Ranking the top 10 best host cities for the big game

	The futuristic Cardinals Stadium will host Super Bowl XLII next February. John W. McDonough/SI
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If the NFL did away with all its committees and just let me choose the future Super Bowl sites, here's how I'd rank the potential host cities:

10. Nashville and Seattle (tie): Sure, it can get cold in either of these musically inclined cities, but these are two untapped gems I'd like to see injected into the Super Bowl mix, if only to see halftime shows by Dolly Parton and Pearl Jam.

9. Houston: A good stadium with a retractable roof -- and some of the greatest Mexican food north of the border -- makes Space City a groovy host.

8. Dallas: Jerry Jones' new stadium promises to be palatial, and the Cowboys' showman of an owner will pull out all the stops on the party scene (when Mavs owner Mark Cuban isn't).

7. San Diego: Yeah, the stadium's substandard, but you can still buy fish tacos there, and exactly no one (well, Barrett Robbins might be an exception) complains about spending a week in America's Finest City.

6. Phoenix: The first time they staged a Super Bowl in the desert, in January 1996, the stadium sucked and the bars shut down at 1 a.m. Both problems have since been rectified, as we'll all happily discover come February.

5. New York: Start spreading the news? Most definitely. Roger Goodell is open to creative concepts, like playing a Super Bowl in a cold-weather city.

4. Miami: After too long of a break, Miami stepped up to host last February and reminded everyone why it should be a regular part of the rotation. South Beach, supermodels, sunshine, sushi ... don't get us started.

3. Rome: Commissioner Goodell is floating the idea of playing the game on foreign soil, and we challenge you to find a city on God's great earth greater than the home of the real Colosseum. Please let this happen in my lifetime.

2. Los Angeles: While we wait for the NFL (finally!) to finagle a franchise into the nation's entertainment capital and second-largest media market, what do you say we get all the owners to pitch in and build the perfect stadium as a preamble? As those who have attended previous Super Bowls here know, an L.A. NFL title clash is always A-list.

1. New Orleans: This is more than helping a reeling region regain its big-event mojo; it's about restoring the nation's biggest sporting spectacle to its rightful home, the glorious city where music, nightlife, logistical convenience and unparalleled food so blessedly collide.