The measure of the magnitude the Super Bowl has become as a cultural event is that the hype for the game is matched by the hype for the commercials that will air during the game.

For some the anticipation of the ads tops that for the game. Viewers who normally reach for he mute button during commercials view the Super Bowl ads as a big part of the show.

In the social media age, it isn’t even necessary to wait for them. Many that will make their television debut Sunday during Super Bowl XLVI have been playing for weeks on YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere on the Web.

(See lineup of this year’s ads after the jump.)

Continue reading "Super Bowl ads have become an early show via social media" »

Broward County was a focal point for the most recent Super Bowl in South Florida, in 2010. It could be a fringe player in the next bid to bring it back.

The Dolphins will join with the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee in the 50th anniversary championship game in 2016. Mike Dee, CEO of the Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, said this week that it has yet to be determined if the bid will be a regional effort, as in 2010, or a Miami-Dade initiative.

“That doesn’t mean Broward and Palm Beach counties don’t benefit from people who are coming here for the game. But in terms of NFL-sanctioned events and functions and where teams stay and where the epicenter of the event is, should that be Miami-Dade or should it be as it was in 2010. We’ve got to figure that out,” Dee said.

Significant upgrades are needed to keep Sun Life Stadium a viable Super Bowl site. Dee pointed out that Broward's opposition scuttled the Dolphins' latest bid for tourism funds for stadium improvements despite the economic benefit the county received in the last Super Bowl.

Continue reading "Super Bowl future uncertain for South Florida; so is Broward's role" »

With the 2015 Super Bowl awarded to Arizona, the intrigue shifts to who gets the big prize, the 50th anniversary game.

The Dolphins would like to have it at Sun Life Stadium to coincide with their 50th season. Despite being shunned in recent bids, South Florida can’t be ruled out.

Continue reading "50th Super Bowl up for grabs in 2016: South Florida has hope but obstacles to overcome" »

Although he wouldn’t talk about his team’s front office or rath of injuries, Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross was pretty chatty about a variety of topics Tuesday, when he was the featured interview speaker at the SportsBusiness Journal’s Sports Media & Technology conference in New York.

He was invited to speak about his ownership of the team and of FanVision, the company that makes the handheld devices fans use at NFL games to watch replays, other games and get stats. Representatives of FanVision including former Kansas City Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson joined Ross at the conference. Ross stressed that Peterson does not have a role with the Dolphins.

He said FanVision will be available on smartphones next season.

He said he still believe his team will make the playoffs and he dismissed concerns about injuries rising if the NFL moves to an 18-game season.

Other topics he addressed:

Labor: On whether the NFL and its players association will be able to reach a new contract, Ross was optimistic.

Continue reading "Dolphins owner talks NFL expansion, labor and the Super Bowl" »

The release of financial documents showing the Florida Marlins were profitable in 2008 and 2009 couldn’t have come at worse time for … the Miami Dolphins.

That’s right, the Dolphins. As the Dolphins continue their behind-the-scenes planning to ask the public to help pay for renovations to Sun Life Stadium to keep it competitive to host future Super Bowls, the baseball team’s finances can’t have helped the football team’s cause.

The Marlins’ financial records, obtained by Deadspin.com, show the team had net operating income – before factoring in taxes, interest, amortization and other items – of nearly $50 million combined during the two years covered. With much of the fallout from the documents' release focusing on the team's ballpark deal, politicians are wary.

Miami-Dade County Commissioners, who opposed putting $347 million mainly in tourist taxes into the ballpark deal, say the county should have pushed harder to see the team’s financial records during negotiations. Even one of the team’s staunchest supporters, County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, asked County Mayor Carlos Alvarez to study whether the team could be required to pay more – and the county less – for the ballpark.

Alvarez says the county doesn’t see a need to reopen the ballpark contract – he says county negotiators were aware the team was profitable, which gave them comfort the team could meet its debt obligations to the ballpark’s construction costs. And besides, the team wouldn’t allow it. The county, team and city of Miami would have to agree to reopen talks.

But the raw feelings and distrust of the team are palpable.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, were already going to be fighting an uphill battle to convince politicians to support contributing to stadium renovations that could include a partial roof covering over the stands and seats closer to the field. Now how likely are pols going to be to chip in taxpayer dollars?

It remains to be seen what the Dolphins' pitch looks like. The public already knows Dolphins owner Steve Ross paid $1.1 billion for the franchise and stadium and it now knows he plans to privately finance a water park south of the stadium as a way to generate revenue after the Marlins leave for their new ballpark in 2012.

Dolphins officials say the water park plans are unrelated to stadium plans. Dolphins CEO Mike Dee has said Ross cannot foot the bill for stadium renovations himself. He said under NFL rules, the team can’t take on any more debt, which again raises the question of how stadium renovations will be financed.

“We have challenges with the current structure the NFL provides for franchises,” Dee said last month. “We’re maxed out at our debt capacity. We can’t take on any more debt. We have $235 million on our books from the last expansion. We’ve invested another $50 million in the facility in the last 18 months. We have the maximum amount of team debt allowed by the NFL … Our hands are somewhat tied with respect to the stadium and more investment by the team into the stadium.”

Under league rules, NFL teams can borrow up to $150 million.

“To borrow more, the club would need a special waiver approved by the other teams, which generally has only been granted to a team in connection with the construction or renovation of a stadium,” an NFL spokesman said.

Stay tuned…

+ Perhaps it’s not enough these days to live like a “king” in a Miami hotel. Kimpton’s EPIC Hotel is getting in on the excitement of new-look Miami Heat, offering “king-sized savings” as well as “king-sized accommodations” to season ticket holders. Season ticket holders, who book through heat.com can take advantage of the savings during the 2010-11 season, and receive a free appetizer at the hotel’s Area 31 restaurant, and a complimentary upgrade when available with proof of season ticket holder status. EPIC, at 270 Biscayne Blvd., and not far from AmericanAirlines Arena, has 13 rooms featuring extra-long beds for its especially tall visitors. I’m told that even those season ticket holders who live nearby might want to take advantage of the offer. And if you’re not a season ticket holder, you can also book through the Heat’s website for 20 percent off the best available rate.

+ More on the business of the Three Kings: A little late, but here’s a link to a radio interview I did on the business of the new-look Heat with Greg Linnelli at Fox Sports Radio WBGG-970-AM in Pittsburgh. The interview starts after the commercials.

+ As Dallas gears up for the 2011 Super Bowl next year, two South Florida businesses that got contracts from the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee are being recognized in Texas for being part of the Super Bowl’s Emerging Business program, which gives a boost to local small, minority- and women-owned businesses: Coral Springs printing company TypeStyles Inc., and McCray’s II Backyard BBQ in West Palm Beach. Read more here.

+ Love this ode to junk food from Sunday’s New York Times, with stadium staple Cracker Jack being first on the list. I’m not sure the Big Gulp qualifies, but in my book, a Slurpee definitely does.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter: @sarahtalalay

The news from last week's release of the economic impact from this year’s Super Bowl and Pro Bowl was that the Miami Dolphins plan to continue pursuing public dollars for renovations to Sun Life Stadium to keep it competitive to host future Super Bowls.

Even though the economic impact study by West Palm Beach-based Sport Management Research Institute showed the two games this year generated less for local businesses than the 2007 Super Bowl alone, Super Bowl Host Committee and Dolphins officials still said they were pleased and will use the figures to help bolster their argument for public support.

According to the SMRI study, the two games this year pumped a total $333 million into South Florida businesses. The 2007 Super Bowl, held when the economy was healthy, brought local businesses $463 million, SMRI’s study of the 2007 game showed. Differences were blamed on the economy and that the Indianapolis Colts were the AFC team in both the 2007 and 2010 games, meaning the novelty had worn off.

That figure was also markedly less than the $396 million SMRI said the 1999 Super Bowl generated for the region.

SMRI studies show direct spending by Super Bowl visitors was $141.5 million this year; $279 million in 2007 and $239 million in 1999. Direct spending is what visitors actually spend in hotels and restaurants and on other goods and services. The larger figures include indirect spending – the dollars spent for businesses to prepare for the game – and induced spending or the re-circulation of dollars made from the Super Bowl back into the economy.

This year’s Super Bowl drew 109,059 visitors – down from the 112,403 in 2007. They spent less -- $401.44 per day down from $668.60 a day in 2007, according to the study. They also stayed a shorter time -- 3.12 nights this year, compared with 5.11 in 2007 – which also reflects that some New Orleans Saints fans drove -- rather than flew -- to the game. The visitors reported an average annual income of $220,323 down slightly from the $222,318 reported in 2007, but significantly higher than typical non-Super Bowl visitors, who average salaries of $46,000 to $80,000. Room rates fell this year, but hotel occupancy rates rose.

“It’s a sign of the times,” said Kathleen Davis, SMRI president. “We didn’t do anything different from the last time we did this. The story is the consumer sentiment is not where it was.”

Davis said she thinks the study shows South Florida was a successful host for the Pro Bowl, since that generated a total of $99.3 million, including $59.9 million in direct spending.

The SMRI study also bears out that Broward County serving for the first time as host location for the NFL headquarters and Super Bowl media center, meant a greater economic impact than for Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Broward realized direct spending of $57.6 million compared with $39.6 million in Miami-Dade and $12.2 million in Palm Beach, the report shows.

Critics routinely say Super Bowls generate far less than impact studies report because they don’t take into consideration many of the dollars don’t stay in the community, but instead go the corporate headquarters of local hotels, and fail to consider that Super Bowl visitors displace tourists who would otherwise come to destinations like South Florida.

But South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee and Dolphins officials said the fact that this year’s figures for two games are considerably smaller than for one game in 2007 should prove the numbers are genuine

“This came at a really good time,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said of the two games. “The fact it was less, for those who think those numbers are fuzzy, these numbers are real.”

Dick Anderson, the former Dolphin who chaired a panel studying whether the region should host future Super Bowls, said the numbers should show the event is valuable to South Florida.

His panel's study shows stadium improvements are “absolutely necessary for future Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, and other large scale events that differentiate the South Florida region from other regions throughout the country." The report goes on to say: "Each year that improvements are not made makes them more urgent and more expensive in the years to come as the community competes for future Super Bowls…Engaging the public in a meaningful dialogue to demonstrate the economic and ancillary benefits to our community is important in this effort.”

In January, the Dolphins unveiled renderings of potential renovations that include a canopy-style roof covering seats, but leaving the field open to the elements, replacing the lower bowl and moving seats closer to the field. The work is expected to cost $187 million.

Team officials are working on plans to finance the improvements and expect to unveil them later this year. Among the arguments for public financing are expected to be that the Sun Life Stadium has received no public dollars for football. A recent $300 million upgrade was paid for by the team.

Anderson’s panel’s research shows that since 1995, 25 NFL stadiums have either been built or renovated – not including the New York Giants and Jets New Meadowland Stadium, which opens this year – to the tune of $8.8 billion. The public portion of those dollars varies from team to team, but averages 63 percent of the total. Sun Life Stadium is the only one that has not received public dollars for football.

Expect to see those figures repeated.

Beyond the millions of dollars organizers and tourism officials say the Super Bowl bring a community, the NFL promises a legacy, too.

The NFL’s Youth Education Town (YET) centers are one of the NFL’s major Super Bowl legacy initiatives. YET centers are designed to provide academic and recreational programs for area youth. South Florida, which has hosted a record 10 Super Bowls, has two – one at Gwen Cherry Park in Miami and one at the Lester H. White Unit of the Boys and Girls Club in southwest Fort Lauderdale.

Rather than build new YET centers each time the league’s championship game comes to town, the NFL has been adding to the existing ones.

