L.A. scores Super Bowl LV

Los Angeles stadiumWith the Rams headed back to Los Angeles, Southern Californians are poised to host another Super Bowl — but only the City of Angels made the cut, leaving fretful San Diego out in the cold.

“The game will be played at the soon-to-be built $2.6-billion Inglewood stadium, which is scheduled to open for the 2019 season,” the Los Angeles Times reported

In a joint statement with Inglewood Mayor James Butts, L.A.’s Eric Garcetti praised the deal. “The Los Angeles region is built to host the Super Bowl. We helped forge this great American tradition at the Coliseum when it began in 1967; and we’re thrilled to bring it back where it belongs for Super Bowl LV.”

Sinking San Diego

Until very recently, speculation had swirled that Los Angeles might lose favor to San Diego, where delicate League plans to sustain football in the city could wind up in jeopardy. “San Diego previously has hosted three Super Bowls, the last being Super Bowl XXXVII when the Buccaneers beat the Raiders to cap the 2002 season,” the Sporting News recalled. But with the franchise’s future still uncertain, “the NFL does not want to lose the San Diego market. The league wants to keep the Chargers in San Diego to have two Southern California markets and two future Super Bowls in a region that has a population of some 23 million,” the site added. 

But thorny city politics would have had to be swiftly surmounted. At the NFL owners’ quarterly meeting in Charlotte, ESPN reported, NFL owners heard “a progress report on the stadium issue in San Diego, which will include a summary on whether a citizens’ initiative ballot measure in November will require a simple majority or a two-thirds vote,” as required by California state law. 

That situation was complicated further by a court decision, under appeal, that could change the League’s calculus. The nearly $2 billion stadium the city has planned to build, according to stadium advisor Fred Mass, “remains on target to collect 100,000 signatures by the first week of June, creating a buffer in order to have enough signatures certified,” noted ESPN. Nevertheless, “a recent court decision involving the city of Upland ruled a citizens’ initiative is not a measure by the local government, but by the citizens. And therefore since the tax is imposed by the citizens, that constitutional provision does not apply. The city of Upland is appealing the decision to the state Supreme Court.” 

Rewarding the Rams

Los Angeles, meanwhile, had long anticipated that the League could reward it for luring back the Rams by handing it hosting duties. “Almost from the moment the Rams were given the green light, the wheels were in motion to secure hosting rights to the Super Bowl,” the Los Angeles Daily News observed. “Upon approving the Rams return home, the NFL immediately added Los Angeles to the host ballots for Super Bowl LIV an LV, along with Atlanta, South Florida and Tampa Bay.”

“To put in perspective what a Super Bowl means financially to the hosting city and state, a study completed by the Seidman Research Institute, W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, determined that Super Bowl XLIX and related events two years ago in the Phoenix area produced a gross economic impact of $719.4 million for the entire state. L.A. wants a piece of that pie.”

Although L.A.’s success in landing the big event owed a great deal to the excitement and money surrounding Rams owner Stan Kronke’s huge Inglewood stadium development project, a rule tweak could have ultimately pushed the bid into the end zone. “The NFL appears to have changed a longstanding rule that requires stadiums to operate for two years before hosting a Super Bowl, with L.A.’s bid specifically in mind,” as Curbed Los Angeles reported

5 comments

Write a comment
  1. BobP
    BobP 28 May, 2016, 13:05

    …and 10 years from now the money bags will be crying alligator tears how old and grungy the stadium is and threatening to move if greater LA doesn’t kick in $$$,$$$,$$$.00 to build a new one or 100% renovation.

    Reply this comment
  2. Mike
    Mike 28 May, 2016, 20:44

    I agree with Bobp. ………but how about a new Gambling game…What is the over/under for how many illegitimate kids will be born in LA fathered by NFL players before the LA super bowl? Here is an easy one, how many of these kids will be electrical engineers?

    Reply this comment
  3. Spurwing Plover
    Spurwing Plover 29 May, 2016, 07:16

    So Lost Angleworms will be hosting the Super Bowl and the rams are returning after all these years and its still a place of crime and coruption

    Reply this comment
  4. Mike
    Mike 29 May, 2016, 18:03

    How many of the illegitimate kids can t say ball?. It is prematurely ejaculated as ba….., just like call is ca……. or the dude fa…..(fall). Swopeee.

    Reply this comment
  5. Spurwing Plover
    Spurwing Plover 29 May, 2016, 20:00

    L.A. Rams St Louis Rams,L.A. Rams their just not happy with St Louis and the now Arizona Cardinals

    Reply this comment

Write a Comment

Leave a Reply


Tags assigned to this article:
Eric GarcettiLos AngelesNFLRamsChargers

Related Articles

Initiatives tax state budget

APRIL 13, 2010 By JOHN SEILER Drastic times call for innovative measures. California’s budget problem this year certainly is so

More furloughs, but no budget

JULY 29, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Faced with a $19.1 billion state deficit and no acceptable budget in the works,

Effort underway to require legislators wear emblems of top donors

The movement to emblazon state legislators with the logos of their donors has collected tens of thousands of signatures for its