South Florida Committee Faces Battle For 2016 Super Bowl
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Super Bowl 50 may be four years away, but South Florida's Super Bowl Bid Committee is wasting no time going after the big game.
"We have the history of hosting the most Super Bowls. We are the city that's hosted more Super Bowls than any other. We are the state that's hosted more Super Bowls than any other state," said committee member Rodney Barretto.
Barretto understands that doesn't mean football's biggest game will be handed to South Florida.
"We are up against San Francisco for 2016 and a $1.2 billion brand new stadium," Barretto conceded.
"This is like the Mt. Rushmore of the Miami Dolphins right here right," added Tony Segreto, another committee member.
The committee is hoping some Dolphin star power as co-chairs will push them over the edge.
"I think every Super Bowl should be in South Florida. I've been telling people that for years," said former Dolphin quarterback and NFL Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino.
The bid, worth an estimated $300 million in economic impact, is perhaps the most controversial ever.
Bill Talbert of the Miami Visitors Convention Bureau, pointed out a 2016 Super Bowl in Miami could be in competition with the Miami Boat Show, another mega event.
"I'm not against stuff. I'm for stuff," said Talbert.
That means the Miami tourism chief might have to be against one of the events.
"It's about hotel rooms. There is only certain inventory and certain quality of hotel rooms that's important in that bid. And that's really…I'm for all things all the time," said Talbert.
Barreto believes the Magic City can handle both events.
"I believe that this town is big enough to host more than just one big show," Barreto said.
What about a Miami and Fort Lauderdale event?
That's the other issue: the Urban Core Campus. The NFL wants the Super Bowl festivities to be centralized, essentially pitting Miami against Fort Lauderdale.
"It can't be Fort Lauderdale versus Miami. If it becomes that than the NFL takes a walk, and who blames them? When your siblings are fighting, you go in another room, close the door, and let them fight it out. We have no fight: we want that $300 million in South Florida," said Nikki Grossman of Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A decision on who wins this Urban Core competition will be made in March. The NFL owners will decide in May which city will host Super Bowl 50.