On Wednesday, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline along with team and Miami-Dade County officials and kids who attend the center broke ground on a 5,000-square foot annex to the center in Gwen Cherry Park. (See photo by Kelly Gavin, Miami Dolphins)

The annex will include two classrooms, media rooms, and offices. The project’s $1 million cost is being covered by grants from the NFL and county’s Safe Neighborhood Parks interest fund.

South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto’s glib pronouncement last month that he wasn’t surprised the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey was awarded the 2014 Super Bowl didn’t go unnoticed, but committee members are trying to move on.

“I was not surprised,” Barreto told reporters at the time. “I think the fix was in for New York.”

Barreto was called out by members of his own committee and even caught the attention of some media, including ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio, who wondered how NFL owners will feel the next time South Florida bids for the game.

“The NFL gets uncomfortable when terms like that are bandied about, even if it’s true. The fix can be in. They can do whatever they want to do,” Florio told Joe Rose on WQAM (560-AM) last month. “If 17 owners were bound and determined to give this thing to New York, it doesn’t matter what Miami does, and sometimes you’ve got to be discreet about that and depending upon when Miami makes another bid, they’re going to have to do some serious tapdancing to get past those comments that were made.”

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki Grossman called Barreto’s words “inappropriate” and said she was “embarrassed” by them.

Barreto, who calls himself a "blunt guy," said it might have been “a poor choice of words,” but otherwise stood by what he’d said. He said he thought a preference for the New Jersey bid was shown when NFL owners waived the daily temperature requirements so the New York Giants and Jets could bid. Barreto said he spoke with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the vote and congratulated the Giants on the winning bid.

On Monday, when the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee held its final meeting, Dolphins CEO Mike Dee tried to put the comments to rest, saying executive committee members had differing views on the 2014 bid.

“You obviously heard Rodney’s the 'fix was in' comment that was splashed all over the newspapers,” Dee told the group. “I respect that point of view.”

Grossman, however, said she wanted to make clear South Florida’s bid was genuine.

“When South Florida gets [the Super Bowl], it isn’t because the fix was in and when we don’t get it, that doesn’t mean the fix was in,” Grossman said. “It was a tough sledding … We had a decent shot at it. I hope we didn’t just go through the motions.”

Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross’ habit of investing in distressed and complicated properties continues.

Ross’ Related Cos., is working on how to salvage the massive stalled Xanadu retail and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Last month during the annual International Council of Shopping Centers in Las Vegas, Related invited potential tenants to view renderings and videos of and talk about taking up residence in the $2 billion, 2.3 million-square-foot complex.

The Mills Corp. planned the complex to contain 200 retail tenants and attractions, including movie theaters and an indoor snow park, but the project ground to a halt after payments were missed and funding ran out.

Related began negotiating earlier this year to become a partner in the project. Already Related has planned a big move – changing the complex’s name from Xanadu to Meadowlands.

Related developed the Time Warner Center residential and retail complex in Columbus Circle in Manhattan and has the development rights to Hudson Yards on that city's west side.

Ross, CEO of Related, hasn’t said much publicly about his involvement in the Meadowlands project, but confirmed his company is seriously investigating how to make it successful.

“We’re right now working on the feasibility and trying to put it all together to make sure it works,” Ross told me. “But we have a deal to really be the developer of Xanadu and now it’s a question of how we put it together and get it financed.”

If his company can pull it off, the complex could open well before the neighboring New Meadowlands Stadium hosts the Super Bowl in 2014. Ross' Sun Life Stadium was an unsuccessful bidder for that game, but Ross could still benefit from the NFL's first outdoor, cold-weather Super Bowl. A completed formerly-named Xanadu could see a windfall with so many visitors in the area for the NFL’s championship game.

Two giant puddles covered much of the practice field at Miami Beach Senior High School Saturday morning, underscoring the need for refurbishments that are coming thanks to $164,000 in donations from the Dolphins and team owner Steve Ross.

Ross took the official ground-breaking for the field, which was officially named Ross Field, as an opportunity to put his team on notice that he’s expecting a big year in 2010.

“I think in February we’ll be playing in the Super Bowl,” Ross said.

When it was suggested he might be putting pressure on head coach Tony Sparano, Ross said, “Put it this way, he thinks that, too. So does every player on that team. I don’t think there’s any pressure on it, we’ve just got to go out and do it.”

He also told the crowd at the field ground-breaking that he hopes Chad Henne “goes down as the greatest quarterback in Miami Dolphins history.”

With training camp still ahead before the 2010 season’s start, the Dolphins tried to focus on FinsWeekend – three days of golf, fishing, and awards dinners that benefit the Dolphins Foundation.

Ross, a 1958 graduate of Miami Beach High who played tackle for the school at Flamingo Park, said after he purchased the Dolphins, he received a letter from Miami Beach High Principal Rosann Sidener asking if he’d help with the field. The request perfectly matched Ross’ desire for the Dolphins to be more involved in the community. He donated $82,000, which was matched by the Dolphins.

“It was really a no brainer, I had just bought the team, got this letter, knowing we want to participate in the community and be very active,” Ross said. “Coming from your high school, is something I couldn’t say no to as being the first one. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of letters from almost every high school and I’m sure we’ll do our share. We want to keep active in South Florida.”

The field refurbishment is to be completed in September.

“I look at the field now and say 'hey it really does need a little bit of rehabilitation.' But I also remember when I was playing football, down in Flamingo Park, and I couldn’t wait for those days to have the field flooded so we didn’t have to practice,” Ross said with a chuckle.

Ross was joined by Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower, team executives and players, including Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano and his wife Jeanette; quarterback Chad Henne, running back Tristan Davis, safety Nate Ness, fullback Rolly Lumbala, defensive back Ross Weaver and cornerback Nolan Carroll; and Dolphins alumni, Nat Moore and Dick Anderson.

“It’s pretty exciting," said Ross, who was given a red and white Beach High jersey. "It’s something I never would have anticipated in my life."

Ross wore No. 71 at Beach High, when the uniforms were black and gold, not red and white. No matter, his heart is still with his high school, but he cautioned that the field naming had nothing to do with his success at the school.

“They didn’t name the field after me for my athletic feats or my scholastic feats,” he said.

Ross was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame last year. The University of Michigan's Business School was renamed for Ross in 2004, after he made a $100 million donation to the school.

It took four ballots, but New York/New Jersey prevailed. The New Meadowlands Stadium is to host the first ever northern cold weather Super Bowl in February 2014.

NFL owners eliminated South Florida on the second ballot leaving New York/New Jersey and Tampa to fight out on the last two ballots. With no region receiving 75 percent on each of the first three votes, New York/New Jersey won with a simple majority on the fourth ballot.

In another plug for my stories on going behind the scenes in a variety of sports jobs, here are some details that didn't make the package:

Pit crew: Hours spent at the track go by in a flash – there’s so much work to be done. Constant work on the cars, meeting race fans, signing autographs, cleaning the trailers, and, of course, keeping the frigs stocked with water and Gatorade and snack trays filled with chips, granola bars, fruit. Seconds really do make a difference - as I learned the hard way. Everyone has a job. The time between pit stops gets filled with snacking and watching the race on pit box monitors. As the “deadman” you really are thatclose to the gas – you’re standing under a 55-gallon drum suspended on a metal scissor stand. I just didn’t think about my proximity to the gas.

Grounds crew: What this very busy crew at Sun Life Stadium does can’t be overstated. These people work hard to create a pitch perfect field for both baseball and football. As one of only two professional stadiums left in the country that host both football and baseball on natural grass, these people are busy. The grass gets mowed every day. There are the summer rains. The endzone and center logo replacements between Dolphins and University of Miami games. Lowering and raising the pitcher’s mound when football and baseball overlap. And the difference between football and baseball is stark, head groundskeeper Alan Sigwardt explains: football is all about the grass and how it holds up against the different players – the 350-pound lineman versus the speedy receivers. Meanwhile, baseball is about the dirt – with only three players doing their job on the grass, the vast majority of the work is done on the infield dirt. “It’s two totally different sciences,” Sigwardt says. Watch video of my turn at the job below.

Zamboni driving: Top speed is 9 mph, but you’re typically driving slower than that. In a giant contraption with a sensitive turning radius. The red line at BankAtlantic Center is dotted with prints of Panthers paws – which you can see when you’re on the ice, but they’re difficult to make out otherwise. Driving the Zamboni satisfies both sides of head ice technician Graham Caplinger’s brain. He’s a perfectionist, fascinated by the science and math of the job. But he’s also a musician – a drummer – so he has learned to let go. He knows he creates a perfect sheet of ice only to see the players mess it up with their skates. “Everything’s as best as I know how to do it, I’ve checked and checked and rechecked and checked and checked, then it’s up to the players, the artists, if you will, to go out carve up their masterpiece,” Caplinger says. He also says the iPod is the greatest invention – it helps him pass the time spent on the slow-moving Zamboni.

Mascots: It takes a special person to be a mascot. There’s a mascot creed and rules. Never reveal your identity. No talking. Don’t seek permission – ask forgiveness later. Have fun. Grown-ups become big kids as soon as they see a mascot – they cheer, they yell, they pose for photos, they high five, they act silly. And the mascot loves it – he, too, acts silly with no – or few - consequences. “It’s like Batman Superman status. Nobody knows who you are. They think they’re laughing at me, but I’m actually laughing at them. I’m getting them out of their character,” Burnie the Heat mascot says.
 

The New York-area has been the favorite to land the 2014 Super Bowl for weeks now - and that effort gotten even stronger today when New York Giants and Jets representatives signed off on their bid and held a press conference embracing the prospect of cold wintry weather, rather than worrying about it.

It was cold enough today too – overcast and in the mid-40s – when the press conference that featured Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez kicked off.

The teams made their bid public – and details included the possibility of the commissioner’s party being held at the American Museum of Natural History and a Super Bowl float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

South Florida and Tampa are also bidding for the game, but their bids have clearly taken a backseat to New York/New Jersey. South Florida isn’t conceding defeat, but without the promise of renovations at Sun Life Stadium, locals knew their bid could be in jeopardy. The Dolphins put the potential renovations on hold, rather than rush to try to gain public funding for the improvements in the still slow economy.

It’s unclear when a push for renovations will resurface. In the meantime, South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee officials are scheduled to make the trip to Dallas for the May 25 vote of NFL owners on the 2014 game site.

“I take the position, you’ve still got to be in it to win it,” South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto said. “We could still win by default. Remember, you’re invited to bid.”

Barreto reminded that South Florida was awarded the 2010 Super Bowl – even before it had hosted the 2007 game -- after the game was initially promised to New York contingent on the New York Jets receiving government approvals to build a stadium on Manhattan’s West Side. When state funding didn’t come through, the NFL put that game back up for bid.

South Florida’s preliminary bid to host the 2014 Super Bowl was sent in a few days before today’s deadline, South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto told me today.

The region may have hosted a record 10th Super Bowl on Feb. 7, but it has really big and formidable competition this time. The new New York Giants' and Jets' Meadowlands Stadium opening in New Jersey this month is considered the favorite to host the 2014 game, despite the potential for frigid and snowy weather. The owners waived the requirements of an average 50-degree temperature or domed stadium to allow the region to bid. Tampa is also bidding.

“New York is an exciting city, very dynamic, the NFL is based there, I know [Mayor Michael] Bloomberg is working very hard with others to secure it,” Barreto said. “I think it would be an incredible game, like a how do you call it? One-fer. Like in Jacksonville. If we can do it in Jacksonville, we can do it in New York.”

Jacksonville beat out South Florida for the 2005 game in a vote by the owners in 2000.

