Congratulations to Indianapolis for putting on a grand super week that in some way might give a boost to Los Angeles’s hope of getting an NFL team and those who are promoting the downtown stadium plan.
I found myself in Indiana this weekend and took in the atmosphere around the Super Bowl. Indianapolis received much praise for putting on a good show. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, was one of those who praised the city. One of the big pluses was that the pre-game activities were all centered in easy walking distance adjacent to the stadium where the Patriots and Giants played.
In a broadcast before the game, Goodell was asked about establishing a team in Los Angeles. He said nothing new, acknowledging that is was a possibility and that if a new team were created instead of moving a team, then two new NFL teams would probably come into the league to keep an even number of teams and a balanced league.
However, Goodell did note that there were two efforts in Los Angeles to build a stadium. One is downtown and the second is in the suburbs in the City of Industry. He did not favor one over the other in the broadcast. The success of the central location in Indianapolis for the activities associated with what the NFL dubs “super week” and the nearby downtown stadium had to be recognized by the league. Many commentators noted the convenience of the centralized location comparing it to past Super Bowl venues where long car commutes and stalled traffic were part of the daily activities.
Goodell also mentioned the need for 25,000 hotel rooms for a Super Bowl host city. The centralized location near-by a stadium and the hotel requirement bodes better for the downtown Los Angeles location.
Interestingly, when Indianapolis was chosen for the Super Bowl site, hope ran high that the host Indianapolis Colts would be in the game. Had that occurred, it might have been an economic disaster for the city. The need for those 25,000 hotel rooms would have been minimized. As it was, there were plenty of Giants and Patriots fans visiting the city.