Super Worries in Jacksonville

[Vinny]

Enjoy that warm, home Super Bowl feeling for now, because once it is over, you may not feel it again. The buzz among some owners and other league officials is that the Super Bowl creates such logistical challenges for Jacksonville, the league might not want to endure those kinds of hurdles again and will avoid the city at all costs.

Stop putting that X through my face. I'm just the messenger. Don't hate the player, hate the Big Game.

In my one dozen years of covering Super Bowl politics, which can be as cutthroat as any presidential race, I have rarely heard such harsh comments about a Super Bowl city from a significant number of members in the NFL community.

"How can we have a Super Bowl in a city this tiny?" said one owner, who asked not to be identified, forgetting that he was one of the owners who voted for Jacksonville to have a Super Bowl in the first place.

"This has the potential to be a logistical disaster," said one league official, who also asked not to be identified.

And the game is still nine months away.

Publicly, the league is saying that everything is going smoothly, and, to be certain, there are owners who are happy the game is coming here. Paul Tagliabue, the smart and blunt commissioner, said in an interview he foresees no serious problems, logistical or otherwise.

"We've had tremendous support from the city," said Tagliabue. "There are a number of things about Jacksonville that make it attractive, beginning with what I think is a great stadium. Everything is going very smoothly."

Tagliabue also dismissed complaints from owners and others. "They don't have all of the information," he said.

Privately, the complaints stem from old concerns. Will there be enough rental cars? Hotels? What about the cruise ship situation?

I don't get the trepidation. These things always seem to work out. People find places to stay and cars to rent. Besides, look at some of the other host towns. Detroit is getting Super Bowl XL in 2006 and it was recently named the most unsafe city in America. Detroit's Super Bowl motto: come watch the game -- and your wallet.

Basically, the issues come down to owners wanting the party to go smoothly. They don't want to lay awake worrying about cruise ships moving out to sea to dump their waste or booking hotels in Orlando or if Jacksonville is going to be 7,000 rental cars short.

I still believe that Jacksonville could be the new Miami or Tampa, and is more than capable of working its way into a regular Super Bowl rotation. Another owner agreed with me.

Let's just hope Jacksonville doesn't become another Minneapolis.

That city was one and done.

Jacksonville.com (entire article)

[Playmaker]

I'm just glad the monotonous rotation of New Orleans, Miami, and San Diego was broken up for at least a few years. I just hate looking at the Super Dome.

Nothing against Jacksonville, but if things go bad and their SB leaves a bad impression, then that just means one less city Houston has to contend with for hosting the SB in the future. It's almost a sure thing that we are getting a 2nd one.

[V Man]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that the NFL promises SB to cities if they will build their team a new stadium. That is not right. Just because it has a new stadium, doesn't mean it is a good place for the SB.

As for Jacksonville, no matter how bad it gets, the TV media will be all smiles and saying how great a place Jacksonville is so the league won't look like it made a mistake.

[TheOgre]

Originally Posted by V Man

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that the NFL promises SB to cities if they will build their team a new stadium. That is not right. Just because it has a new stadium, doesn't mean it is a good place for the SB.

It is an incentive for cities to build teams a new stadium. The costs of building the stadium is somewhat offset by the additional tax money brought into the city during the Super Bowl. Personally I think it is a smart move by the league. It helps them keep newer stadiums in most cities.

[El Tejano]

I tell you what. It will not suprise me if Reliant starts becoming a regular Super Bowl site like New Orleans, or Miami. It seemed as if everything was so much more easy and accessable in Houston.

[SBTexans08]

We should have another here in 2009 or 2010 for certain. By then, maybe all this construction will be finished and make the city look even nicer.

[V Man]

Originally Posted by TheOgre

It is an incentive for cities to build teams a new stadium. The costs of building the stadium is somewhat offset by the additional tax money brought into the city during the Super Bowl. Personally I think it is a smart move by the league. It helps them keep newer stadiums in most cities.

Oh I agree, but I just thought it was amuzing that the owners choose who runs the league, then the league sets the deals with the individual cities, then the owners and league officals complain that they don't like the site of this years Superbowl. When they basically are the ones who put there.

[rittenhouserobz]

It has been my belief since I saw the Jets concept drawing for a stadium with a retractable roof that NY will get a SB. I Think NY would have an extraordinary SB. I may not like the Jets, but I think that NY is a host city that would be able to get it done right.

[HowBoutThemCowboys!]

Dont know about you, but a superbowl in Jacksonville has potentual to be a disaster