New Orleans Making A Play for 2013 Super Bowl

The next three Super Bowls are set; the 2010 game will be in Miami (we’ll be there, ’68 VW bus permitting). The 2011 edition will be in Dallas (we’ll be there, if I don’t croak from the number of Xanax I take in order to get on a plane). And the 2012 edition will be in Indianpolis (we’ll be there, if someone doesn’t accidentally break my neck when throwing me against a wall). In 2013, the Super Bowl will return to the Superdome -- if a forthcoming proposal from the folks in New Orleans is successful. According to Nakia Hogan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the paperwork will be submitted Friday. “After many months of detailed work, the Sports Foundation, on behalf of the New Orleans Saints, is extremely excited to be turning in our first draft of New Orleans’ bid for the 2013 Super Bowl, " said Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation president and CEO Jay Cicero. “It’s a true team effort, led by the Saints and the Sports Foundation. The city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, the Superdome, the Morial Convention Center and the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau all have been vital to making this happen.” The other candidates are Phoenix and Miami. As Hogan points out, the absence of a long-term lease between the Saints and the Superdome could scuttle the possibility. Another potential glitch is the proximity of the Super Bowl (February 2) to Mardi Gras (February 12). This issue becomes even more problematic if the NFL expands the schedule to 17 or 18 games and continues (as expected) to avoid Labor Day as the first weekend of the regular season. This could push the Super Bowl to February 9 or 16, exacerbating the conflict between Super Sunday and Fat Tuesday. Then again, maybe the NFL can talk to the Vatican about adjusting Lent.