Roger Goodell calls an L.A. Super Bowl 'very attractive'
In his annual Super Bowl news conference today, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would take a hard look at bringing the Super Bowl back to Los Angeles in 2016 -- the 50th anniversary of the game -- whether or not the city has a team.
The first Super Bowl was held in L.A., at the Coliseum, and 2016 would also mark the 70th anniversary of the 1946 L.A. Rams, the first integrated major professional sports team. L.A. businessmen Casey Wasserman and Tim Leiweke are trying to position L.A. to play host to Super Bowl L and the Pro Bowl that precedes it, either in the Coliseum or Rose Bowl -- or in a new stadium, if one is built by then.
"We think that is a very attractive opportunity," Goodell said of L.A. hosting the games. "We've heard from some of the people in Los Angeles that this would be a great way to celebrate our 50th anniversary, and we will do that, we will evaluate that. It is something that we will probably do sometime over the course of this next year."
The next Super Bowls that have been awarded will go to South Florida next season, Dallas in 2011 and Indianapolis in 2012. Goodell declined to say whether a decision on the 2016 game could be made before the others that will come before it, however.
-- Sam Farmer
Photo: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at a news conference today at the Tampa Convention Center. Credit: Kirby Lee / Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE
