Tampa, Florida					Monday, September 06, 2010

Sometimes It Is Better To Be Lucky
Thursday, May 26, 2005
TAMPA—The Tampa delegation won the 2009 Super Bowl at the National Football League show-and-tell competition in Washington this week to pull off a major upset, a coup. The odds heavily favored Atlanta and Houston, probably in that order, with Tampa third, out four, Miami third or fourth. Twenty-one votes if the owners assembled would win this prized football weekend celebration. Months had gone into the preparation of bids, after NFL advised four finalist bidders of the minimum requirements. As presentation day approached, Atlanta and Houston were said by many, including the press consensus to be leading—far ahead, even though Houston hosted the most recent bowl and the weather had been cold and lousy the one time Atlanta held it. Also, Miami is already on the rotation. Truth is, Tampa stood out as a fine choice because Raymond James Stadium is virtually without flaw, indeed was built as the NFL suggested it be built, Tampa has a team, the Buccaneers of the growing sports empire of Sir Malcolm Glazer, terrific weather virtually assured, people moving our way in caravans daily, beaches, golf, tennis, all the games rich men play. Tampa also had an owner who has jumped in to support the bid, is building a new Buc training home, and has these sons, Joel and Bryan, who are becoming involved citizens more daily. Both are building homes here. No, Sir Malcolm said he likes his Palm Beach cottage on 250 feet of Atlantic Ocean frontage, except during the hurricane season, which is approaching. Tampa delegation chief, businessman Dick Beard, was in it for the civic interest only. He and Paul Catoe, Tampa’s tourist hunter, Mayor Pam Iorio and County Commission Chief Jim Norman were involved heavily, too, as was an impressive support staff, like the Outback Steakhouse folks. So the time came the other day in Washington. The bids were in the owners hands, along with letters from mutual friends, and the owners were there assembled to do their business, the main public item to eliminate a method of tackling and then tackling the Super Bowl 2009 assignment. Each game pursuer would have 15 minutes to make a case, with their portfolios apparently previously read by the owners. At the last minute, Tampa agreed to pick up an additional cost for tents. An unusual Tampa inclusion was the use of 30 golf clubs—one for each NFL team—to hold a Super Bowl Tournament of it own, as well as a taped pitch of support from Arnold Palmer as well as an autographed putter. I thought it was a nice touch. Some who reported it thought hokey. Never knew Arnold Palmer to be hokey, ever. He lives in nearby Orlando, as do so many bigshot golfers. In Washington then, Houston was to go in for its presentation by Houston owner Rob McNair, a confident man, followed, by	Dolphin owner Wayne Huizenga of Miami, then Arthur Blank (Home Depot) for Atlanta, then Tampa. “We felt we did well,’’ said Beard yesterday. “The Glazers were enthusiastic, all of them, as were Mayor Iorio and Jim Norman. Pam speaks from no notes. Nice touch. Their presence was important, as were their words. When Miami’s fine owner, Wayne Huizenga, came out after his work and before ours, he mentioned if he didn‘t make it, he would support us.’’ Tampa was on the clock. Then came the voting time. It took 21 votes to win outright. No winner and the lowest vote getter would be eliminated. Lordy, Lordy, Houston got the fewest votes and was gone. Miami went next, leaving Tampa and Atlanta, almost as expected. Then came shouts from inside the sanctuary. Tampa was the winner! Tampa had won on the fourth ballot with at least 16 votes. Not Atlanta. Tampa in 2009. Clearly, this was an upset. What happened? An owner friend of mine said this was the why of it: Houston owner McNair and Atlanta owner Blank in the meetings prior to the Super Bowl subject were on opposite sides of a proposition “dealing with revenue sharing. It was heated,’’ the account went. The owners were divided, too, on the issue and some were turned off by the exchanges, and that carried over to the Super Bowl vote.’’ No, the Glazers weren’t involved, one said. So, Houston went out, then Miami, then Atlanta, Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune noted Blank of Atlanta and McNair of Houston were gracious in their loss—or Tampa’s win. So, while all around them were in a huff, it seemed, Tampa kept its cool. Chairman Beard would do that. So would the Glazers. Worked this time, as it has in the past, as charter member Leonard Levy will testify. It was Levy whose first question to the late NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in the Drake Hotel in New York City in May of 1974 after he announced Tampa was being awarded the 27th NFL franchise (that became the Bucs) was: “Sir, when can we apply for a Super Bowl?’’ “Patience and preparation, those are our hallmarks. We can’t do it any other way but that it the way we do. Worked again, thank goodness,’’ said Beard. Dick. “I am just so happy for our town and our committee, and the Glazers. We’ll do the job. Always have. Always will. It’s in our nature. That’s why we are winners in Tampa, a town that is going to be a different, much more vibrant place by 2009.’’ But don’t count on Sir Malcolm Glazer walking the streets of expanded Channelside on Super Bowl Eve. When he moved here, I asked if he was going to move here. He said, “No, I think I’ll still walk up and down Worth Avenue in Palm Beach and let everybody think I am a rabbi.’’ ##
Back to Top