Eagles

The Eagles Still Want to Host a Super Bowl

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jan 30th, 2014 · 12:27 PM EST

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Eagles President Don Smolenski told Inquirer columnist and resident Flyers hater Mike Sielski that the Birds will indeed make a bid for the Super Bowl, likely for 2018:

“If it goes well, that’s definitely a possibility,” Smolenski said when asked if the Eagles would try to bring the Super Bowl to Philadelphia.

“We’re very proud of Lincoln Financial Field. We do think it’s a great facility, and we think over the years that’s been evident. It would be a sense of pride. Philadelphia is a world-class city with world-class facilities, and it’s a great sports town. It would be a chance to showcase Philadelphia on an international stage.”

This isn’t a surprise. Last year Jeffrey Lurie said the Eagles would take a run at hosting the big game. But Roger Goodell, speaking at an event in, you guessed it, New York earlier this month, said don’t count on it just yet:

“I think this is obviously innovative and it’s something new, but it’s also unique because it’s New York,” Goodell said in an interview with former Associated Press White House correspondent Ben Feller at the 92nd St. Y. “This is a stage, we have two teams here. Every city can’t host a Super Bowl just because of the sheer enormity of this event. And it’s not just a football game. We have a week full of events, we probably have well over 150,000 coming in to the New York region for this event.

“Will we look at other Super Bowls in cold-weather sites? I think we’ll wait and make that evaluation later.”

Meanwhile, Chris Carter, who was an absolute dick on 97.5 earlier today (more on that soon), weighed in, too:

“I’m telling you they’re not gonna have it. I don’t care if [Philly fans] care about it.”

Sielski’s piece builds a strong case for Philly as a host, but the fact is everything has to go right in New York this week (thus far it has) for a Northeastern city to even be considered again. Philly would probably be the favorite, since they have a new-ish and renovated stadium, and plenty of accommodations within the city limits. [The Redskins have an older stadium. The Patriots don’t play anywhere near Boston. And no one likes Pittsburgh.] The New York-NJ Super Bowl is unique in that Met Life Stadium is 30 minutes (or more) from Manhatten. But it’s New York, it’s not the norm. Because it’s New York.