Mayor of Glendale, Arizona, says city will lose money hosting Super Bowl

Author:
SI Wire
Publish date:
Jan 20, 2015

The mayor of Glendale, Ariz., the host of Super Bowl XLIX, expects his city will lose money staging the game. "I totally believe we will lose money on this," mayor Jerry Weiers told ESPN's Mina Kimes.

University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale also hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008. This will be the first Super Bowl at the stadium since Weiers was elected in 2012.

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Miami Area

<italics>With Minnesota winning the bid to host the 2018 Super Bowl, SI.com looks back at previous Super Bowl cities. (The next three Super Bowls will be held in Glendale, Ariz., San Francisco and Houston, respectively.)</italics> The South Florida region is tied for first for having played host to the most SB games, including XLIV, in which Drew Brees' Saints defeated the Colts at Sun Life Stadium. Years hosted: 1968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1979, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010.

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Atlanta's most recent Super Bowl, XXXIV in 2000 at the Georgia Dome, featured one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history. Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Titans receiver Kevin Dyson one-yard short of the goal line on the final play of the game to secure St. Louis' 23-16 win. Years hosted: 1994, 2000.

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David Tyree's helmet catch helped the Giants knock off the perfect Patriots at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., in Super Bowl XLII in 2008. Years hosted: 1996, 2008

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Mario Manningham made the catch of the game, pulling in this one to keep the Giants game-winning drive going in Super Bowl XLVI as New York defeated the Patriots yet again. Years hosted: 2012

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The first cold weather Super Bowl wasn't doomed by a blizzard. In fact, the temperatures were in the 40s when the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos squared off. The Legion of Boom defense ruined Peyton Manning's day as Seattle won 43-8.

Weiers has said that the 2008 game also left Glendale in the red, a claim that Cardinals president Michael Bidwill disputes. Bidwill called the claim "mularkey," according to KTAR, adding, "They were telling people after that Super Bowl that they made a lot of money, and that they had about $13 million worth of media exposure to the city of Glendale."

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Last February, Weiers said his city's budget deficit could soon be as high as $30 million. As a result, the city sought state funding to provide for public safety at the Super Bowl. The state House of Representatives approved a bill in March to reimburse Glendale for those costs, but the state Senate rejected it with a 16-10 vote in April. The city expects to pay $3.2 million on public safety, an increase from the $2.3 million it spent in 2008, according to the Associated Press.

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Another potentially expensive aspect of hosting the game is the three-day fan festival to be held across the street from the stadium. Glendale city councilman Sam Chavira said the festival "will not cost Glendale any money," according to The Arizona Republic. DIRECTV, the event's sponsor, "expects the festival to bring a $3 million to $4 million impact to the local community," the Republic reports, but Weiers said it was unclear how much money it would make for the city.

Not all Super Bowl-related events will be held in Glendale. Nearby Phoenix and other areas of the Valley of the Sun will also host some events, such as Super Bowl Media Day.

- Dan Gartland