While the silence from our lame-duck, lame-ass Mayor’s office is deafening, the rest of Arlington, North Texas and, yes, Dallas can rejoice. Super Bowl XLV will be played here in early February 2011.
While Laura Miller starts shoveling down crow and painfully tries to craft a hollow, congratulatory statement to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, the rest of us can pop our buttons with civic pride. As expected, the NFL awarded the Super Bowl following the 2010 season to Dallas over Indianapolis and Phoenix -- despite, we hear, a hilarious Top 10 list by Indy native Dave Letterman. No word on whether Jones paired Roger Staubach with Dr. Phil.
So much for the anti-Cowboys bias.
The last two years Dallas has sneaked three players into the Hall of Fame, and now this. For the first time in its illustrious history, America’s Team will host America’s biggest game.
No team has ever played a Super Bowl in its own stadium. Might that change come 2011? By then gas could be $9 a gallon, tickets will be $900 and George Jetson’s flying car might finally be a reality. Oh, yeah, and no way in hell will Wade Phillips still be the Cowboys’ coach.
While Dallas begins the embarrassing process of lurching toward Arlington’s coattails, let’s look at who Jones might be counting on to lead his team to the home bench in SB XLV. Signed through the 2010 season are offensive linemen Leonard Davis, Andre Gurode and Kyle Kosier, receiver Terry Glenn and tight end Jason Witten. On the defensive side linebackers Akin Ayodele, Bobby Carpenter, Bradie James and safety Roy Williams. You’d think Terrence Newman and DeMarcus Ware would be around and Tony Romo would still be the quarterback, but who knows. Terrell Owens? Not likely.
Brad Sham will still be the radio voice, George Dunham will still be the voice of the stadium (giggle at that thought), Robert and I will still be blogging, although by then through our thought-to-type machines.
The economic impact for our area should be $400 million, about the same number of stories written about Super Bowl XLV before the big day arrives. Dare I say a handful will be penned about Miller?
Jerry's congratulating Indy and Phoenix right now. Heh. And he thanked the Fort Worth mayor, but not Dallas'. Heh. Heh. --Richie Whitt
