Super snafus could bolster Tampa's bid

The near-disaster that was Super Bowl XLV in Dallas last weekend may bode well for the Gulf Coast's next opportunity to host the big game.

As if heavy snow sliding off the stadium's covered roof and the shutout of 1,200 fans after a fire marshal declared their temporary seating section unsafe weren't enough, there were also fumbled words to the national anthem and a live musical performance at halftime that might have been better prerecorded because of sound problems.

Tampa's Raymond James Stadium isn't a failsafe venue, but at least we can boast our Super Bowl two years ago went far better than that.

Now the Tampa Bay area is hoping for another chance to bid for the Super Bowl again in 2015, touting prior experience with four such games and a far lower chance of inclement weather. RayJay stadium doesn't have a retractable roof, but this is Florida we're talking about.

Local sports and tourism officials are too polite to come right out and say the freezing temperatures in Dallas bolster our argument to bring back the game, but they likely couldn't help but smile at the fact that temperatures here on Super Bowl Sunday reached the high 60s.

However, they also point out that the National Football League has to extend a formal invitation to Tampa Bay to bid for what would be Super Bowl XLIX (we looked it up). Even though such an invite is anticipated for 2015, other warm-weather sites could be up for consideration.

“We're going to stick with the things that are our strengths,” says Steve Hayes, executive vice president of Tampa Bay & Co., the area's tourism bureau. He tells Coffee Talk this includes various outdoor amenities such as beaches and golf courses, along with the proximity of the stadium to the airport and downtown.

Interestingly, Tampa Bay lost its bid last spring for the 2014 Super Bowl to New York/New Jersey — an even chillier place to be in early February. Various national sports writers have already voiced support to bring the game back here, but the NFL will decide once it works out a new labor agreement with its players.