Arizona boasts the basics of any good Super Bowl: warm winter weather, a top-of-the-line stadium and ample hotels and resorts. Its successful staging of Super Bowl XLII in February 2008 puts it firmly in the running to host another one.
The NFL's choice between the Valley of the Sun and the Sunshine State depends on a slew of logistics, past experiences and the host committees' lobbying.
"They're looking for the total experience," Day said. "The whole thing boils down to the overall strength of 'What can you offer?' "
Tampa vs. Arizona for 2015
Tampa hosted the game more recently than Arizona by a year. Local football fans remember that 2009 game: The Cardinals made their Super Bowl debut in Tampa.
NFL owners may want to return to the West since Super Bowls over the next three years will take place in Indianapolis, New Orleans and East Rutherford, N.J.
Both Tampa and the Valley offer warm weather, but Tampa's stadium, eight years older than University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, does not have a retractable roof in case of rain.
Both are popular vacation spots, but the Valley has more hotel rooms and upscale resorts and golf courses, said Simon Foster of Texas-based travel agency On Point Events, which organizes Super Bowl trips for fans each year.
But Tampa will offer stiff competition as it plans to push its beaches, compact downtown and waterfront.
No comments:
Post a Comment