Tampa Lands Super Bowl LV, Politicians Amazingly Refrain From Making Economic Claims

As I reported for WTSP this week, the Super Bowl's return to Tampa is not yet a done deal, as local organizers have a 90-day deadline to secure a slew of agreements from local businesses and taxpayer-funded agencies that spell out exactly what concessions will be made to the NFL for the "right" to host the 2021 game.

Among the requirements the NFL makes of host cities is to provide all police, fire, medical, and other governmental planning services free-of-charge during - and leading up to - the Super Bowl. Those expenses may run into the tens of millions.  Tampa's City Council agreed to those terms last year.

We also know, from a leaked 2013 NFL document, the league typically expects a long list of hotel-, entertainment- and transportation-related concessions from host cities.


But the most jaw-dropping news this week may have been how the Super Bowl-to-Tampa news didn't prompt the typical claims of robust economic impact.

I'd like to think that may have something to do with my frequent watchdogging on inflated and unfounded claims from local politicians, related to spring training, St. Pete's new pier project, the 2012 Republican National Convention, and the 2017 college football championship game - even once bringing a four-year-old in at one point to simplify the equation.

RELATED: Numbers don't support college football playoff economic boom

There have also been numerous economists who have looked into the economic impact of Super Bowls, and time and time again, most academics find the game's disruption to the local economy negates most gains a city would otherwise enjoy. In short, some industries win while others lose.

So yes, while Super Bowls are special, they are also expensive.

Last fall, Tampa's city council agreed to not only provide all police, fire, and medical services for Super Bowl week for free, but also any governmental planning, infrastructure, and security costs associated with Super Bowl events.

In addition to hosting football championships, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission has also enjoyed recent success luring less-complicated and less-expensive sporting events (along with their visitors) to town, from youth tournaments to the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four and 2019 women's Final Four.

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Happy Anniversary Shadow of the Stadium!

This is that special week each year I sit down to eat cake (by myself) because Shadow of the Stadium has survived another 12 months!

The last year hasn't exactly brought forth the most consequential Stadium Saga news, as the Rays continue to bide their time, hoping for a change in both leverage and attitudes toward public financing.  But Hillsborough has no money for a stadium and Pinellas faces doubt about throwing good money after bad.

So it's another opportunity to look back at some of the real interesting pivot points of the Stadium Saga turns nine (and this blog turns eight)....as well as an opportunity to remind you that the blog's goal (1,400 posts and counting) is to provide some big-picture perspective on where, when, how, and if a new Rays stadium should be built in Tampa Bay (along with other local sports business news):

• Bold predictions: how the Rays Stadium Saga will go down (7/3/09)
• Sternberg gives Tampa Bay stadium ultimatum (6/21/10)
• Gammons: MLB needs ability to blackmail cities (8/31/10) and Update (1/6/15)
• Stadium Saga isn't Tampa Bay's problem; it's MLB's Problem (8/2/11)
• Times hates corporate welfare; except for maybe pro sports teams (3/12/13)
• Crazy simplistic thoughts on the Stadium Saga (8/30/13)
• Rays deal for could mirror Braves' secret, not-so-great, potentially-illegal deal (7/5/15) and Update (3/24/16)
• DONE DEAL: St. Pete approves deal to alter Rays contract (1/14/16)
• How Ken Hagan has flipped on stadium subsidies (3/25/16) and Update (3/1/17)
• Hillsborough still doesn't have $200M hiding in sofa cushions (5/31/16)
• The Rays have 99 problems, but getting rich ain't one (12-21-16)
• Florida's leading economist on sporting events is not an economist (4-16-17)

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Rowdies Win Referendum; Other Summer Reading

In case you slept through the week of Tampa Bay sports business news, St. Pete voters gave the city overwhelming approval to work out a long-term deal with the Rowdies to renovate Al Lang stadium (supposedly with private funds, although many suspect annual public rent/maintenance subsidies).

Nothing is likely to happen without MLS awarding the city an expansion franchise...which is unlikely to happen (IMHO) without the Rays deciding their future first.  Neither the league nor the Rowdies like their prospects of drawing 20,000 fans to Downtown St. Pete if the Rays are still there, possibly in a new stadium.

Some tweeters suspect MLS loves the referendum news, solely because it ups the ante on other cities competing for expansion franchises:

Rough translation: "Listen, we'd love to let you and everyone else in, but bidding wars is bidding wars, jack." https://t.co/HyoePUF0oB

— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) May 3, 2017

But, as always...time will tell. In other recent sports business news:

• Apparently Derek Jeter & Jeb Bush aren't quite ready to close on the Marlins yet...because, you know...leverage.
• Detroit's stadium "renaissance" is apparently only a renaissance for sports teams owners, who appear to be cannibalizing economy from the rest of the city.
• Lightning owner Jeff Vinik knows it pays to have friends in high places, as one of his pet projects, a Downtown Tampa USF Medical campus, is in line to get another $14M in state funding, while his downtown renovation project has gotten nothing but rubber stamps, even as he asks for a bit more public money.
• Rob Manfred just isn't very good at the saber-rattling thing...at least compared to Bud Selig. Manfred tried to pretend Las Vegas would be a possible relocation site for the Rays...but forgot the city just got new NFL and NHL teams and is probably already stretched too thin for a small market, given its limited disposable income.  Just go back to the Montreal well, where it's safe, Commish.

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