Q: After the last Super Bowl held in Atlanta, it was dubbed the Ice Bowl. The NFL said it would never hold it in Atlanta because of the possibility of an ice storm. What changed the NFL’s mind?
—John Watkins, Cartersville
A: The prospect of playing Super Bowl LIII at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium and a "fully funded" bid helped NFL owners select Atlanta to host the game in 2019.
Atlanta was rejected in bids for the Super Bowl in 2009 and 2010.
“I think the difference this time is that we have a new stadium with a significant public-private partnership,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank told the AJC last month.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled to open in 2017.
The bid committee said Atlanta businesses have pledged $20 million, that $16 million will come from Atlanta’s hotel-motel tax designated for major events and $10 million “from a sales-tax exemption on Super Bowl tickets,” the AJC reported.
The College Football Playoff national championship game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in January 2018 and the Final Four is scheduled for April 2020.
Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl in 1994 and 2000, the year an ice storm hit the city the week of the game.
Q: What happened to Gurvir Dhindsa on the Channel 5 morning news?
—Marie Pressley, Atlanta
Q: Dhindsa's final show on "Good Day Atlanta" was April 22.
“I’ve decided the time is right for me to leave Fox 5,” she wrote on her Facebook page on April 21.
Dhindsa was with “Good Day Atlanta” for five years this time, the AJC reported. She also was a host from 1997 to 2000.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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