Lately media reported the reason Glendale would not be hosting NFL Super Bowl related events was that the Bidwills, the NFL and the Arizona Host Committee felt Glendale was not fulfilling its obligations with regard to the parking provision or capping Glendale’s hotel room rates. Oh really? It was all smoke and mirrors. Let’s revisit the Cardinals/Arizona Host Committee bid.

Mike Sunnicks had an article about the bid in the Phoenix Business Journal on October 12, 2011, 2 and 1/2 years ago. Here is the link: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/morning_call/2011/10/arizona-super-bowl-to-have-downtown.html  .

The story says in part, “Concentrating more Super Bowl-related events in downtown Phoenix was a key component of the winning presentation put together by the Arizona Cardinals, advertising agency E.B. Lane and the Arizona Host Committee.” It went on to say, “For the 2015 game, the Valley’s bid promoted more downtown Phoenix events. That includes the media center and media hotels.

There could also be a Super Bowl Village fan experience at the Phoenix Convention Center as well as major concerts, public and private parties, and other events hosted at CityScape, downtown hotels and other venues — possibly including theaters, Chase Field and US Airways Center.”

Rutherford, New Jersey can feel Glendale’s pain. That’s where this last Super Bowl was hosted but the media ignored Rutherford and planted themselves in New York City, a far sexier site. Nearly every advertisement and every major NFL related event for the Super Bowl was in New York City. Gosh, New York renamed a street as Super Bowl Boulevard. That is exactly the treatment Glendale got the first time around and will experience this time as well. All major advertisements and the media will tout Phoenix, not Glendale.

At the time of the latest bid clearly Glendale was already being pushed aside by the Bidwills, the NFL, the Arizona Host Committee and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA). That is why when Michael Kennedy (past President of the Host Committee and the Cardinals’ attorney) presented the bid before the Glendale City Council seeking their support he positively sneered at my request that the Host Committee support a bill that would recompense Glendale for its expenses. All of them probably rue the day they decided to build the stadium in Glendale because they sure act that way. It appears to be inconsequential to them if Glendale loses money as the host city. Their view of Glendale is as a minor player and has never been welcome at the “big boys’ table” with any sense of legitimacy.

Why the public vituperation by Michael Bidwill now? It sounds good to accuse Glendale of a lack of cooperation hosting the Super Bowl but that’s just more smoke and mirrors. The real reason is likely that the Bidwills want Glendale to build that darned parking garage…now. Is he using the Super Bowl to put pressure on Glendale? That is for you to decide and many of you may come to the conclusion…yes.  Mr. Bidwill violated the cardinal rule (no pun intended!) about airing dirty linen in public. In so doing, he may very well have damaged the Valley’s chances to host future major events.

© Joyce Clark, 2014

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