But Barreto still believes South Florida has a shot and says it doesn’t make sense not to bid. He reminded the 2010 game came South Florida’s way after it was initially promised to New York contingent on the New York Jets receiving government approvals to build a stadium on Manhattan’s West Side. When state funding didn’t come through, the NFL put the game back up for bid to the three runners-up, including South Florida, passed over for the 2009 game, which was held in Tampa.

“From our perspective, you never not bid or walk away,” he said. “Let’s be in it to win it. The beautiful thing is you can win the consolation prize. You’ve got to participate. Do we win them all? No. There’s more newer stadiums to compete with.”

As of May 1, Barreto said the bidders will go to New York to go over their proposals with league officials. The owners will vote at their meeting May 24-26 in Dallas.

The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee decided this week to drop its bid to host the 2014 Super Bowl, leaving the New York-area, South Florida and Tampa in the running.

Arizona’s decision to bow out has speculation rising that the new Meadowlands Stadium opening in New Jersey this year now has a lock on the 2014 game. NFL owners, after all, agreed to waive the temperature requirements for the game – a 50-degree average daily temperature or a domed climate-controlled venue – so the New York Jets and Giants could submit a joint bid to host the game.

Even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sounded bullish on the idea of an outdoor game in New York during his session with reporters during Super Bowl week earlier this month.

“I think there are real benefits to the league considering this as an option. I think the idea of playing in the elements is central to the way the game of football is played. I think being able to do that and celebrate the game of football in the number one market could have tremendous benefits to the league going forward,” Goodell said. “I think you will see that – I think our two co-chairmen are here, Woody Johnson and Jon Tisch – they will put together a very aggressive bid, one that will demonstrate the value of playing in New York and they will be competing against some great cities also. It will be an interesting vote, but I will stand on the sidelines and watch.”

Of course, a snowstorm wasn’t pounding the region then as it was Friday, when I asked South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee officials about Arizona dropping out and New York’s bid. South Florida hosted its record 10th Super Bowl on Feb. 7.

“They’ve got a real snowstorm going through New York right now. Planes can’t get in and out. It’s a great place for a Super Bowl,” said South Florida host committee member and former Miami Dolphin Dick Anderson, who is chairing a committee examining potential renovations for Sun Life Stadium to make it competitive for future Super Bowls. “In all seriousness, when you eliminate one competitor, there’s three instead of four. We still believe this is the best place to hold a Super Bowl.”

Anderson’s committee – a subcommittee of the host committee – is studying whether it makes sense for South Florida to continue hosting Super Bowls and if so, how to fund renovations that could include a partial roof over the seating stadium’s areas and replacing and reconfiguring the stadium so seats are closer to the field. Goodell has told South Florida officials the stadium needs to be kept state-of-the art to compete with newer, glitzier stadiums, such as Dallas' Cowboys Stadium, which is hosting next year’s Super Bowl.

“I think a cold weather stadium that has a dome would certainly have a much better chance than an open air stadium,” South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto said. “However, I don’t have a vote.”

NFL owners vote on the 2014 Super Bowl host site at their meeting in May.

Two American flags that flew over Super Bowl XLIV at Sun Life Stadium are being auctioned with proceeds going to the Miami Dolphins Foundation and Flags4Vets, an organization that raises money to buy flags to put on veterans' graves.

Current bid: $700. Auction ends on Feb. 22. The flags come with a certificate of authenticity signed by …. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. One has to assume he’s authenticating that the flags flew over the Super Bowl, not that they’re legitimate American flags. Find the auction here.

+ Super Bowl XLIV wasn’t just a huge event for TV, it – along with the Pro Bowl – helped Sun Life Financial score from its brand new naming rights deal with the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium, according to Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure. The Michigan firm says the two games helped the Toronto-based financial services and insurance company, which signed the naming rights deal Jan. 20, realize more than $27 million in exposure in TV broadcasts and media coverage. CBS’ telecast of the Super Bowl was responsible for 36 percent of Sun Life’s exposure with ESPN’s Pro Bowl broadcast adding another 5 percent. Combined, Joyce Julius reported, the Sun Life logo got 17 minutes and three seconds of airtime and was mentioned 25 times. The company measured the exposure against what advertising during the broadcasts would cost and added in exposure from other media coverage.

+ Saints QB and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees already went to Disney World for the post-championship ad and was part of the parade in New Orleans last night that some estimates say attracted as many as 800,000 people. His marketability should skyrocket, experts say. In his Super Bowl XLIV Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report, Bob Dorfman of Baker Street Advertising, wrote before Sunday’s game that Brees “has the most marketing potential of any Super Bowl XLIV player, and a win in Miami could vault him into the upper echelon of athlete endorsers.” Dorfman placed only Colts QB Peyton Manning higher on his endorsement list, but said this about Brees: “articulate, comfortable on camera, a genuinely nice guy, better looking than Peyton, and his cheek birthmark adds a distinctive touch.” Brees, the father of a toddler, is already starring in an online ad for Pampers, so Dorfman believes he’s a good bet for Gerber or Fisher-Price. He’s also in the running for the cover of Madden NFL 11. Since Brees is already known as "Breesus" around NOLA, Dorfman suggests “a Bank of America ad headline ‘Breesus Saves.’”

+ The Super Saturday Night concert on Fort Lauderdale Beach was so successful that some wonder whether the city’s lifting of its ban on open containers just for the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl should be extended. Watch my colleague Brittany Wallman’s video montage from the concert here.

Sure, there are plenty of people ignoring the Super Bowl today – taking advantage of empty malls and entertainment attractions that have nothing to do with football.

But conservative political activist Mark Dice thinks we should be reading a book on history or politics instead of partaking in Super Bowl Sunday excess. The spokesman for The Resistance, which bills itself as “a conservative political and media watchdog and activist organization focused on preserving family values and upholding the Constitution of the United States,” says this country’s obsession with football is “partially to blame for the decline of country.”

“Most Americans know more about football than they do about the Constitution or their political leaders,” Dice said in a statement. “People yell and scream at the TV when their team messes up, but they aren’t even aware when politicians pass legislation that will cause higher taxes, deeper government debt, or violate the Constitution.”

OK, so the group's release is one of a myriad that went flying around this past week - some more questionable than others. There were the atheists asking to pay hourly for a chance to name Sun Life Stadium during the game, a pet insurance company picking the Super Bowl winner based on pets’ names reflecting Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, and the state of Louisiana comparing its economic success with the on-field success of the Saints. But if The Resistance skips the Super Bowl, it will also miss the controversial Tim Tebow-Focus on the Family ad.

This evening, four gentlemen will take their seats at Sun Life Stadium for their 44th Super Bowl.

Yes, 44th.

Don Crisman, sporting a blue shirt with the inscription “Never Miss a Super Bowl Club, 44th Anniversary,” was snapping photos at the Super Bowl Media Center this week. He explained how they all found each other.

Crisman, 73, of Kennebunk, Me., started making the journey with friend Stanley Whitaker, who’s now 84 and dropped out two years ago for health reasons. It was at Super Bowl XII or XIII, they discovered they weren’t the only ones. Tom Henschel’s been with them since XIV. The baby of the group at age 68, Henschel splits his time between Pittsburgh and Tampa.

By Super Bowl XXXIII – in South Florida – the NFL included their stories in the game program and that’s how they discovered Larry Jacobson of San Francisco, who’s now 70. Oh, and now the NFL reserves tickets for them so they don’t have to search for them. They do still have to pay.

At Super Bowl XXXVI, they found Bob Cook of Wisconsin, who is 79.

“It was 36 or 37,” Crisman says. They now visit each other’s homes and attend regular season NFL games together. Crisman, for example, has gone to a Patriots-49ers game in San Francisco with Jacobson.

They have other streaks, too. Crisman attended 25 Daytona 500s in a row. Jacobson’s been to about a dozen summer Olympics games, Crisman said.

They each have responsibilities for the Super Bowl trip – one books hotels, another arranges a luncheon for the group. They typically back different teams in the Super Bowl, but this year, they’re all rooting for the Saints, Crisman said. “What the area went through, those people deserve some good in their lives.”

As for future trips, Crisman said: “I’m hoping to make it to 50, then I’ll be 80 and it’s OK to stop.”

Recent visitors to South Florida arriving at Miami International Airport have been greeted by larger than life posters featuring NFL Players sharing tidbits about their lives off the field.

The banners, which cover the columns at baggage claim include Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen sharing this wisdom: “The mullet isn’t just a hairdo, it’s a lifestyle.” And New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper saying “I’m a jokester. I like to keep people laughing.”

The idea is to show players out of uniform, living every day lives. The banners, which went up on Jan. 15 in time for last Sunday's Pro Bowl and this Sunday's Super Bowl, will be up through Feb. 15. They are part of a multi-platform campaign in collaboration with mobile marketing company, Mogreet Inc., to show the players as more than their jobs on the field or as the campaign states “as normal guys with a great job.”

Other players featured include New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk. Visit nflplayers.com/real to learn more about the players, watch videos, check out photos and even email player postcards to friends.

Fans who text “NFLPA” to 21534 will get a video sent to their phones and an entry to win a trip to the 2010 NFL Players Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles. You can also enter the sweepstakes here. Those who enter the sweepstakes can also receive a gift from the Players Association.

+ MOVES Magazine, the Hollywood-based magazine about and for athletes, hosts its annual Red Carpet Super Bowl Gala at Christine Lee’s at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday night with hosts Ray Lewis and Ludacris.

The latest issue of the glossy magazine that features high end advertising and articles both about athletes and that are meant to interest athletes, has LeBron James on the cover. That’s after the magazine had already planned its edition with Tiger Woods as cover boy.

The magazines were distributed to NFL players at the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl team hotels and is being made available at parties and events across South Florida this week.

+ Also on Wednesday, Hunt Auctions opens its preview of items for its Super Bowl XLIV Live Auction on Sunday at the Hard Rock Café in Bayside Marketplace in Miami. The preview, which includes more than 280 football-related items such as a Joe Namath game-worn jersey and 1972 Dolphins team-signed football, runs Wednesday through Saturday at the NFL Fan Zone on South Beach. There’s also an appraisal fair, where fans can bring any kind of sports collectibles – not just football items – to learn how much they may be worth.

Sharp-eyed Sun Sentinel Assistant Sports Editor Steve Svekis noticed a problem with one of the items listed in the auction catalog: a model Washington Redskins home jersey for running back John Riggins from the 1980s features No. 42. Riggins wore No. 44.

+ There’s still time – until 1 p.m. Wednesday -- to buy raffle tickets for four tickets to Super Bowl XLIV and two rooms for three nights at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami, where the New Orleans Saints are staying this week. Raffle tickets are $2 each, but you must buy at least five. The package doesn’t include airfare. Proceeds go to the Heath Evans Foundation, which is dedicated to healing children and families affected by sexual abuse, and the Drew Brees Dream Foundation, which raises money for cancer research, cancer patient care, and rebuilding schools, parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields. Buy tickets at heathevans.org.

+ And just in case you forgot that Super Bowl is rife with unusual and wacky pitches, releases, and often suspect connections to the big game: Veterinary Pet Insurance Co., which insures some 475,000 pets, checked its database of pet names and says the New Orleans Saints just slightly edge the Indianapolis Colts when it comes pet owners naming their pets for their favorite team and its players. The company included pets named Drew, Brees and Drew Brees; Manning, Peyton and Peyton Manning and a variety of other Saints’ and Colts’ names – even Saint and Colt – and the tallies were 230 Saints-related names to 227 Colts-related names. How’s that for pet equity?

Starting today, Dunkin’ Donuts locations from Miami-Dade County to Indian River County are selling Super Bowl XLIV-themed doughnuts.

