NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and a few team owners
said yesterday that "this week's frigid weather" in Atlanta
"should not damage [the city's] efforts" to host a future
Super Bowl, according to Mark Schlabach of the ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION. Tagliabue: "We always understood that Atlanta
was part Southern, part Northern. The key thing is having a
great stadium and a domed stadium." Steelers President Dan
Rooney: "What are we going to do? Start playing the game in
the Caribbean and Hawaii? ... Atlanta is fine." But Titans
Owner Bud Adams said that the NFL "needs to look closer at
its criteria for being a host site" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
1/28). USA TODAY's Woodyard & Watson report that a "major
winter storm threatened Super Bowl travel this weekend," as
hundreds of flights into Atlanta's Hartsfield Int'l Airport
were canceled Thursday and today. The storm "could
jeopardize" the city's expected $250M "economic windfall"
from the Super Bowl (USA TODAY, 1/28). In Miami, Armando
Salguero, noting Atlanta may receive two to four inches of
snow, writes: "The only heat Hotlanta is generating has come
in the form of criticism" (MIAMI HERALD, 1/28). In Detroit,
Jerry Green writes that all the focus in Atlanta seemed to
be on the weather and "football was reduced to second
fiddle" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/28). Also in Detroit, Terry Foster
writes of Atlanta, "Is it a nice city for a Super Bowl now
and then? Sure, why not? But in the regular rotation?
Give me San Diego or Miami any time" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/28).
Tampa's Super Bowl XXXV Task Force member Barbara Casey:
"Atlanta's doing a great job, but what we're learning is,
there's no controlling the weather" (ORL. SENTINEL, 1/28).
AS EASY AS C-B-A? NFLPA Exec Dir Gene Upshaw told the
WASHINGTON POST's Shapiro & Maske that the NFLPA and the NFL
are "discussing the possibility of extending their labor
contract" for three years through 2005. Upshaw said that a
decision "will be made" by December (WASHINGTON POST, 1/28).
NOTES: USA TODAY's "Debate" focuses on public subsidies
for pro sports teams. USA TODAY states, "In short, all
Americans pay a price when a St. Louis or a Nashville steals
a team. Or when owners extort local money with the threat
of moving. Congress should stop such antics. ... Heavily
lobbied, it chooses to stand idly by." Thomas DiBacco,
author of Made In The U.S.A.: The History Of American
Business," offers the opposing viewpoint under the header,
"Big Spenders Are Big Winners" (USA TODAY, 1/28)....The
Colts will play the Steelers in an exhibition game August 18
at 112,000-seat Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. In "will
mark the first time the Colts have been involved in the
NFL's international series" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/28). ...In
Toronto, Rob Longley reports that SkyDome will host NFL
exhibition games in 2001 and '03, but teams and dates "have
not been settled on yet" (TORONTO SUN, 1/28)....The NFL's
Man of the Year award will be renamed after the late Walter
Payton. Vikings WR Cris Carter will be presented with the
award this season (USA TODAY, 1/28).
