KC to host a Super Bowl?

[MDesign]

In that Yahoo! article it comments on this: A Super Bowl brings in a plop load of money to your town.

It's an estimated $400 Million. Nice junk of change for a week long event.

[WSU151]

By all accounts, Jacksonville couldn't support the Super Bowl. I don't know too much about Kansas City, but isn't KC smaller and less "tourist ready" than Jacksonville? This is not to put down KC in any way, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of cities outside of the regular rotation (and especially within the climate guidelines) that could really support the 'Bowl.

That's my biggest worry too, and I sort of mentioned it a couple posts before yours...KC is not a tourist town, and does not have the hotel space to bring in, say, 150,000+ people for the Super Bowl. And if they do build these hotels to accomodate the Super Bowl, then what happens after the Super Bowl leaves? KC will have thousands of empty hotel rooms.

Giving Kansas City a Super Bowl is a bad move from an economic and logistics standpoint.

[Ez Street]

By all accounts, Jacksonville couldn't support the Super Bowl. I don't know too much about Kansas City, but isn't KC smaller and less "tourist ready" than Jacksonville? This is not to put down KC in any way, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of cities outside of the regular rotation (and especially within the climate guidelines) that could really support the 'Bowl.

That's my biggest worry too, and I sort of mentioned it a couple posts before yours...KC is not a tourist town, and does not have the hotel space to bring in, say, 150,000+ people for the Super Bowl. And if they do build these hotels to accomodate the Super Bowl, then what happens after the Super Bowl leaves? KC will have thousands of empty hotel rooms.

Giving Kansas City a Super Bowl is a bad move from an economic and logistics standpoint.

None of you have been to Kansas City lately. There are plenty of Hotels and new attractions being built all the time. By 2012 they will be fine.

[Chief.]

By all accounts, Jacksonville couldn't support the Super Bowl. I don't know too much about Kansas City, but isn't KC smaller and less "tourist ready" than Jacksonville? This is not to put down KC in any way, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of cities outside of the regular rotation (and especially within the climate guidelines) that could really support the 'Bowl.

That's my biggest worry too, and I sort of mentioned it a couple posts before yours...KC is not a tourist town, and does not have the hotel space to bring in, say, 150,000+ people for the Super Bowl. And if they do build these hotels to accomodate the Super Bowl, then what happens after the Super Bowl leaves? KC will have thousands of empty hotel rooms.

Giving Kansas City a Super Bowl is a bad move from an economic and logistics standpoint.

None of you have been to Kansas City lately. There are plenty of Hotels and new attractions being built all the time. By 2012 they will be fine.

True. KC is a great city. There's plenty to do, plenty of hotels, and plenty of restaraunts. And, Bluejayone is right. Play in the cold weather, snow, rain, whatever. Domes take away what football is all about. I hate that they have to put a roof over Arrowhead or any cold weather, outdoor stadium. I love sitting outside Arrowhead with a heavy coat on in 30 degree weather. It's football, not arena football. It's the SUPER BOWL! If I scored Super Bowl tickets, I wouldn't mind watching in the cold of Denver, KC, or Chicago.

[robbman21]

Also remember that KC is making a strong push for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.Now,granted they likely wont get it as they are probably 3rd behind Daytona and Charlotte,but it still shows a strong commitment by the city of KC and the states of MO/KS to score a tourist interest to that part of the country and this was before yesterday's Super Bowl announcement.

Add to that the hopeful addition of a new arena and a new downtown ballpark for the Royals as well as the speedway that is already in place and there is a good foundation for increased tourism there.One of the things mentioned on ESPN radio today is the possibility of the Final Four returning there as well with this stadium if they want to make it multi-purpose/use.

I'm really starting to buy into the idea of this and EZ/chief/KCScout you guys are all in a good spot right now....considering you guys are still around there in 7-10 years.

[JQK]

Cold Weather Super Bowls NOW!!!!!!

[Ez Street]

I will say it now....

Kansas City will get the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Development in Kansas City is at a rate I've never seen. Truly exciting.

[WSU151]

I will say it now....

Kansas City will get the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Development in Kansas City is at a rate I've never seen. Truly exciting.

I stand corrected. But just answer me this...what is there to do in Kansas City?

[JQK]

I will say it now....

Kansas City will get the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Development in Kansas City is at a rate I've never seen. Truly exciting.

I stand corrected. But just answer me this...what is there to do in Kansas City?

