consider this from my pocket as a taxpayer...
9:13, you need to get a life.
City officials are, at this very moment, working on providing data and input into many proposals to host conventions and events, many years into the future. Usually as part of a broad-based team of association representatives or corporate types.
There's not only nothing wrong with that, it's an appropriate use of city resources.
I'd consider it malfeasance if they didn't try for those events.
Every major city in America does it. Convention business is one of the easier, but important, areas of economic development. Easy, in the sense that the convention-goers come here, deposit their money for a few days, and leave.
I'm hoping they don't run into you while they're here.
Grumps aren't good ambassadors.
Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell needs to tell the whole truth. The NFL Committee did not see enough diversity in the city's video presentation. While they attempted to sell the NFL on the City, they failed to acknowledge the financial and economic impact of Indiana Black Expo/Circle City Classic as the third largest tourist attraction for the State next to The Indiana State Fair and the 500 Mile Race.
A "lilly white" image was painted of this city, while a majority of the NFL football players are black. Most major cities do promote its diversity in civic and cultural activities. Indiana has the reputation of a Klan State outside of its boundaries.
A reliable source informed several people of this fact.
Say it isn't so Steve!
Check out indy2012.com
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