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Staying put Mayor: 99 percent sure of Super Bowl in New Orleans
Updated: Monday October 01, 2001 10:27 PM
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The mayor of New Orleans said Monday he was "99 percent" sure the Super Bowl would stay in that city based on a new offer the NFL made to an auto dealers' group. David Hyatt, a spokesman for the National Automobile Dealers Association, said the proposal would be considered during a conference call Tuesday with the group's governing board. "I feel this is the first time we've made definite progress toward a solution," he said. Terms were not released, but NADA wanted the NFL to cover its multimillion-dollar expenses and losses of shifting its convention, which was blocking a Feb. 3 Super Bowl. The Super Bowl had been scheduled for New Orleans on Jan. 27, but the NFL wants to delay the playoffs a week because of the week it took off after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington. Mayor Marc Morial said he talked to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue twice Monday and "he indicated they were very close" to a deal. "I'm 99 percent certain that the Super Bowl will stay in New Orleans," Morial said at a news conference. "There are still details that are to be worked out, but my feeling is very good about this situation. "In the past 24 hours, our fortunes have turned 180 degrees in the positive," he said. A switch with the auto dealers involves arrangements with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of delegates, all of whom have reservations and schedules in place. On Sunday, Tagliabue said Giants Stadium in New Jersey was under consideration for the title game as a way to help New York recover from the terrorist attacks. The NFL also was considering Los Angeles, Tampa, Fla., and Miami. Tagliabue also said he was still exploring the possibility of an accelerated playoff system that would keep the Super Bowl in New Orleans on its scheduled date. The shortened playoff format would mean games on the Wednesday following the final Sunday of the season, which is now scheduled for Jan. 6. The NFL also could reduce playoff teams from 12 to eight and play the normal schedule, which would culminate with the Super Bowl on its scheduled date.
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