The aftermath of Super Bowl XLIX is a "heady mix of exhaustion and exhilaration," as tourists "expecting a ghost town found a vibrant, urban setting in downtown Phoenix," according to a front-page piece by Dan Bickley of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The city's infrastructure "shouldered 697,881 ticket holders that flocked to the Pro Bowl, Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Super Bowl in a span of eight days." A record "177,000 people flocked to Phoenix Convention Center, where the NFL Experience took place." On Saturday alone, "126,000 rode the light rail, doubling the previous single-day high." It was a day when Phoenix "felt like a major metropolis, with a diverse crowd that truly reflected all of Arizona." Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and Phoenix Gov. Doug Ducey "spent the week entertaining 70 visiting CEOs, attempting to woo new businesses to Arizona." The Valley has a "long history hosting big events, and now it has a new template." While the '19 and '20 Super Bowls are "earmarked for Atlanta and Miami." So the "smart money says the Valley will focus" on a '21 bid, but "be ready in case a window opens sooner." The area also is hosting the CFP championship game in '16 and the NCAA's Final Four in '17, and "must prove we don't suffer from donor and volunteer fatigue." The Super Bowl XLIX host committee said that it "reached its goal of raising" $30M, but the process "was exhausting and complicated." Bidwill said, "We need to build a strategy so that Arizona dominates in this area, so we can continue to bring mega-events that bring a tremendous amount of economic impact and media exposure" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/4).
