Goodell Says Weather Won't Hurt Future North Texas Super Bowl Bids

The weather has been a “major topic of discussion” during Super Bowl week, and the storm that "iced down North Texas roads and the lingering frigid temperatures have raised questions about whether the region's first Super Bowl will be its last,” according to Pete Alfano of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. North Texas is “already planning to bid for Super Bowl L,” and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday “was encouraging when asked about the weather.” Goodell: "We were prepared for it. We've got a great stadium and a great community. So I don't believe this will hurt" future bids. Alfano notes working in the region's favor is the “scope of the storm, which has affected two-thirds of the country.” Phoenix area, which has hosted two Super Bowls, “got frost Thursday morning, and temperatures were expected to drop to freezing overnight.” The NFL is “driven by the bottom line, and Cowboys Stadium will probably offset any weather negatives.” North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee President & CEO Bill Lively said, "It's the quality of the venue that generates revenue. It's too good a place not to come back." Attendance at Sunday's game is “expected to break the NFL record of around 104,000” (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/4). When asked whether or not the winter weather “that crippled much of the area would affect future chances” of North Texas hosting a Super Bowl, Goodell said, "I don't believe so. This isn't the only part of the country being [affected] by this weather. This community has responded favorably and we're excited to be here" (DALLASNEWS.com, 2/3). 

SUPER BOWL BUMP: In Dallas, Gary Jacobson notes an NFL owner and his team normally “don’t profit directly from hosting a Super Bowl,” but the Cowboys' Jerry Jones “will be an exception.” Jones’ ownership stakes in Legends Hospitality Management, which operates concessions at Cowboys Stadium, and “dozens of Papa John’s stores in North Texas” means that Jones “benefits from every food and beverage item sold at the stadium and every pizza ordered from his Papa John’s stores by fans converging on the area.” In addition, the Super Bowl will produce nearly $10M in “ticket and parking taxes dedicated to paying off a portion of stadium debt that Jones guarantees.” But hosting the game also “can cost an owner money.” Cowboys Dir of Corporate Communications Brett Daniels said that Super Bowl preparations “have tied up Cowboys Stadium since mid-January … precluding other possible revenue-generating events during that time.” Jacobson notes, “Long term, the biggest potential payoff for the Cowboys owner could come if his stadium -- and, therefore, Legends Hospitality Management, the stadium’s concessionaire -- is picked to host the Super Bowl on a regular basis” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/4).