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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > May > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USAtlanta doesn’t deserve Super Bowls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Barring all 32 NFL owners getting trapped on Georgia 400 along their way to their meeting today at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead, they’ll do the predictable. It’ll also be the unfathomable. They’ll give the 2012 Super Bowl to a cold-weather site, and it won’t be Atlanta.
The winner is …
It’s Indianapolis.
My parents live there, so trust me when I say this. In February, it’s a little colder in Indiana than Georgia. Which makes you wonder why NFL decision-makers made that big deal three years ago about not giving Atlanta the 2009 Super Bowl for fear of an ice storm. You know, like the one that paralyzed the last Super Bowl in Atlanta eight years ago.
Trust me on this, too. They get ice, sleet, snow and everything else in Indianapolis during February. It sort of makes you wonder if there was another reason why all of those owners spent that May 2005 meeting in Washington giving Tampa next year’s Super Bowl over Atlanta. Are they allergic to our pollen? Would they prefer that the Varsity serve quiche lorraine instead of slaw dogs?
I mean, should Falcons owner Arthur Blank take this personally, especially since that weather excuse against an Atlanta Super Bowl is about an Indianapolis vote on Tuesday from going the way of leather helmets?
“No, no. If Indianapolis is chosen, I don’t think it would be any reflection on me or the Falcons,” said Blank on Monday, before joining his peers for the opening day of the meetings. “A lot of people love Atlanta, and they have good feelings toward the city. If it is Indianapolis — and that’s conjecture at this point, since there are two other cities [Phoenix and Houston] involved — but if it is Indianapolis, it would be because Indianapolis is having a brand-new stadium built, and also because 95 percent of it is paid for by the public.”
Maybe. The 16-year-old Georgia Dome is ancient by NFL standards, and more than half of the league’s teams have stadiums newer than that of the Falcons. You’ve also had the high-tech remodeling of Lambeau and Soldier fields. As a result, Blank wished to use those Washington meetings to build state support for the renovation of the Dome by trying to host the 2009 or 2010 Super Bowl. He was the only owner to bring along his governor (Sonny Perdue) and his mayor (Shirley Franklin), but it didn’t matter. The owners gave those Super Bowls to Tampa and Miami, respectively, because the owners supposedly hadn’t stopped shivering from Atlanta’s ice storm.
Whatever the reasons for such a snub, Atlanta shouldn’t get another Super Bowl anyway. The same goes for Detroit, Minneapolis and Jacksonville, Fla., essentially south Georgia.
The Super Bowl should rotate between cities with overwhelming warmth in the winter and a resort mentality at all times. That’s because the Super Bowl isn’t about a day. It’s about a week. Folks often plan their vacations around the event, and the majority of those, ranging from corporate sponsors to casual fans, would rather spend that time trying to stay cool than warm.
So we’re back to this Indianapolis thing, and Indianapolis is expected to smoke its competition this time around on the first ballot. It nearly won the 2011 Super Bowl, but Jerry Jones kept yanking pennies from his pockets to convince others to give the game to the new stadium for his Dallas Cowboys. Even so, Indianapolis lost by only two votes back then, and nothing against Indianapolis. It’s a wonderful place to live (ask my parents), and the Final Four is a regular hit within its city limits. Plus, you have that 500-mile race each May on the city’s west side. It’s just that you can’t give a Super Bowl to Indianapolis if you won’t give another one to Atlanta.
Not that either place deserves it. Not unless they relocate to California, Texas, Louisiana or Florida.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Categories: Falcons/NFL
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By MV7 4 Life
May 19, 2008 6:10 PM | Link to this
It won’t matter. VICK will win that SUPER BOWL anyhow!!!
By D-MAN
May 19, 2008 6:17 PM | Link to this
Both Texas and Louisiana can have have ice storms in the winter…dont know that they should have a leg up on the ATL…
By Greg from Marietta
May 19, 2008 6:24 PM | Link to this
Terrance - Truer words were never spoken, I agree with your point 100%.
By John Chicago
May 19, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this
“The winner is……..It’s Indianapolis?”
“I lot of people love Atlanta”
Get a new editor.
By Randy
May 19, 2008 6:47 PM | Link to this
I agree that the Super Bowl is a weeklong event. But normally the game is played with a two week gap between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, adding to the hype and the buildup for the host city. If I’m correct, Atlanta was cheated out of this extra week both times it hosted the game. No other city has been cheated out of the extra week even once, proving a bias against Atlanta even when awarded the game.
