Super Bowl enriches NFL, stiffs host city

[Kali]

http://www.jimhightower.com/node/8546#.VNpkOS7-UcY

Monday, February 9, 2015 | Posted by Jim Hightower

How about that Super Bowl game, huh? And today, I've got the final score for you: The Pats 28, Seahawks 24… and Glendale minus 2,000,000.

Two million dollars that is – the amount that Mayor Jerry Weiers estimates that Glendale, Arizona, lost by having the "honor" of hosting Super Bowl XLIX. Lost? Isn't this sports spectacular a magic money machine? That's what the NFL's super slick billionaire owners say as they hustle their Big Game from city to city, claiming that the lucky host will gain $500 million in added hotel rentals, sales taxes, etc.

Independent analysts, however, show that additional spending in a host city actually is far-less-than-super, ranging from about $200 million to as low as $30 million. Moreover, much of that just replaces revenue from regular tourists – and, in Glendale's case, hordes of fans coming to the game chose to stay, eat, and party in Phoenix, so the money went there. And don't forget to subtract a city's added costs, such as thousands of police overtime hours, security for VIPs, street closings, and extra cleanup crews.

<snip>

So, look out San Francisco, Houston, Minneapolis, and other cities next in line to host Super Bowls. One clue into who really wins in these hyped-up deals is that the NFL didn't even offer a ticket to Mayor Weiers – he had to watch the game at home.

a bit more and other links - http://www.jimhightower.com/node/8546#.VNpkOS7-UcY

[3catwoman3]

1. And do I correctly recall...

...that the NFL pays no taxes?

[former9thward]

4. The teams pay taxes, the NFL itself does not.

[mikeysnot]

2. Breads and Circuses

The NFL is a bad joke, do not watch, do not care. I am a Bears fan, but cannot stand the NFL.

Inflate gate is just the latest reason I do not care or watch.

Glad my city is too cold for a Super Bore game.

[rurallib]

3. used to be a website that chronicled how sports gouged cities

think it was called fieldsofdreams but I can't find it anymore.
Big league sports in this country is like a shakedown operation.

Free stadia, concessions, corporate boxes etc. One threat of moving and a city falls on its knees and begs them to stay.

[former9thward]

5. What did Glendale expect?

Why would anyone spend time there in that boring city? People are going to party in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe in that order. I don't feel sorry that a politician could not extort a ticket and had to watch it like anyone else.

[Mosby]

6. the stadium should not have been built in glendale

And the super bowl demonstrated this, the "city" is way too small and lacks hotel rooms and sufficient downtown space to property host the events surrounding the super bowl. That's why everything was held in downtown phoenix, which is about 20 miles away from the stadium.

The stadium should have been built on that property by the 202 and priest, which is only a couple miles from downtown and right by the new Tempe town lake development which is pretty amazing. I drive by there a couple times a month and the extent of development is really something, new hotels and office space are still going up. Scottsdale is right up the road.

[former9thward]

7. I live a few blocks from Arizona State.

And I agree with you. I really don't know the financial details of what Glendale offered the team. Must have been something.