Donuts with vanilla frosting and blue sprinkles will celebrate the Indianapolis Colts and ones with maple (gold) frosting and a black marble design honor the New Orleans Saints. The two teams face off in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday at Sun Life Stadium.

You’ll also find a Boston Kreme donut with white “football laces.” The stores are selling two dozen for $9.99.

Just before the 2010 Pro Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday, Miami Dolphins officials put a signature touch on their new 35,000 square feet of office space on the east side of the stadium, unveiling a statue of Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history.

The statue depicts Shula being carried on the shoulders of Nick Buoniconti and Al Jenkins after the Dolphins won the Super Bowl in 1973 completing the team’s -- and the NFL’s only -- perfect season. “Perfect Moment in Time” is printed on the statue.

The statue unveiling came less than a month after Shula celebrated his 80th birthday and was attended by a who’s who of Dolphins greats, team owner Steve Ross, coach Tony Sparano and general manager Jeff Ireland, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and local and state politicians, including Gov. Charlie Crist.

Dolphins CEO Mike Dee didn’t miss an opportunity to remind Goodell – and everyone else in attendance – of South Florida’s record-setting 10 times hosting the Super Bowl – “more than any other city in America.” Jimmy Cefalo added “We’re fortunate to have the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl and we hope many, many more in the future.”

South Florida is bidding for the 2014 Super Bowl.

Shula’s ceremony came complete with Bob Griese and Shula teasing each other – “I look over at Bob Griese and think ‘I was a hell of a coach to win with talent like that,’” Shula said.

Hall of Famer Dan Marino showed up late for the ceremony to which Jimmy Cefalo said, “Shula just fined No. 13.”

Kidding aside, Shula said he was humbled. The NFL announced the creation of “The Coach Shula Award” to honor an NFL coach each season who displays excellence, integrity and achievement.

And then the Dolphins gave their new offices a new address: 347 Don Shula Drive – in honor of Shula’s 347 wins. That’s the address for the team’s offices. Don’t worry, Marino fans: the stadium’s address remains 2269 Dan Marino Blvd.

Miami Dolphins Ronnie Brown, Chad Henne, Vontae Davis, and Davone Bess were among the NFL players scheduled to appear today at NFL Game Day Fan Plaza – the football activities area adjacent to Sun Life Stadium.

The Fan Plaza area, which is open to the public for a few hours today, and only to Super Bowl ticket holders next Sunday, is part of the league’s answer to the NFL Experience – the giant football-themed activities area that’s become a signature of Super Bowls.

With the Super Bowl just in South Florida three years ago, league officials were looking for ways to vary the experience for local fans. They shelved the NFL Experience and brought the Pro Bowl and some of its trappings instead, including Fan Plaza, the open Pro Bowl practice yesterday at Lockhart Stadium, and free concert on Fort Lauderdale Beach next Saturday.

“We designed a calendar of events that was specifically designed to recognize we were just here three years ago, and we didn’t want to do all of the same things, so that’s part of the reason the Pro Bowl is here this year,” said Frank Supovitz, NFL senior vice president of special events. “Pro Bowl is the key fan engagement opportunity and provides our fans with the opportunity to see the players all in one place that they’re looking at only in posters and décor around NFL Experience.”

Still, the move didn’t sit well with a number of fans, whose favorite Super Bowl activity is the NFL Experience.

“To be honest with you, I’m glad they miss it, that’s a good sign, that means we had a great event, that was meaningful to the community,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “So we’ll take all that into consideration, and see if there’s a role for both of those, where we could play the Pro Bowl and the NFL Experience. It’s something we’ll certainly address as we go forward.”

The NFL Experience will be back when the Super Bowl is held in North Texas at the home of the Dallas Cowboys next year.

For more from Goodell, read my Q&A with him in the Sun Sentinel’s Outlook section here. He addressed the Pro Bowl, future Super Bowls in South Florida, labor and other issues.

And, you know how everything is sponsored – Pepsi was all over at Lockhart Stadium yesterday; McDonald’s is the Pro Bowl sponsor. Even the parking lot at Sun Life Stadium where the media is parking for the Pro Bowl has Snickers as a sponsor – says so on our parking passes.

The Pro Bowl isn’t until Sunday night, but the NFL’s experiment of moving the league’s All-Star game to the same city as – and a week before – the Super Bowl has already accomplished at least some of its mission.

It’s created a buzz. It’s not all good – in fact, some of it is downright contentious – some have grumbled about missing out on Hawaii and the requirement that Super Bowl players named to the game must attend to receive their Pro Bowl pay. Others, however, love the atmosphere and brought their families to vacation in South Florida.

But if the idea was the raise interest in the game that is often considered an afterthought -- that has happened.

You can’t go more than a few feet these past few days without bumping into a current or former NFL player. They’re practically everywhere. (See a Pro Bowl photo gallery here.)

On Wednesday, Pro Bowl players including Kevin Mawae, Brian Dawkins, Greg Camarillo and Sinorice Moss, helped encourage students at Carol City Elementary School to eat healthful foods and be active. They led the kids in activities and donated $5,000 to the school’s vegetable garden, which includes raised beds of lettuce, celery, parsley, red cabbage and hot yellow peppers.

“We have players who went to this school and went to schools in this area and to me it reminds players, reminds executive directors, of while we’re involved in a great game and a really, really big business, we all have our starts at schools like this,” NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said after visiting the garden.

“We have to be strong members and strong contributors to our community. That’s what we need to be doing. We have a gift and an opportunity to play football and guys like Brian [Dawkins] play this game because they can do things ordinary humans can’t do. But you see them taking time, coming back, not because they think it’s anything special, this is a part of their lives."

On Thursday, players, including Mawae, Dawkins, Donovan McNabb, DeMarcus Ware and D'Brickashaw Ferguson along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell joined with Bank of America employees to build a playground at RISE Academy in Lauderhill. They put up swings, painted murals, and raked mulch.

It was just one of a series of events in the daylong NFL Play 60 Community Blitz that included projects in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, all aimed at encouraging kids to be active and healthy.

“It shows how great our players are and what they do off the field,” said Goodell, who raked mulch and suffered a nosebleed during the event at RISE Academy. “So many people see them on the field and all the great contributions they make on the field, but these are great men and they do great things in the community, and … it shows how much the NFL cares about their community, and we have the Dolphins here, but we’re also here with two of our biggest events, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl. And it gives us a chance to really give back to the community.”

Bank of America also saw the NFL’s commitment to South Florida as a way for the bank to help as well. The bank forged a partnership with the league for the events and for a program to feed the hungry.

More than 200 Bank of America employees helped out across South Florida.

“Our company is committed to finding opportunities to give back to the market,” said Lori Chevy, Bank of America market president for Broward County. “When Bank of America saw the opportunity to partner with the NFL, it made sense for us to be able to create this new opportunity.”

Bank of America is also donating $10,000 to Feeding America for every touchdown scored during the Pro Bowl.

And this morning, the NFL held an open Pro Bowl practice at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale – attended by a few thousand fans, who snapped up Pro Bowl visors, caps and T-shirts, cheered the league’s mascots and cheerleaders and waited patiently for autographs. While the mascots and Goodell were generous with their time, not all the players were made available for autographs disappointing some fans.

The Pro Bowl has certainly gotten attention – both good and bad.

The Granted Wish Foundation is trying to drum up support for Haiti relief by offering up three front row seats to Super Bowl XLIV at Sun Life Stadium to the largest contributor.

The organization, which grants wishes to needy people of all ages, is auctioning the tickets (Section 126, Row 1, Seats 1-3) on eBay.com to raise money to purchase and send a mobile medical treatment vechile to Port-Au-Prince. Bidding ends at 6 p.m. Monday.

So far, bidding stands at $6,550 and the reserve hasn’t been met. The “buy it now” price is $21,978.

Find the tickets, which were donated by Arthur Middleton Capital Holdings in Canton, Ohio, on eBay here or by searching “Super Bowl Haiti” at eBay.com. They also come with VIP passes to the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee’s pregame reception on Feb. 6.

As 2010 Pro Bowl players descended on South Florida for practices, community events and other obligations, debate continued to rage about as much as the rosters changed.

At an NFL Players Association event at Carol City Elementary in Miami Gardens, where players encouraged kids to eat well and keep active and provided a $5,000 check for the school’s budding vegetable garden, union representatives put on their best face, but didn’t hide their frustration.

“It’s great for South Florida, great for the Miami area. It brings more programs, things like this where players can get involved,” NFL PA President Kevin Mawae said Wednesday. “It’s going to be good for the community and the players that are here are happy to be a part of it.”

But Mawae, who plays center for the Tennessee Titans and is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, also ticked off a number of reasons players are concerned. He says the union should have had more of a role in the decision.

“We really wish we had a bigger say so. I think it’s something we could have given a little more insight to,” Mawae said. “Part of the lure of the Pro Bowl is going to Hawaii as well. So it’s kind of a mixed bag of feelings there.”

Meanwhile, Mawae and union Executive Director DeMaurice Smith aren’t pleased about the requirement that selected players who are in the Super Bowl can’t play in the Pro Bowl, but still must attend the game to get their Pro Bowl pay.

“A whole lot of obligations without a whole lot of input. I also think that’s not lost on our fans,” Smith said. “I talked to a person who was fortunate enough to make it to the Pro Bowl again this year, and he said, ‘you know De, it’s great and it’s still an honor, but there was something about knowing the Pro Bowl was after the Super Bowl, knowing it was a game about the players, knowing it was an honor to be selected to play a game that’s always been traditionally in this spot. And to not have it this year, It feels a little bit less’.”

The NFL says the union was involved in the discussions for years before the decision to move the game’s time and place was announced in December 2008. Smith wasn’t named union executive director until March – after the Pro Bowl decision was announced.

The move before the Super Bowl is also controversial.

“There are fans, once the Super Bowl is over, they lose interest,” Mawae said. “So I understand that aspect of it, but then it cheats guys out of the opportunity to play in the All-Star game, like the 14 guys from the Colts and the Saints. Again, you’ve got to decide which one’s more important, the players’ feelings versus, at the end of the day, the financial aspect of Pro Bowl.”

The Pro Bowl returns to Hawaii in 2011 and 2012. After that, it could rotate.

“We’ll see. We’re testing it out this year,” Mawae said.

Negotiations for a new labor contract continue to get interesting. (More on this in future posts).

+ Meanwhile, as workers continue their Pro Bowl and Super Bowl preparations across South Florida, experts are still debating the merits of a Colts-Saints Super Bowl matchup, compared to what could have been, had the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings advanced.

Tickets on the secondary market are averaging about $2,600, whereas a Jets Super Bowl would have started at $2,500, experts predicted.

“It’s not good for tourism in South Florida. If the Jets and the Vikings had gotten in, you’d have more people flying in and more of a corporate fan base,” Robert Tuchman, executive vice president of Premier Global Sports, told my colleague Doreen Hemlock. “With New Orleans, you’ll have more people driving in, and you don’t have that corporate fan base. Some will drive in on Saturday. They won’t spend as much as New Yorkers would.”

With the Colts just in the Super Bowl in South Florida in 2007, Tuchman, whose company arranges corporate and group travel to sporting events, said, “Some have already paid for that once in a lifetime experience at the Super Bowl.”

Tuchman estimates the losses to businesses at 30 percent to 40 percent. The difference, he said, “is millions and millions of dollars for South Florida. There will be less hotel rooms, restaurant reservations and golf reservations. It’s not a great matchup.”

But that’s not to suggest South Florida won’t be putting on a big show during the next 10 days. The Pro Bowl is officially sold out at 70,500 seats, although a few club and single seats remain for sale.

Tuchman, after all, is a big fan of the region. In his book, The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live, he ranks Miami as No. 1 in his list of top 10 cities for hosting a major sporting event.

+ Tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams are skipping the Feb. 6-7 Fed Cup because they say they have roles with the Super Bowl as part owners of the Miami Dolphins. A Dolphins spokesman said there is no formal obligation for the Williams sisters to attend any Super Bowl activities. There’s an owners meeting the day before the Super Bowl, but owners with tiny percentages aren’t in the room for those. Venus is, however, hosting a party at the W South Beach on Feb. 5 to launch the new laundry detergent Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport.

+ It might not be the matchup South Florida businesses had hoped for – New York Jets v. Minnesota Vikings would have been more lucrative, some say – but officials recognize they’d better be embracing this year’s Super Bowl teams, the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.

And it might not be as slow as some worried, judging from a story Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau President Bill Talbert told my colleague Doreen Hemlock. A volunteer for the CVB was in New Orleans Sunday and reported to the CVB’s board meeting Monday that the Big Easy is excited about its team’s first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.

"They're all coming, whether they have tickets, whether they have a room,” Talbert said the volunteer reported. "This is a dimension you don't often see. This seems to have gone beyond football fans to the entire community. They all want to celebrate the ultimate victory at the Super Bowl... This is driveable. It's a short flight. It's off the charts."

Talbert added: "You better clear the roads: Here come the Saints."

+ Fans interested in snapping up AFC, NFC champion and Pro Bowl and Super Bowl gear can now shop at the NFL’s Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV Store in parking lot 2 at Gate E at Sun Life Stadium. The store opened Monday morning and will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It'll be open the same hours next week.

+ Meanwhile, at least one little Saints fan couldn’t be happier that Drew Brees is in the Super Bowl. Wesley Warren, 7, of Metairie, La., a suburb of New Orleans, won the NFL’s Play 60 Super Kid contest and will deliver the game ball to the officials on the field at Sun Life Stadium on Feb. 7.

Here’s part of Wesley’s essay where she explained which player inspires her to stay fit: “Drew Brees because he has done so much to help my city New Orleans. The Saints have made me realize how important team work is and how sometimes you have to work really hard for a long long long time to get what you want. My mom and dad think the Saints will go to the Superbowl and with Drew Brees I think so too. He is Saintsational (my mom told me to say that.)”

+ And just because you haven't heard about it officially since the Dolphins unveiled proposed renderings for Sun Life Stadium earlier this month, doesn't mean the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee hasn't been hard at work. The committee on Monday named former Miami Dolphin Dick Anderson chairman of the subcommittee exploring proposed stadium improvements. The committee also includes Talbert and his counterpart from the north, Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors' Bureau; Bruce Jay Conlan, chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; Beatrice Louissant of the Florida Regional Minority Business Council; and Adam Grossman, Dolphins senior vice president of public affairs.

+ There are plenty of opinions on which teams in Super Bowl XLIV would be better for South Florida’s economy and those differ from which would be better television matchups.

As unseemly as it sounds, lots of hotel and tourism officials have been happy to talk about the New York Jets being the best team for local businesses because of the influx of well-heeled fans, who will be happy to plunk down lots of cash if their team makes it. There are concerns the Indianapolis Colts aren’t good for business because they were just here in the game in 2007.

CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell explains why CBS would prefer the Jets not make the Super Bowl here.

Some just want the Minnesota Vikings in because of superstar quarterback Brett Favre.

“I think the best thing that could happen would be Brett Favre,” Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki Grossman told me.

But it just so happened Grossman was spending the weekend in New York, to make the bureau’s winter tourism pitch in one of its favorite target markets. It’s been chilly in New York, where the bureau has ads on 250 taxicabs and is making the rounds of TV shows to promote South Florida.

“Timing is everything,” Grossman said. “It turned out to be fortuitous on the Super Bowl.”

The bureau is running TV ads during both the AFC and NFC championship games today.

+ Meanwhile, CEOs of the official airlines of the Colts and Jets have placed a wager on today’s AFC Championship game. AirTran Airways (Colts) CEO Bob Fornaro has wagered a steak lunch from Indianapolis steakhouse St. Elmo’s if the Jets win, while JetBlue Airways (Jets)
CEO Dave Barger has promised a pit barbecue lunch from New York’s Blue Smoke restaurant if the Colts win.

“With the Colts being such a great team and the game being at home, it’s only fair that I put up a steak against a pulled pork platter,” Fornaro said in a statement. “Seriously, does anyone think the Jets can really stop Peyton Manning and the rest of the team on the fastest turf in the league?”

Barger said “I like my steak medium rare and make sure there are plenty of fries to go with it.”

+ If you just look at merchandise sales, the Jets rank third among the four teams playing today in gear sold this month compared with a year ago, according to figures from NFLShop.com. Those figures show sales of New Orleans Saints gear are up 650 percent from last January, Vikings up 533 percent, Jets up 252 percent and the Colts up 189 percent.

From April through Jan. 18, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the top selling team in the league followed by the Dallas Cowboys, and then the Vikings. The Saints ranked 6th, Colts 7th and Jets 11th. And the Vikings had two of the top four selling jerseys during the same period – Favre at No. 1 and Adrian Peterson at 4. Colts QB Peyton Manning’s was second, followed by Saints QB Drew Brees at third. New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez’s ranked eighth.

+ Is it me or has the number of Pro Bowl and Super Bowl billboards in South Florida quadrupled in the past week?

The one-year mark of Steve Ross taking control of the Dolphins from H. Wayne Huizenga didn’t pass quietly this week. Ross was overseas, but on Wednesday his stadium got its second new name of the year: Sun Life Stadium.

It’s been an eventful –- emphasis on the event -- year for Ross’ Dolphins and his stadium. Remember, it was Jan. 20, 2009 when Huizenga made sure the papers finalizing the $1.1 billion sale were signed just hours before President Barack Obama’s inauguration -- as something of a symbolic gesture in case Obama raised capital gains taxes.

Ross promised he’d jazz up the entertainment experience for fans at the stadium then called Dolphin Stadium. In May, he began that transformation signing a cash-less naming rights/marketing partnership with Jimmy Buffett’s Land Shark Lager for the 2009 season. The announcement came complete with a short Buffett concert, hundreds of Parrot Heads and a new version of Buffett’s hit Fins written specifically for the Dolphins. Bringing brand new meaning to “Fins to the Left…”

This week, the stadium got its second new name in a year – make that three, if you count the two weeks it reverted to Dolphin Stadium between the Orange Bowl on Jan. 5 and the Sun Life announcement on Wednesday.

So, a short by the numbers:

6 World Baseball Classic games: the stadium was host to round two games in March

6 limited partners: Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony (and by marriage his wife Jennifer Lopez), Venus and Serena Williams, Fergie. (Asked whether more limited partners could be brought on board, Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said, “I wouldn’t say it’s an active pursuit. We continue to keep an open mind toward additional partners. But it’s not a high priority.”)

2 stadium names: Land Shark, Sun LIfe

2 press conference concerts: Buffett’s to introduce Land Shark in May; KC & the Sunshine Band’s booty shaking serenade to introduce Sun Life on Wednesday. (Dee said KC wasn’t likely to become a limited partner, but “he could be a promotional partner.”)

1 new (much maligned) fight song: Can you forget T Pain’s autotune version of the old song?

1 new theme song: Buffett’s revamped Fins, which is played every time the team scores -- and then some. (Dee said Buffett’s song is here to stay. “What was important about the Land Shark involvement wasn’t necessarily the name on the building, but the vibe, if you will, in the stadium, the theme areas.”)

1 artist: Romero Britto’s neo pop art graces the helixes and gates at the stadium.

0 playoff appearances: Both the Dolphins and Marlins missed the postseason.

1 World Cup finalist site: The stadium was included this month among 18 in the U.S. bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

2 (at least) stadium dissings by the NFL: Both NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Senior Vice President of Special Events Frank Supovitz told the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee and community leaders the 23-year-old venue needs upgrades to keep it competitive with other stadiums across the country vying to host future Super Bowls.

Stay tuned….

Just in time to host the 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV, the Miami Dolphins reached a long-term agreement with a corporate naming rights partner to rename their multi-monikered home, Sun Life Stadium.

Sun Life Financial, a Toronto-based financial services and insurance company, has agreed to put its name on the Miami Gardens venue for at least five years.

Financial details weren’t disclosed, but a source said the deal is initially five years with multiple options that could stretch the deal to 20 years. The Dolphins are to receive roughly $5 million a year but that could rise to the $7 million range if the certain incentives occur, including securing another Super Bowl and team playoff appearances.

The Dolphins and Sun Life officials from the company’s U.S. headquarters in Wellesley, Mass., announced the deal on a stage on the field inside the stadium. A medley of songs about the sun, including Sheryl Crow’s Soak up the Sun, Smash Mouth’s Walking on the Sun and Katrina and the Waves’ Walking on Sunshine, helped introduce the name.

“Boy does it feel good under the sun,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said before sharing the name with invited season ticket holders, Super Bowl Host Committee officials and volunteers and students from American Heritage.

Sun Life officials said what attracted them to the Dolphins home stadium was that it is home to football, baseball, the Orange Bowl, Super Bowl and other events and exposes them to lots of new potential customers. It will also help the company overcome the fact that many people in the U.S. aren’t familiar with what they do.

“It really has been about building our brand in the United States," said Wes Thompson, president of Sun Life Financial U.S. "We’ve got great presence in Canada, great presence internationally, but we’ve really lacked brand presence in the U.S., as you’ve seen we’ve with our most recent commercials, our efforts are to really get our name out, so sooner or later you’ll know our name. This is another step in that journey to build our brand.”

And just as they have been doing in their recent advertising campaign launched in November, Sun Life Financial called on KC & the Sunshine Band to help spread the word about its brand. In the ad campaign, two Sun Life representatives try to convince KC to change his band’s name to the “Sun Life Band.” KC still hasn’t done that, but did perform a medley of Shake Your Booty and Get Down Tonight.

Sun Life also agreed to contribute $250,000 annually to the Dolphins Foundation and the team and Sun Life together established “Sun Life Miami Dolphins Haiti Relief Fund” with $200,000 and will match contributions made at sunlifestadium.com two to one.

Priscilla Brown, senior vice president and head of U.S. marketing for Sun Life, who attended the announcement, and Sun Life Financial President Jon A. Boscia, are no strangers to football stadium naming rights deals. Brown served as chief marketing and brand officer for Lincoln Financial Group, where Boscia was CEO. In 2002, Lincoln National Corp., struck the $139.6 million, 20-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to name the team’s new stadium Lincoln Financial Field.

Brown said what made the two deals different was the Lincoln Financial used the Eagles Stadium as a way to announce the company's entry into the Philadelphia market, but the Dolphins' stadium allows the company to make a statement both nationally and internationally.

"Here the primary objective was to make this really big given that we don’t have most of our employees in this area," Brown said. "We want to make sure people around the globe knew about it."

Dee said he didn't think the dollars from the Sun Life deal had been earmarked as yet, but were intended to be used to continue to build a winning franchise. He said he hoped the naming rights deal, which marks the first one in more than a decade that will generate revenue for the team, lasts well beyond the initial five-year term.

"We’ve made clear we want a partner for the long haul," Dee said. "We hope this is the last name this building ever has."

The Dolphins’ home venue, which opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium, has had a series of name changes. For the 2009 season it was known as Land Shark Stadium, after Dolphins owner Steve Ross struck a cash-less marketing deal with Jimmy Buffett’s Land Shark Lager. That deal was only through the 2009 season.

