Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross this morning said he thought holding a Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium initially was a "great idea," but he is "not sure that we'll see it again." Ross said, "I think when people are talking more about the weather than they are the game, I think that’s a good indication of what’s happening in New York.” Sales of Super Bowl tickets on the secondary market are below earlier expectations, and Ross said, "You're not seeing a lot of interest from New Yorkers. I know I bought a lot of extra tickets to take care of my friends, and it’s hard to get rid of the tickets” ("Squawk Box," CNBC, 1/29).
I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT: YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel wrote Super Bowl XLVIII "has been dubbed the New York Super Bowl, even if it isn't," and "don't think the folks in New Jersey haven't noticed." Wetzel: "The parties are in New York. The events are in New York. The revenue is in New York." The "frustration" is in New Jersey (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/28). In N.Y., Dan Barry writes under the header, "Super Bowl Fans, Do Not Forget: It's New Jersey" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/29). Also in N.Y., Mike Lupica writes "everybody has to know the deal here: The NFL didn't want this game here because of that big gray bowl where the Giants and Jets play their games. They wanted this game here because of New York" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/29).
I'M THE TAXMAN: In Newark, Ted Sherman reported every member of the Broncos and Seahawks "will take a tax hit during their brief stay in New Jersey." The state imposes an 8.97% tax "on all out-of-state athletes that come here to play." Broncos QB Peyton Manning's tax bill "will come to about $57,000 for his 10 days in the Garden State" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/26).
SAFETY FIRST: The STAR-LEDGER's Sherman noted a "confidential State Police assessment into the safety and security of the Super Bowl concludes that home-grown extremists represent the greatest terroristic threat to the game this Sunday, but found no evidence anyone was targeting the NFL championship." Instead, the assessment said that the "most significant threat to the public safety ... would be bad weather" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/28).