By Bud Wiser
May 19, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
Give up and make New Orleans the permanent home of the Super Bowl. Those poor Katrina victims will need the annual pick-pocket revenue if Mary Blanco’s request for $257 BILLION from the federal government falls through. For you readers inside the perimeter, that equates to about $227,000 PER PERSON, for those who claim to have been displaced. Hey, can we have a Katrina here? I could use a new motor home, and the associated bling inside, as well as a fully funded gas card to operate it! Maybe President Obama will set that up for us all later with some of his leftover shakedown monies courtesy of Jesse, Al, and the dear Reverend Wright. May not be any leftover cash though, after Michelle finishes redecorating the White House and finally has a home she can be proud of for the first time (or is it now the second time) in her adult life.
By Gazoo
May 19, 2008 7:19 PM | Link to this
Atlanta doesn’t deserve a Super Bowl every bit as much as it does deserve a Terance Moore.
By WPinAZ
May 19, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this
Two words explain why it will be a loooooooooooooong time before Atlanta sees another Super Bowl:
RAY LEWIS
By Terence Moore
May 19, 2008 8:43 PM | Link to this
Bud Wiser,
Good sentiment about New Orleans. If nothing else, they can keep it in the rotation and give it a Super Bowl every four years or so.
Then again, they should do the same with San Diego, probably the best Super Bowl site. Unfortunately, San Diego has a terrible stadium situation.
By kasp
May 19, 2008 8:53 PM | Link to this
How about a SB in Pittsburgh. The greatest NFL team deserves the right to host it. The stadium is beautiful as well as the city. Everyone needs to stand atop Mount Washington and see Pgh at night.
By Navigator
May 19, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this
I want to analyze the situation without being a homer in my approach. Yes, Atlanta is a cold weather city in Jan-Feb, so that should eliminate them and all other cities with cold winters. I lived in Dallas, and it is not warm in Jan-Feb. That leaves three possible locations Miami, New Orleans (somewhat chilly), and San Diego. Arizona sucks, so their out and LA doesn’t have a team, and never should have a superbowl. If however, it’s about domed stadiums, age is not the answer, but condition is. Atlanta, Indianapolis, Seattle, Minneapolis, New Jersey and any other comers should have a state of the art stadium (that’s the inside not the outside). Under those circumstances warm stadiums and domed stadiums should be considered (based on the condition of the stadium and their parking, in either category).
By falconfan42
May 19, 2008 9:30 PM | Link to this
MV7 for life…..I feel sorry for you. So sad. Why don’t you call Leavenwirth Kansas and get season ticket for Vick’s convict league. We don’t want you at the Dome this fall. Please stay home!!!! Go Falcons and Go new quarterback Matt Ryan! Turn the page Vick loving losers!!!!!Go Falcons!!!! One man does not a team make!!!
By VICK SOULJA
May 19, 2008 9:55 PM | Link to this
YOU HATERZ IN ATL DONT DESERVE MIKE VICK OR A SUPPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By michaelgee
May 19, 2008 10:31 PM | Link to this
Teams with new stadiums get the Superbowl, just like we did,
Sheesh, why are you so dense Terrance?
This is no surprise nor is it anything new. Just another chance to throw knives at Arthur Blank huh?
I’ll go ahead and wager your next hundred articles will also be an attempt to defame or discredit a good man and his franchise.
Blame white ownership and management again and again, right Terrance.
Could someone at the ajc get this agenda ridden geek out of here and hire someone not so prejudice to write sports stories without the usual taint of hatred for the owner in EVERY SINGLE article?
How long has it been that TM did not call out Arthur Blank in an article?
dude, you really need to see a shrink about the racial resentment issues you have.
Hey ajc, bring in someone who is a REAL sports guy, please!
By TheyareONLYDogs
May 19, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this
Falconfan42, when are you loser loving losers gonna realize that NOONE WANTS TO BE IN THE DOME. NO VICK, NO INTEREST from the people that actually spend their money.
By noviracer
May 19, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this
I live in Detroit and we get pretty much the same weather as Indy in the winter (we get a lot more overcast days). We don’t get ice storms until March - it’s warmer in Atlanta. Unlike Atlanta and Detroit, downtown Indy is pretty compact and if the weather is bad you can get most places via gerbil tubes.
By IndyJ
May 19, 2008 10:39 PM | Link to this
Here is something you are missing. For the last 24 years Indianapolis has been building its downtown for a Super Bowl. It will be cold - but nobody will have to go outside. You see, the entire downtown is connected with skywalks and tunnels - and everything is within walking distance. And parts of the city will be tented anyway - it will be fine. You have to understand downtown Indianapolis to get it. But you cannot compare Indianapolis and Atlanta on this account.