From 1996 to 2005, the stadium was named Pro Player after then-team owner H. Wayne Huizenga struck a deal with sports apparel maker Pro Player. In 1999, Pro Player’s parent company, Fruit of the Loom, filed for bankruptcy and the Pro Player brand was shuttered. The team regained the naming rights in 2000, but never struck a new corporate deal. The stadium was called Dolphins Stadium in 2005; the ‘s’ was dropped in 2006. The Land Shark deal was announced last May.

Thompson said he hopes the lack of a consistent name for the stadium helps fans remember the Sun Life Stadium name going forward.

“In a sense no one’s established a beachhead because of that," Thompson said. "It’s not as if we have to fight a 20-year nomenclature of any type that may have existed before. So we kind of view that as an advantage for us, and we are in this for the long term per the agreement we have with the Dolphins.”

Here’s the stadium name chronology:

Aug. 16, 1987-Aug. 25, 1996: Joe Robbie Stadium
Aug. 26-Sept. 9, 1996: Pro Player Park
Sept. 10, 1996-Jan. 9, 2005: Pro Player Stadium
Jan. 10, 2005-April 7, 2006: Dolphins Stadium
April 8, 2006-May 7, 2009: Dolphin Stadium
May 8, 2009-Jan. 5, 2010: Land Shark Stadium
Jan. 6, 2010-Jan. 19: Dolphin Stadium
Jan. 20, 2010: Sun Life Stadium

Watch a video from the announcement here:

Among the myriad parties, concerts and gatherings accompanying Super Bowl XLIV next month is “Eats, Beats and Cleats” – a four-day festival of player appearances, sports films, “Dancing For the NFL Stars,” music, merchandise, chalk talk and tailgate party.

The festival, which is taking over a portion of Lincoln Road, starts with a VIP party at the Ritz Carlton on Feb. 4.

NFL players who appeared on Dancing with the Stars will serve as judges for dancing fans. A Gridiron Greats Night of Champions show Friday night will be hosted by Mike Ditka and Jamie Foxx. A sports film festival Friday and Saturday includes screenings of The Longest Yard, Miracle and the UM documentary, The U.

More than 75 current and former NFL players and athletes from across sports are scheduled to appear during the festival weekend. The list includes the likes of Barry Sanders, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett, Vinnie Testaverde, Gale Sayers, Roger Staubach Jim Kiick, Ickey Woods and Jim Marshall.

Tickets, which cost $350 for a VIP All Access Passport that includes Thursday night through the pregame tailgate party on Sunday, and $85 for a daily pass (available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday), are on sale now at www.ebcmiami.com or by calling 877-733-3430.

A portion of the proceeds go to the Gridiron Greats Assistance Program, which provides financial and medical assistance to needy retired NFL players. (Tickets can be purchased separately for the Gridiron Greats Night of Champions at the Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Go to www.gridirongreats.org.)

Since the festival is on Lincoln Road, you don’t need a ticket to glimpse the stars. Autographs and other festivities? You’ll need a pass for those.

Apparently, it’s not enough to have our own entry in the inaugural season of Lingerie Football League. South Florida will be hosting the LFL playoffs and championship game, Lingerie Bowl VII, at Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood the night before Super Bowl XLIV.

Our local team, the Miami Caliente (2-1 on the season), is even vying for one of two open playoff spots. Stephon McMillen, media director for the league, reminds us the Caliente is “South Florida's only pro football in the hunt for the Playoffs.” The Caliente’s final game of the season is against the Tampa Breeze at 9 p.m. Jan. 22 at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

In case you've somehow missed this, the Lingerie Football League launched last fall with 10 teams, whose players play 7-on-7 full contact tackle football dressed in bikini tops and short shorts. Check out photos here.

Prior to the league's launch, the Lingerie Bowl was held as an exhibition game and has become something of a fixture of Super Bowl halftime – offering a diversion from the NFL’s official halftime concert performance.

But you can catch the game in person – seats are $55 to $225 – on Feb. 6 at Hard Rock Live. There’s even an after-party hosted by LFL models for Lingerie Bowl ticket holders, celebrities and VIPs at One Bal Harbor Hotel on Miami Beach.

As it has in previous years, except last year when it was “canceled due to a conflict with a Florida nudist resort,” the game will be broadcast on pay per view.

Hard Rock Live is also hosting the LFL conference playoffs on Feb. 4 with the Western Conference playoff at 9 p.m., followed by the Eastern Conference playoff at 11 p.m.

Tickets for the Caliente's final game of the season, conference playoffs and Lingerie Bowl are available at Ticketmaster.com.

Sorry for the delay in catching up on news since vacation, but well, it’s been another busy week. And in case you didn’t know, the Super Bowl will be here in 58 days… but who’s counting?

Some thoughts and links:

+ Starting with Super Bowl, CBS says it’s 90 percent sold out of advertising spots for the Feb. 7 big game and ads are hitting $3 million. More from the LA Times here.

+ Baseball teams switching to healthier food, care of the Wall Street Journal here.

+ Olympic merchandise fun… got to read a story from the Vancouver Sun that starts: "Faster, stronger, higher — but not that high." Here.

+ Tiger and more Tiger: Plenty of fallout from the ongoing Woods crash/sexcapades story. Sponsors ponder their deals with the world infamous golfer. Gatorade says its decision to drop Gatorade Tiger unrelated to recent events.

+ Gotta love that sales of John Gribbin’s book Get a Grip on Physics, which was found in Woods’ wrecked car have skyrocketed. Here.

You can file this in the bulging "people with too much time on their hands" category, but there’s something catchy about Woods’ voicemail message Slow Jam Remix.

Bill Plaschke’s sportsman of the year award goes to “Sleaze.” Read his nicely-done column on the issue in the LA Times that includes gems like this: "Strong work, Sleaze. You made us forget about that awful beauty of baseball and focus on how the philandering third baseman got to second base. You made us ignore the sappy serenity of golf to watch the hound-dog champion play through his protesting wife to drive over water and into a tree."

Plaschke says our appetite for these kinds of stories seems insatiable, but the Poughkeepsie Journal reports on a Marist Poll that says more people think Woods should deal with the events privately and most don’t think the news will impact decisions about buying Woods-endorsed products.

+ City of Miami delays issuing bonds for parking lots at Florida Marlins ballpark: Bloomberg and The Miami Herald fill you in on this one here and here.

+ And speaking of the Marlins, as we know, team President David Samson is a man of many talents. He’s added playwright to the list. Penning a one-act play that is included in this Sunday’s soldout Miami Stories show at the New Theatre in Coral Gables. Samson is also to act in his own play. Read more here.

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter: @sarahtalalay

With just two months until South Florida hosts its record-setting 10th Super Bowl, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was in town today for the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee's kickoff luncheon. (Billboards counting down the days until both the Jan. 31 Pro Bowl and Feb . 7 Super Bowl are now up on I-95).

While he praised the region's hospitality and track record for hosting the big game, he also warned -- again -- that the Super Bowl won't be back unless Dolphin Stadium (currently Land Shark) stays current. A $250 million renovation that vastly spruced up the club level isn't enough to compete with newer, glitzier venues in Dallas, Indianapolis, Arizona, the commish said.

"I think the key thing, it’s a great community, they've done a great job hosting Super Bowls in the past, so I think they have that as an advantage," Goodell said of South Florida. "The key thing is making sure this stadium is state of the art and that it can compete with the stadiums in some of these other communities. They are moving to another level some of these stadiums."

It's not Goodell that makes the decision about Super Bowl host locations - it's the 32 owners. But you can be sure he knows the clubs' marching orders. Sure South Florida has its advantages, but without the lighting needed to high definition nighttime broadcasts and other amenities, the dual-purpose stadium won't be at the top of the owners' lists. Goodell and South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto say the Florida Marlins' move to a new ballpark, expected in 2012, presents a perfect opportunity to make what Dolphins owner Steve Ross calls "fine tuning" changes to the 22-year-old stadium.

Ross and Barreto say alterations and funding possibilities are being considered. While it's too early to say precisely what changes will be made and how they'll be paid for, it's quite likely we'll learn more soon since the region is bidding for the 2014 Super Bowl. The owners are expected to consider the 2014 site at their meeting in May.

Barreto said the community, which is awarded the game -- not the Dolphins -- needs to decide if it's worth the estimated $450 million to local businesses to host the game.

Meanwhile, Goodell said if the region successfully hosts the Pro Bowl on Jan. 31, that game could come back here regularly. South Florida's considered the test locale for the game being held prior to the Super Bowl and outside of Hawaii for the first time since 1980. So far, more than 45,000 tickets have been sold to the game. Goodell says he is hoping for a sellout and enthusiasm inside the stadium.

Ross, however, is hoping the Dolphins become the first team to both host and play in a Super Bowl at the same time. "I want to be the first city to host playing in the Super Bowl," he said. "That hasn’t happened yet and it should only happen in Miami. This year wouldn’t be soon enough."

Other topics Goodell addressed include the ongoing labor negotiations with the NFL Players Association, lengthening the regular season and replacing the NFL Experience. Goodell said the good news is the league and union are continuing to hold talks about a new contract. He said the regular season could be lengthened by shortening preseason. Goodell said fans don't like preseason games, but the league needs to be consider the impact on players.

He said the NFL Experience is being replaced in South Florida with a series of other community events since the region just hosted the Super Bowl in 2007.

+ The Dolphins just missed their goal of selling 50,000 season tickets for the 2009 season, Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said. Even so, the team sold 49,415 full season tickets up 7 percent from 46,131 in 2008. Plus, some 10,000 represent new season ticket holders.

SI.com set off a spirited debate this afternoon when it reported The Who is to play halftime at next year’s Super Bowl in South Florida. Not to mention the short item on the Web site provided an opportunity to put up a photo of 2007 SI Swimsuit model Tori Praver, because her body-painted outfit featured a T-shirt with The Who logo. (Right, I’m not the demo).

No, it wouldn’t be the first time British Invasion senior citizens rocked the NFL’s big party. Paul McCartney did the honors in Jacksonville in 2005. The following year, it was the Rolling Stones in Detroit – a choice criticized for several reasons, including that the performers should have been Motown artists.

But overall, since the Janet Jackson nipple-bearing wardrobe malfunction in 2004 in Houston, Super Bowl halftime acts have tended to be less modern or as I said in a 2006 story “more American oldie than American Idol” although McCartney and the Rolling Stones would be “British oldie.” Same for The Who.

The NFL wasn’t talking about the choice today. “When we have something to announce, we will announce it,” a league spokesman said.

But the Twitterverse was buzzing:

The LA Times’ Sam Farmer wrote “SI.com reporting the Super Bowl halftime show is.... The Who. Excellent.”

However, John Halpin of FoxSports.com said “A band full of guys in their 60s? NO WAY!”

Or this from Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson: “Honestly, Janet Jackson's bare breast was the best thing that happened 2 bands formed B4 1990. They all became Super Bowl eligible again.”

Other tweets on the subject:

" jsquared021: "The Who" is doing the halftime show of Super Bowl 44?...r u serious?...what is the NFL thinking?"

"Soxy_T: I like The Who but playing Super Bowl halftime?! Zzzzzzzzz no wonder they call it the No Fun League"

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/sarahtalalay

Dozens of volunteers for the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee were getting ready for the 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl this afternoon at Land Shark Stadium. They were auditioning to be in an ad campaign promoting the two big games South Florida will host Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, respectively.

Ronin Advertising of Coconut Grove took headshots of the aspiring actors and actresses and then asked them to say three lines with all the “passion for football” they could muster:

“Are you ready for some football?”

“Come on down and hang out for the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl.”

“Will you own the moment, or will the moment own you?”

“I feel like Hank Williams Jr. here,” said Laurie Steele, of West Palm Beach, as she prepared to say her lines.

