Whether or not the NRG Stadium roof will be open or closed for Super Bowl LI is "still up in the air, although the NFL has said it would like to play the game with the roof open if the weather is favorable," according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The current forecast for Sunday in Houston "calls for a day-time high of 77 degrees" with a 50% chance of showers that "diminishes through the afternoon." Kickoff is 6:30pm ET. The roof was "closed for all of the Texans’ games there this season." When the stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII in '04, the roof was "closed because of rain in the forecast." A final decision is "expected to be made no sooner than Saturday and possibly as late as game day" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 2/1).
TICKET GEEKS: In N.Y., Richard Morgan noted the average secondary market ticket price on StubHub is down" 14% from last year’s "record high prices -- to less than $5,000." Tickets now cost $4,284, which is 16% "lower than StubHub’s average price of $5,089 a week ago." At the same time, the "number of tickets sold" through Tuesday is up 14% from last year -- the result, in part, of the "larger seating capacity" of NRG Stadium. Georgians "currently account" for 14% of "all Super Bowl ticket sales handled by StubHub, the same as they did a week ago." Massachusetts residents "account for" 15% of StubHub’s sales, up from 13% a week ago (N.Y. POST, 2/1).
THAT'S NOT GONNA FLY: In Houston, Dug Begley notes the FAA will "restrict aircraft -- including unmanned drones -- in a 34.5- mile radius around NRG Stadium where the big game will be played." The restriction is "in place from" 4:00pm-midnight CT on Sunday (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/2).