Eat the most beautiful, tasty barbequed ribs you ever had......

[WSU151]

I will say it now....

Kansas City will get the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Development in Kansas City is at a rate I've never seen. Truly exciting.

I stand corrected. But just answer me this...what is there to do in Kansas City?

Eat the most beautiful, tasty barbequed ribs you ever had......

Oh I've had the ribs! And KC has good music. But what is there to do during the day...or for four or five days, like most Super Bowl visitors will have?

[Mac the Knife]

From NFL.com:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 16, 2005) -- NFL owners voted to tentatively award Kansas City a Super Bowl, largely as a tribute to owner Lamar Hunt, who gave the game its name.

It comes with one giant string attached: improvements to Arrowhead Stadium, including a rolling roof to keep out the February cold. The team estimates the cost of the roof alone at $100 million to $200 million -- and that's not counting $300 million or so the Chiefs say they need in stadium upgrades.

The approval is for a 10-year window, starting in 2011, but Hunt said the most likely prospects would be for the 49th or 51st Super Bowl, after the 2014 or 2016 seasons.

"This is a very happy day, and in some respects a surprising day," he said at a news conference after the second day of the owners' two-day fall meeting adjourned. "This is something our organization has talked about for a number of years."

The team is now in lease negotiations with Jackson County and hopes to have a sales tax issue on the April ballot for Kansas City residents who live in the county. Last year, a bi-state sales tax proposal, for stadium improvements and arts in the area, failed to gain approval.

The Kansas City Royals, whose Kauffman Stadium sits across a parking lot from Arrowhead, would also have benefited from that tax.

The Chiefs, and other backers of stadium renovations, hope the prospect of landing an event with an estimated $400 million economic impact will provide enough reason to vote "yes" this time.

"The tremendous benefit to Kansas City, both in economic terms and prestige, are beyond calculation," Mayor Kay Barnes said in a written statement.

Jack Steadman, the Chiefs' vice chairman, said lease talks were to resume Nov. 17 and that he hoped they would be completed by December. He said the Chiefs would not specify their financial commitment to the project until negotiations were completed.

Hunt, a founding owner in the American Football League, gave the Super Bowl its name after it began simply as a matchup between the AFL and NFL champions.

"This decision is clearly an indication of the tremendous support the Chiefs have had from their fans in this area, and also the role of Lamar Hunt in the creation of the NFL today and the history of professional football."

Only three Super Bowls have been awarded to cold-weather cities. Detroit will host its second Super Bowl in February, and Minneapolis has hosted one.

"I think a one-off is a correct decision," Hunt said. "My request was for one game, in a 10-year window."

A rolling roof, which could be moved to cover either stadium, was part of the original plans for the Truman Sports Complex. It was designed only to keep out the rain, however.

Steadman said the new plan would allow panels to be lowered from the roof, to provide for a heated interior in cold weather.

"This is a new idea for an old concept," he said.

The next-to-last paragraph sums up why the NFL okay'ed this: they're going to be able to basically play the game indoors, a la Reliant in Houston.

Kansas City would be great Super Bowl host, as would Nashville, Charlotte, St.Louis and a host of other so-called "cold weather" cities. The NFL's slowly realizing this I think, but it'll take one SB where a freak blizzard hits somewhere (followed by the media and fans saying how great it was to play in the snow) for them to finally give more northern cities games as part of the rotation.

[Ez Street]

I will say it now....

Kansas City will get the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Development in Kansas City is at a rate I've never seen. Truly exciting.

I stand corrected. But just answer me this...what is there to do in Kansas City?

The same things you can do in every other major metropolitan city. Westport and The Plaza are good spots to eat, drink, and be merry. I have never understood the mindset where people say there isn't anything to do in a city.

What are you looking for?

[WSU151]

What are you looking for?

I just mean that in cities like San Diego and Miami, they are helped by oceans. It's something to do during the day. Plus the weather's great. If Denver ever got a Super Bowl, it would promote skiing opportunities like nobody's business. New Orleans has (had?) the French Quarter, the tours, the laissez-faire police with the laisez-faire alcohol laws, the music etc. I guess KC is pretty big, I just never thought of it as a town where people would say "Hey, let's go to downtown Kansas City and spend all day there". Detroit, Jacksonville, and Houston fall in the same boat, so it's nothing against Kansas City. Kansas City is a pretty city, with the fountains and what not. I just wouldn't expect it to be a week-long, party-of-the-year type of city.