Ronin was looking for volunteers to represent the NFL’s 32 teams in TV, print and outdoor advertising. They’ll don jerseys and other NFL gear, such as a cheesehead hat for the Green Bay Packers fan. The fans will also be wearing shorts and flip-flops -- since the big game is returning to South Florida for a record 10th time -- and the Pro Bowl will be played here, too, rather than in Hawaii.

“Our goal is to get a cross-section of fans,” said Kristen Mathieson, a senior account executive at Ronin.

The ads are scheduled to be shot Aug. 11 and 12 and begin airing around the start of the 2009 football season. In the meantime, here’s the ad Ronin shot featuring Don Shula to promote Super Bowl XLI in 2007 – the last time the game was here.

Just to re-cap and fill in some of the details from the NFL owners spring meeting at the Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale:

+ South Florida lost out to New Orleans – which was the favorite – to land the 2013 Super Bowl. South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee officials, who are preparing for the 2010 game and the Pro Bowl, are already planning to bid for the 2014 game. Typically bid packages go out in November and owners vote in the spring.

+ The league and the players association are to begin discussions for a new players’ contract next month, but NFL General Counsel Jeff Pash says he has no time frame for how long negotiations should take. The league opted out of the last two years of the current agreement meaning the deal ends in 2011 and the 2010 season will be played without a salary cap. Some owners believe the agreement, which guarantees roughly 60 percent of football revenues go to player salaries, isn’t working. NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, who met with owners at their meeting Tuesday, said he isn’t sure why owners feel that way.

“We all know that the players didn't opt out of this deal. We do know that the NFL generated in excess of $8 billion last year. We know that the average team has grown by 400 percent in 10 years. We know that the average team is worth in excess of a billion dollars,” Smith said. “What we don't understand is what is wrong with the current deal when we know those facts exist? And if you want to move or start negotiations it seems to me that we need to understand why they believe that the current deal wasn't good.”

+ Owners didn’t vote on whether to extend the regular season to 17 or 18 games, but they discussed the issue. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell promised the players and partners would be brought in on discussions. Smith said the key to discussions is determining the average each team makes per game and considering why players’ salaries drop for playoff games.

“The players understand the cost to their bodies. The players understand how tough it is to get through a regular season,” Smith said. “They understand the cost. What they don't understand is when their playoff salary drops to $20,000 a game, what's the net profit for the team for that game? And once they understand that, then we can understand or at least be in a process to discuss what the right cost compensation model is for an extra game.”

+ The league reached agreement with Comcast to expand the number of homes that can view the NFL Network from 2 million to 10.8 million by moving the network from a higher pay tier to Comcast’s Digital Classic service. The league also reached agreements with CBS and Fox to extend their rights to broadcast NFL games by two years until at least 2013. Goodell said conversations are also taking place with NBC about an extension.

+ Owners voted Tuesday to allow teams to forge partnerships with their local and state lotteries to generate revenue. Team logos could appear on lottery tickets – as they do in other leagues (see Red Sox example at left) – but only for scratch-off or chance games. “It would not be based on the outcome of games,” Goodell said. “That’s a critical feature for us. We do think it’s responsive to pressures states are feeling right now to help meet some of those shortfalls, what we can do with states and our clubs, to be able to try to create some additional revenue, and I think it has been effective in other sports." The New England Patriots have already jumped aboard with the Massachusetts State Lottery.

+ Owners discussed possibly expanding the Rooney Rule, which requires teams interview at least one minority candidate for coaching positions, to include general managers.

NFL, South Florida Super Bowl XLIV Host Committee and Dolphin Stadium officials officially unveiled the logos for next year’s Super Bowl and Pro Bowl on Wednesday.

They also announced the “Your Seat, Your Price” program that allows Dolphins season ticket holders to lock in the same seats they have during the season for the 2010 Pro Bowl at the same regular season price. Those tickets are to go on sale in July. Regular Pro Bowl subscribers (yes, apparently there are people who buy tickets to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii every year) also get priority. After that, the general public can buy tickets, starting in October, but anyone seeking tickets should register their interest now at miamidolphins.com/2010ProBowl.

Tickets for the general public are only expected to be slightly more than the Dolphins regular season price with most seats selling for less than $100, NFL Senior Vice President of Special Events Frank Supovitz said. The idea, he said, is to try to attract as many fans as possible, who might otherwise be shut out from the Super Bowl.

“There will be some people who will be lucky enough to score tickets to both, but by and large, it will be two different audiences,” said Supovitz, who was sporting a Super Bowl XLI tie honoring the last Super Bowl in South Florida in 2007. “The Super Bowl is a higher priced ticket, the Pro Bowl really is meant to be open to everyone, the whole idea was to bring more fans to the Pro Bowl and more fans to the stadium than we’ve ever been able to do.”

Next year, the Pro Bowl is being held Jan. 31 at Dolphin Stadium – marking the first time it’s being held outside of Hawaii since 1979 – a week before the Super Bowl, which we be played at the Miami Gardens venue on Feb. 7. The game will move back to Hawaii in 2011 and 2012. The game is expected to have a regular presence in Hawaii, but also could move to other cities in the continental United States, Supovitz said.

Pairing the two games together and holding the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl, Supovitz said, will provide the community with a longer period of football and festivities.

“Our hope is to capture the fervor and the passion of the football fan, while it’s still at its height,” Supovitz said.

He said the Super Bowl attracts as many as 150,000 visitors who pump $350 million to $500 million into the host community’s economy. He said he does not know the economic impact of the Pro Bowl, but it is expected to draw more local fans.

Other changes planned for next year’s events include an area called “NFL Plaza,” which will replace the NFL Experience theme park area just next year. The Plaza will be open on Pro Bowl Sunday and will serve as a gathering area for activities, merchandise sales and stadium tours. Supovitz said with the Super Bowl last in South Florida in 2007, the league wanted to provide different types of activities. Next year will be South Florida’s record-breaking 10th time hosting the Super Bowl.

The NFL Flag National Championship will be moved to January and South Florida – from November at DisneyWorld -- during the festivities with the winners among the 9- to 14-year-old players being honored on the field during the Pro Bowl. The region will also host Super Bowl Saturday Night – an event started in Arizona two years ago. The free night of football, fireworks and music is expected to attract tens of thousands of fans. The location has not yet been announced.

South Florida is competing against New Orleans and Arizona to host the 2013 Super Bowl. NFL owners will make a decision later this month.

But don’t expect a Super Bowl in London anytime soon, despite a number of reports. Supovitz said conversations have taken place with London officials about the bidding process, but nothing more.

“That’s where discussions began and ended,” he said. “We’ve had discussions with them. Nobody’s set any timetable. Nobody’s set any objectives to bring a game there anytime in a specific year. There’s been a lot reported there has been. None of those conversations have happened.”

Next year’s Super Bowl is 289 days away, but the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee is preparing small businesses for work related to the game and its accompanying events, recruiting volunteers, and … planting trees.

This week, representatives of the NFL, Florida Division of Forestry, the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tourism and host committee officials and representatives of seven cities across the state have been planting slash pine trees. In Tampa, Lakeland, Sebring, Belle Glade, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and on Friday in Miami Gardens, tree planting ceremonies have been held to mark the Super Bowl’s “Trail of Trees.” The idea is to connect the site of this year’s Super Bowl – Tampa – with next year’s in South Florida.

“These tree plantings will symbolize a passing of the environmental mantle from one host community to the next and will mark the final environmental project of Super Bowl XLIII and the first environmental project for Super Bowl XLIV,” according to a release from the host committee.

Super Bowl XLIV is scheduled on Feb. 7, 2010 at Dolphin Stadium. The Pro Bowl will be played at the stadium a week before.

More than 20,000 trees have been planted during the past five years in a partnership between the league and the U.S. Forest Service. The league is trying to reduce its carbon footprint in Super Bowl host communities through recycling, using alternative fuels, and other efforts. The league has planted nearly 2,000 trees in all in Tampa this year.

Just as broadcasters and columnists have been bashing tonight’s Arizona Cardinals-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, veteran sports marketing expert Bob Dorfman isn’t seeing a lot of Madison Avenue power in the players either.

In his annual Super Bowl Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report, Dorfman, who is executive vice president at San Francisco’s Baker Street Advertising, puts only Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in the “touchdown” category of marketability.

“Though he lacks Peyton Manning’s charm and Tom Brady’s glam, Big Ben has a rugged, blue-collar appeal that matches well with any product that gets a tough job done without a lot of flash or hoopla—like power tools, trucks, deodorants, or cold and flu remedies,” Dorfman wrote.

Excedrin or Advil since he recently suffered a concussion, Dorfman suggests.

“And though a “Roethlis-burger” has been served in various Pittsburgh area joints, it may be time to take it national via McDonald’s or Burger King. In just his fifth year in the NFL, there’s no ceiling on Big Ben’s football—and marketing—future,” Dorfman said.

He gives “field goal” status to Cardinals QB quarterback Kurt Warner; Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

“Warner’s rags-to-riches story—from supermarket to Super Bowl—would make a fine biopic, his large family would fit well in a minivan campaign, and his good looks could work handsomely for any men’s grooming product,” Dorfman wrote. “At 37, he may not be the best choice to appeal to the coveted “male 18-34” demographic, but for more mature audiences, Warner could be an effective pitchman—especially if he can lead his Cardinals to an upset win on Super Sunday.”

If you’ve been following the pre-Super Bowl advertising hype, you already know that Polamalu is featured in a Coke Zero remake – of sorts – of Coke’s famous Mean Joe Greene spot to air during the big game. Yes, the spot was made long before it was known Polamalu would be playing in the game.

“Intense on the field, soft-spoken off, Troy’s trademark flowing locks belong in a Pert shampoo ad. And the way he flies all over the field could qualify him for an American Airlines commercial, or a Dodge “Ram Tough” truck ad,” Dorfman said.

And then he asks, “And wouldn’t you love to see Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald together in an ad, getting hairstyle makeovers from Paul Mitchell?”

More hair spots for Fitzgerald, Dorfman says. “Fitzgerald’s signature dreads could make a compelling hair care demo, his great smile could sell Crest toothpaste, and his good hands could score big for Allstate. T-Mobile might even consider replacing Charles Barkley with Fitzgerald in their “Fave 5” campaign. How about a spot with T.O. trying to make it onto Larry’s shortlist?”

FedEx isn’t advertising during Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, but the express shipping company got nearly four hours of television exposure during this month’s FedEx-sponsored Orange Bowl and BCS national championship games at Dolphin Stadium.

That’s exposure valued at $383 million measured against television ad rates during the games – with the value during the BCS game being higher than the Orange Bowl game, naturally. According to Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, that value was calculated this way: $256 million from the BCS game in which Florida beat Oklahoma, and $126.8 million from the Orange Bowl game in which Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati. Joyce Julius reported FedEx got 51 mentions and an hour and 59 minutes of screen time during the BCS game and 59 mentions and an hour and 56 minutes during the Orange Bowl game.

Two other BCS bowl game sponsors scored higher values than FedEx did for the Orange Bowl game during their traditional bowl games this year. Tostitos received 43 mentions and an hour and 58 minutes of screen time during the Fiesta Bowl for a value of $138 million; Allstate received 45 mentions and an hour and 51 minutes during the Sugar Bowl for a value of $131 million. Citi, meanwhile, got 25 mentions and an hour and 21 minutes airtime during the Rose Bowl for a value of $111.4 million, Joyce Julius reported.

The Michigan firm's research shows other companies that received significant exposure time during the BCS game included Nike with a value of $61 million and Southwest Airlines with a value of $31.3 million.

We’re still two weeks away from Super Bowl XLIII (Arizona Cardinals v. Pittsburgh Steelers) in Tampa but the host committee for next year’s Super Bowl is holding a kickoff event on Wednesday.

