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The Returns Are In: We Were Super

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By TOM McEWEN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 17, 1984

Updated: 11/20/2008 03:38 pm

As a Super Bowl host, the Tampa bay area apparently has won an "A."

That comes from an assesment of reports from the National Football League, fans and the media.

As a financial boon to the area, scattered complaints from the fringe notwithstanding, the results were simply sensational.

Indications are the final report will show $105 million in new money arrived and was spent.

TV says 105 million people saw some of the game. Another 6.5 million saw it in England.

Some $5.5 million was spent on Super Bowl novelties and souvenirs here.

All 400,000 game programs were sold at $5 each. Of those, 48,000 were sold at Tampa Stadium, 90,000 in the Bay area.

A random poll of more than 700 fans at the game who had come from more than three hours away asked if they would return to a future Super Bowl in Tampa- and 92% said "yes." The rest were either "don't know" or "no." That is an overwhelming result. The "no" votes doubtless were Washington Redskins fans questioned after the Los Angeles Raiders' rout of their team.

Volume Services, Tampa Stadium caterer and the Tampa Sports Authority reported a per capita spending at the stadium of $16.47. That bears repeating: $16.47. At Super Bowl XVII in Pasadena, the per capita concession expenditure was $10.83.

Tampa Airport General Manager George Bean said his effective operation experienced no problems whatsoever, no congestion, no delays Super Bowl Day or the Monday after. Moreover, the private plane load was handled with care courtesy and dispatch.

The Hyatt Regency Hotel did more than $100,000 in food and beverages three straight days. Top restaurants reported record income for the weekend, according to representative owners such as Bern Laxer of Bern's Steakhouse, Malio Iavarone of Malio's, Cesar Gonzmart at the Columbia and Alan Selmon at Selena's.

Jim Steeg of the NFL said his office had a total of seven letters of complaint. Seven.

"That's unheard of," he said. "And most of those were from Redskins fans who complained of not being able to buy tickets to the game - before the game. We had not one complaint about personal treatment in the Tampa area. We had many congratulatory letters and messages."

Despite the warnings of organized robbery teams moving into the area, there were a total of seven hotel/motel robberies. Nothing major.

At the stadium on Super Bowl Day, there were 77 arrests. Seventeen of those were for aggravated fence-jumping. Didn't know that was on the books. Most of the others were for scalping tickets. One of the very few unaticipated developments was the arrival of so many ticketless people at the game equipped with lock cutters.

Task Force Chairman J. Leonard Levy spoke to volunteer workers assembled for a Tampa Sports Authority thank you at Tampa Stadium Wednesday night. He read excerpts from some of the letters he has so far received:

NFL Comissioner Pete Rozelle: "You have set a standard for Super Bowl hosts that will be difficult, if not impossible, for all cities in the future.

NFL Executive Director Don Weiss: "The people liked it, the teams liked it, and we liked it."

NFL Public Relations Director Jim Heffernan: "Proving that bigness isn't the secret to success, but dedication and cooperation are."

Pittsburgh Steeler President Dan Rooney: "It was the best civic operation I have seen for any of the games."

Governor Bob Graham: "You generated a positive feeling for the Tampa area and you gave us a desire for an early return of the Super Bowl."

Kay Wright, CBS: "Your task force put on one hell of a show.'

Marilyn Nelson of Minneapolis: "You added a new luster to the city of Tampa. No one can ever take it away. We did love you when we left and we will come back."

Rooney also wrote me saying he was proud to have been chairman of the expansion commitee that tabbed Tampa Bay as the 27th franchise.

So, now what?

Plans already are beiung formulated for a presentation to NFL owners in April.

The 1985 game is scheduled for Stanford Stadium near San Fransisco. The 1986 game has been awarded to New Orleans. Owners hope to award the 1987, '88 and '89 games at their April meeting in Chicago.

Right now 15 cities have filed preliminary bids. That number will be reduced before the formal presentation time. Bank on Pasadena winning the 1987 game.

Tampa Bay, early line is, will have heaviest competition from Houston (Rice Stadium) for 1988.

But, look for it to be returned to Tampa Stadium in either 1988 or 1989. If it were 1989, it would fall on the same date as the last - January 22nd.

This article was originally published in the Tampa Tribune on February 17th, 1984.

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