Hawaii Tourism Authority To Reconsider NFL Offer For Pro Bowls

HTA Chair Hopes Next BOD Meeting Will Vote To Keep Pro Bowl In Hawaii For '11, '12

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) BOD, "under pressure from lawmakers and football fans," will "reconsider the NFL's offer to bring the Pro Bowl back" to Hawaii in '11 and '12 when it meets Friday, according to Peter Boylan of the HONOLULU ADVERTISER. HTA Chair Kelvin Bloom Monday told state lawmakers that he "thinks the board will reconsider its vote on Thursday rejecting an offer from the NFL to play the game in Aloha Stadium a week before the Super Bowl for $4[M] a year" in '11 and '12. Bloom, who voted to accept the NFL's proposal, said the majority of BOD members "voted to approve the offer." Bloom: "I'd like to believe that in our next board meeting we'll have an affirmative vote." The HTA BOD will "re-vote on the original proposal Friday." Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann "agreed to lobby" on behalf of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the matter, and he will be "meeting with HTA board members before the Friday vote." Hannemann said that the state of Hawaii "should have assigned a higher priority to keeping the game" (HONOLULU ADVERTISER, 3/3). NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy Monday in an e-mail said the NFL "would like to return to Hawaii and stand behind our offer" (HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN, 3/3).

STEPPING INTO THE HUDDLE: In Honolulu, Dave Reardon wrote under the header, "Mayor Doing The Job Nobody Else Wants To." Hannemann "mostly stayed out" of the matter "until last week's rejection of the league's second proposal." But Hannemann over the weekend spoke to NFL Senior VP/Events Frank Supovitz, who "runs the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl," and Monday he conferred with Goodell. Hannemann said the NFL is "flabbergasted" with Hawaii. Reardon wrote the HTA is an "easy target, for sure," as HTA officials said that they have been "negotiating with the NFL for two years." Reardon: "One thing I've learned over the years ... is that 'negotiating' can mean anything you want as long as you place one phone call" (HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN, 3/3).