The South Florida Super Bowl 2010 Host Committee, the Riverwalk Trust and Junior Achievement are hosting a gathering at 5:30-8 p.m. at the offices of Tribeca Medaesthetics, 1425 W. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

The event, which will include hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and raffle drawings, will be an opportunity to express interest in and sign up for volunteer assignments during Super Bowl XLIV. The event is free for Junior Achievement supporters and Riverwalk Trust members, but costs $10 for others and requires advance registration at www.goriverwalk.com.

After 12 straight years of advertising during the Super Bowl – and a presence in 18 Super Bowls since 1989 – FedEx is bowing out of the 2009 game. At an average price of $3 million for a 30-second spot, lots of companies are making difficult choices about television’s most expensive advertising. Read FedEx Director of Advertising Steve Pacheco’s reasoning here.

But FedEx is likely to get plenty of exposure during the next week, with its name attached to the 75th annual Orange Bowl game tomorrow night and the BCS National Championship game a week later on Jan. 8.

When the BCS added a fifth bowl game to the mix three years ago, not only did the national championship host location get an extra bowl game, the title sponsors did, too. The eight-figure four-year agreement with Fox to broadcast the BCS games includes a number of ads for the title sponsors during the games and promotion during other Fox broadcasts and in print and radio advertising. FedEx is also the “official overnight delivery service of the BCS.”

Eric Wright, vice president of research and development for Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, says the title sponsor earns more mentions during the non-championship bowl game, but the value from the national championship game is higher.

“It looks like the sponsor grabs slightly more onscreen time and mentions in their traditional bowl than the championship game, but the ad rates being what they are [in the national championship game] were higher,” Wright said.

For example, Allstate received 61 mentions and two hours and 42 minutes of screen time during this year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl for a total value of $172.4 million, when measured against ad rates during the game. The insurance company got just 50 mentions and one hour and 53 minutes of screen time during the BCS National Championship game, but that time was valued at $231.1 million, Joyce Julius reported.

By contrast, the title sponsors FedEx for the Orange and Tostitos for the Fiesta and presenting sponsor Citi for the Rose Bowl, received less value from their exposure, even if there were more mentions or screen time. Joyce Julius figures show FedEx received 48 mentions and an hour and 49 minutes of screen time for a value of $117.3 million. Tostitos got 61 mentions and two hours and 12 minutes of screen time for a value of $142.3 million. And Citi got 29 mentions and an hour and 42 minutes of airtime for a value of $107.4 million.

The trend was similar in 2007, the first year the fifth game was added to the BCS rotation. Tostitos got 86 mentions and two hours 10 minutes of airtime for a value of $101.2 million for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. For the BCS National Championship game, the company got 36 mentions and an hour and 50 minutes of airtime for a value of $175.3 million.

Meanwhile, Fedex received 66 mentions and one hour and 55 minutes of airtime for a value of $88.6 million; Allstate received 56 mentions, an hour and 58 minutes of screen time for a value of $89.6 million; and Citi got 26 mentions and just 16 minutes of air time for a value of $26.6 million from the Rose Bowl.

The NFL made it official Tuesday that the Pro Bowl will move a week before the Super Bowl and be played at Dolphin Stadium in 2010. Future sites for the game, which has been held in Honolulu since 1980, have not been determined, but the intention is for it to be played in Hawaii on a rotating basis, the league said. Read the Dolphins news release about the move here.

“We are looking at alternatives to strengthen the Pro Bowl,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We will continue to work with the players to make it a great event and will evaluate the concept after the 2010 Pro Bowl.”

The 2010 game will be held at 8 p.m. Jan. 31 and will be broadcast on ESPN. Super Bowl XLIV will be held a week later on Jan. 7, also at Dolphin Stadium. The idea of moving the game from Hawaii and holding it before -- rather than after -- the Super Bowl has been contemplated by the league for a couple of years.

“Taking the Pro Bowl to new locations can showcase our top players to more fans around the country," NFL Senior Vice President of Events Frank Supovitz said in a statement. "We are also in discussions with key leaders in Hawaii to continue our partnership with the State of Hawaii, which has embraced the Pro Bowl for 30 years.”

South Florida tourism officials were asked to prepare for the possibility of the game moving, by lining up hotels and other accommodations. They say the game could pump another $150 million into local businesses on top of the economic impact from hosting the Super Bowl.

The Pro Bowl’s annual ticket subscribers, Dolphins season ticket-holders and members of the public will have a chance to purchase tickets. Would you want to attend?

The NFL hasn’t officially announced the Pro Bowl will move a week before the Super Bowl and to South Florida from Honolulu in 2010, but tourism officials say they’ve been told to plan for the possibility.

The Associated Press reported the news Monday. The NFL, which has a contract to play in Hawaii through the 2009 game, said the decision hadn’t been made yet.

"Plans for future Pro Bowls are not final, but we have stated publicly several times that we are giving strong consideration to moving the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “We also have been exploring playing future Pro Bowls at the site of the Super Bowl as well as in Honolulu, host of the Pro Bowl since 1980.”

With South Florida already gearing up to host its 10th Super Bowl in 2010, the possibility of a Pro Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, too, is welcome news. Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki Grossman said the Pro Bowl could mean an additional $150 million for local businesses on top of the impact from the Super Bowl.

“We were told to prepare to have venues and hotels available for a first-ever since 1980 move out of Hawaii by the Pro Bowl. We are ready, willing, able, excited and determined to make this a spectacular two weeks of great football in South Florida,” Grossman said. “We have huge beach shoes to fill. Hawaii has been a consummate host. We’ve got a go a long way to go to match that experience, but we are certainly a place that can do that.”

Grossman called the idea of NFL converging on South Florida for both events, “an opportunity to take a one-week spectacular and turn it into a two-week spectacular.”

Turns out that rapid Super Bowl ad buying recorded in September has slowed down significantly. NBC says it has eight 30-second spots still available during Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa on Feb. 1.

NBC, broadcaster of the 2009 game, says about 59 spots during the game have been spoken for and are running about $3 million each. That’s up from about $2.7 million last year. But the company also told the Associated Press it is negotiations for the remaining spots.

Regular Super Bowl advertiser General Motors announced in September it would skip the Super Bowl. FedEx Corp., Garmin Ltd. And Salesgenie.com are also not buying ads this time.

Monster Worldwide, however, which hasn’t bought an ad since the 2004, game will be back and competing with ads from CareerBuilder.com. Probably not a bad spend, given how many people have lost their jobs and are looking for work.

Luckily, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s performance in Super Bowl XLII was clutch. Manning, a Gatorade endorser since 2005, is featured in an ad for the sports drink’s new “League of Clutch” campaign that promotes athletes who make the plays that win games, in spectacular fashion.

The new ad, which began airing Wednesday, includes images from the Giants’ final drive that led to the team beating the undefeated New England Patriots and, of course, an image of the Gatorade being dumped on Giants Coach Tom Coughlin. Some expect Manning to continue to be in demand from Madison Avenue.

Gatorade is also auctioning five Giants commemorative Super Bowl bottles autographed by Manning on eBay.com. Proceeds from the auction, which runs through Sunday, will benefit the United Way.

Other League of Clutch athletes include Eli Manning’s brother Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, Heat guard Dwyane Wade, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and 2008 Australian Open champion tennis star Maria Sharapova.

The University of Phoenix has received media exposure worth as much as $20 million from its naming rights sponsorship of the Glendale, Ariz., stadium where Super Bowl XLII unfolded, according to Joyce Julius & Associates.

The Michigan firm that measures the impact of corporate sponsorship figures the actual game broadcast generated a value of $10.2 million from the 1 minute and 33 seconds of time the online university's name appeared on screen and two announcer references to it. That’s measured against the average $2.7 million companies paid for 30-second ads that aired during the game broadcast.

The firm says the university got another $6 million worth of exposure from media stories and another $4.5 million of exposure from hosting the BCS national championship game last year.

The $10.2 million game exposure is down from $13.6 million for Ford when the game was played at Ford Field in Detroit in 2006 and up from the $2.1 million for Alltel, when the game was played at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville in 2005, Joyce Julius reported.

So, will Super Bowl XLII Champion New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning challenge his brother Peyton for ad time after pulling off his team’s stunning upset of the New England Patriots on Sunday?

“Eli couldn’t have scripted a better finish for his marketing success,” says Bob Dorfman, of San Francisco-based Baker Street Partners and author of the Super Bowl XLII Sports Marketers’ Scouting Report. Dorfman says the Super Bowl win could be worth as much as $5 million in new endorsement deals. “Though Eli lacks the cachet, charisma and acting chops of big brother Peyton, he shows solid potential as a potent pitchman.”

Dorfman figures Manning, who already has deals with Oreo (you've no doubt seen the Eli and Peyton pitching Oreo's Double Stuff Racing League), DirecTV and ESPN, could do ads for T-Mobile “everyone will want to be in his Fave 5 now,” a car deal, or fast food, where he could promote a “Giant-sized” deal. "As the new toast of New York, Eli could also earn seven figures in regional marketing deals,” Dorfman said.

Other marketable Giants able to capitalize? “Michael Strahan stands to benefit the most after Eli. He’s already a household name and face, has a proven endorsement resume, speaks well, is charismatic on camera, and has that signature gap-tooth smile that might be fun in a Crest toothpaste ad,” Dorfman said. “He also has a solid future in broadcasting.”

And “Plaxico Burress could land a Kleenex deal after his teary post-game interview,” Dorfman said.

Shaquille O’Neal. Dwyane Wade. Danica Patrick. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Carl Edwards.

Plenty of athletes will be appearing in the most expensive advertising of the year during Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLII on Sunday. The price is averaging $2.7 million for a 30-second spot, up from $2.6 million last year.

O’Neal plays a jockey in a first-ever Super Bowl ad for Glaceau’s vitaminwater. Wade and Charles Barkley are in the latest installment of the T Mobile ad campaign, where we’re supposed to learn if Barkley will finally let Wade into his “Fave 5.” Earnhardt is scheduled to appear in an ad for new sponsor, Pepsi Amp. Patrick will be in another ad for GoDaddy.com.

Under Armour, which is also making its first entry into the Super Bowl ad world, has included more than two dozen athletes for the company’s new line of non-cleat athletic shoes that debut in May. In addition to Edwards, other athletes in the 60-second spot include Ray Lewis, Alfonso Soriano, Garret Atkins, Vernon Davis, Kimmie Meisner and Cat Osterman. Super Bowl XLII participant, Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants also appears.

Heat center Shaquille O'Neal will make his debut in a vitaminwater ad during Super Bowl XLII as a ... jockey. Yep, the 7 foot 1, 325-pound O'Neal sports jockey silks and rides a horse in the 60-second spot, which is being kept under wraps until it airs at the beginning of the third quarter of Sunday's game on Fox. In the meantime, check out O'Neal in his silks, courtesy of vitaminwater maker Glaceau.

O'Neal became a vitaminwater endorser and investor last year, appearing on 32-ounce bottles of power-c flavor. He has been wanting to appear in one of the company's off-beat ads. In fact, he came up with the idea for the spot.

"I grew up in Texas, so I'm no stranger to riding horses, but I've always wanted to try being a jockey in an actual horse race - so vitaminwater and I decided to give it a try," O'Neal said in a statement.

It didn't hurt that Glaceau President Mike Repole is among the top 50 race horse owners in the country.

WADE AND BARKLEY

Meanwhile, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley continue their T-Mobile ad campaign during the Super Bowl. The company is running this teaser ad on YouTube encouraging the public to tune in to find out if Wade will finally make it into Barkley's "Fave 5":