[The_Admiral]

Soldier Field Super Bowl will determine the REAL champs.

[Ez Street]

What are you looking for?

I just mean that in cities like San Diego and Miami, they are helped by oceans. It's something to do during the day. Plus the weather's great. If Denver ever got a Super Bowl, it would promote skiing opportunities like nobody's business. New Orleans has (had?) the French Quarter, the tours, the laissez-faire police with the laisez-faire alcohol laws, the music etc. I guess KC is pretty big, I just never thought of it as a town where people would say "Hey, let's go to downtown Kansas City and spend all day there". Detroit, Jacksonville, and Houston fall in the same boat, so it's nothing against Kansas City. Kansas City is a pretty city, with the fountains and what not. I just wouldn't expect it to be a week-long, party-of-the-year type of city.

There is stuff to do. Maybe not as sceneic as San Diego or Tampa. but it's a good place. Good enough for the 2 mil that live in the Metro. Plus you know Super bowl week, they have stuff going on that isn't your normal stuff.

[Puckguy14]

Cold weather Super Bowl? Didn't we have that last year in Jacksonville? Wasn't it in the 40s near the end of the game?

[rockchalk]

Kansas City would be great Super Bowl host, as would Nashville, Charlotte, St.Louis and a host of other so-called "cold weather" cities. The NFL's slowly realizing this I think, but it'll take one SB where a freak blizzard hits somewhere (followed by the media and fans saying how great it was to play in the snow) for them to finally give more northern cities games as part of the rotation.

Sadly, it's already almost impossible to see this happening after the next few years, if ever again. When was the last time a blizzard hit Miami or Tampa? Those are the only outdoor sites officially getting the game until the 2011 game, which hasn't been awarded yet.

-For the record, XL-Detroit, XLI-Miami, XLII-Cards new stadium in Glendale, XLIII-Tampa, XLIV-Miami. Those are the ones that have been awarded.

[yh]

None of you have been to Kansas City lately. There are plenty of Hotels and new attractions being built all the time. By 2012 they will be fine.

I was there in September. Presently there are not enough hotel rooms which would be considered acceptable to your average Super Bowl ticketholder. The media will likely commandeer the Adams Mark (which will most likely be reflagged by then since HBE is dropping those properties left and right and is already in dire need of a massive renovation) and that's the only A/B quality hotel room within a reasonable proximity to the stadium. That leaves the Fairmont, the Westin Crown Center and the Hyatt Regency as the only remaining top-tier hotels in the metro KC area. That's only about 2500 rooms tops. Now, if the redevelopment of downtown continues, there's likely to be more Class A hotels open for business by 2015-17 when they're talking about hosting the game. That's still a good 30 minute commute to the stadium -- not a deal breaker but certainly not the most convenient.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for a KC Super Bowl and I'm a huge fan of KC, but I do think it's fair to say that the region as it exists now is not an optimal city for hosting a Super Bowl only because the average Super Bowl ticketholder expects a lot more than the average football fan just happy to be at a frickin' Super Bowl would expect.

[rockchalk]

I don't like this at all. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the game in KC, it's just that I really don't think it's worth it. It's been stated all over the place that the most a city can hope to get from a Super Bowl is around $400 million, and it would cost about $500 million (sure to go WAY over) to do just Arrowhead for this, not including Kauffman. Besides, I don't want to see outdoor football in KC disappear, which is what will happen. Another thing that I haven't seen brought up, would this be a subtle thing that would be done in stages over 5-10 years in the offseason, or would it be like the Bears and gut the whole thing, having the Chiefs play in Columbia or Lawrence for a year (Not going to happen, stadiums are too small and the team doesn't want to play favorites with one school over the other) As for ability to pull this off, Yale is right, there are plenty of rooms for something like that, just not the right kind of hotels. KC does have a pretty lively nightlife, it's just that the Complex is way out away from town and would require a healthy commute, something that has to be done by car at this moment, because there is no real public transportation, especially to the stadium, except for a fairly small bus system.

[MisterE]

Why not have the game in Green Bay with the league's best fans. Green Bay will become a major metropolitan city when the 150,000 people come in for the game.

If northern cities want a Super Bowl so bad, do you ever think the unimaginable, that all northern cities will eventualy play in domes? Even some southern teams that have a good climate have domes or retractible roofs like Atlanta,Houston,or soon to be Arizona. If the best team is supposed to be the champs, then they should be able to win in any weather.