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Super Bowl LI

HoustonMidtown

By HoustonMidtown
in Sports and Stadia

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Sparrow

Sparrow

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, placoors said:

http://www.chron.com/sports/superbowl/article/Houston-to-stay-aggressive-in-bidding-for-future-10919039.php

 

Houston is ready to bid on more big events:

 

I foresee the downtown highway reconstruction project as a HUGE necessity if Houston really does intend on landing another Super Bowl--not because of the roadway reconstruction, but rather because the possible privately funded park on the back side of the GRB over the highway lanes that could be twice the size of Discovery Green and stretch 10 city blocks (think of the new development possibilities--maybe start a program, much like we did to spur downtown residential development this time around, specifically for the blocks surrounding the park).

 

Perhaps we would also get the north canal diversion project north of downtown which may bring more waterfront oriented development by the time the next Super Bowl Houston rolls around. Maybe the Dallas--Houston high-speed rail becomes a reality (as well as airport Metrorail connections). By that time maybe the Astrodome would be ready for occupancy again too.

 

A huge new city park, a new waterfront district, a new high-speed rail line, and a reborn Astrodome would surely put the icing on the cake to draw a new Super Bowl to town--a bigger scoreboard, more seats, more suites, and new restaurants or whatever they dream up of doing with NRG Stadium would just be the sprinkles.  

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lockmat

lockmat

Posted
Posted

For those who don't frequent or work downtown, there's a "downtown team", I can't remember the official name, that blows whistles when the train passes and answers questions anyone has.

 

I asked one of them today how it went and he said not as many people were downtown as he expected.

 

I remember seeing a low aerial view of Main Street last super bowl and it was PACKED. Wondering why it wasn't like that this time, or was it?

 

Last SB I wasn't here, where was the "discovery green" location where everyone hung out?

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j_cuevas713

j_cuevas713

Posted
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2 minutes ago, lockmat said:

For those who don't frequent or work downtown, there's a "downtown team", I can't remember the official name, that blows whistles when the train passes and answers questions anyone has.

 

I asked one of them today how it went and he said not as many people were downtown as he expected.

 

I remember seeing a low aerial view of Main Street last super bowl and it was PACKED. Wondering why it wasn't like that this time, or was it?

 

Last SB I wasn't here, where was the "discovery green" location where everyone hung out?

Yeah compared to cramming everyone on Main, there were less people. It was basically the same amount of people mostly concentrated at Discovery Green but spread out more throughout downtown as well as Midtown. Much better set up this time around. Where Discovery Green is located now, they had two big helmets for each team. ESPN was set up there and that was about it. 

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lockmat

lockmat

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Yeah compared to cramming everyone on Main, there were less people. It was basically the same amount of people mostly concentrated at Discovery Green but spread out more throughout downtown as well as Midtown. Much better set up this time around. Where Discovery Green is located now, they had two big helmets for each team. ESPN was set up there and that was about it. 

 

But why was everyone on Main last time? What was there to do besides eat and go to clubs?

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lockmat

lockmat

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, gmac said:

It will never happen, but I would be very interested in an accounting of how much all this cost. And I don't mean the "perceived" value of exposure, etc. Hard dollars in and out.

 

Not sure if true, but I heard the NFL was not paying for the extra police, and I'm guessing there were some. That's probably a small piece of the pie, though.

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UtterlyUrban

UtterlyUrban

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, gmac said:

It will never happen, but I would be very interested in an accounting of how much all this cost. And I don't mean the "perceived" value of exposure, etc. Hard dollars in and out.

I agree.

 

it think that in hard dollars it is a net loser for the city and any city hosting it.  Politicians put lipstick on the pig but, frankly, it's still an economic pig.  I would rather have 10 conventions ( which will come with or without the SB) and don't need the "requirements" of a multi-billion dollar society for billionaires.

 

the only comment  that I heard SB visitors say (repeatedly) about downtown houston ( and actually again this morning from some hotel goers having nothing to do with the Super Bowl) was "there is no place to shop around here...".... .....

 

 

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102IAHexpress

102IAHexpress

Posted
Posted

I also agree that I would rather have 10 conventions. But one of the problems with future Houston conventions, especially big ones, is that Houston is one of the few cities with two large public conventions centers competing with each other. NRG Center owned by the county hosts the Offshore Technology Conference, The Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows, Nutcracker Market, Houston Auto Show, etc. GRB is not just competing with other cities, but within its own city as well.

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samagon

samagon

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, UtterlyUrban said:

I agree.

 

it think that in hard dollars it is a net loser for the city and any city hosting it.  Politicians put lipstick on the pig but, frankly, it's still an economic pig.  I would rather have 10 conventions ( which will come with or without the SB) and don't need the "requirements" of a multi-billion dollar society for billionaires.

 

the only comment  that I heard SB visitors say (repeatedly) about downtown houston ( and actually again this morning from some hotel goers having nothing to do with the Super Bowl) was "there is no place to shop around here...".... .....

 

 

 

There's no way the 2 weeks of the superbowl is at all even close to profitable for us (taxpayers). The city is picking up the tab for everything. And for this, the league gets all concessions and ticket sales for the game itself. I mean, they do nothing at all. It's a great gig for them, take all the money. But, hey, with cities clamoring to host the event, that's supply and demand.

 

It's not about that though.

 

The superbowl brought a lot of people to Houston who are fans of the sport, and fans of their teams. That brings in hotel occupancy, and rental cars. It brings in dollars to local bars, restaurants and businesses. It's the most obvious and direct way that these events effect Houston. These people hopefully go home and talk up Houston, their friends come here, and then they come back themselves. Maybe some even move here.

 

It also brings a lot of business drivers to the city. You could have gone to Sugarland airport and seen all the private jets. These people are the ones who make the final decision on where their business is located, or where to open a new office. These are the people who decide, let's have our convention here, or there. They see Houston at its best, and hopefully they decide to do more here. It's an opportunity to show off our town to big money people who may never ever come here otherwise.

 

10 small conventions are great, that brings steady business, but the superbowl brings huge wealth into the city, and gives an opportunity that may not have otherwise existed to try and draw that wealth to spend time and money here. Is this opportunity worth the cost though? That's impossible to know.

 

A further benefit to us, would the city have focused so much on making downtown the place it is now without this kick in the pants to look good for the superbowl? There's other amenities and quality of life improvements that we can all take advantage of that are direct results of the superbowl. Great for people who take advantage of them, maybe not for people who don't care to use those things.

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UtterlyUrban

UtterlyUrban

Posted
Posted

Samagon:

 

when you say "the Super Bowl brings huge wealth to the city", can you define that?

 

here is what I think I know:  a businessman, in fact those very same billionaire business mean who own the league, would NOT take the deal the NFL offers.  Only politicians take it and that should tell you something.....

 

when Houston gets a Fortune 500 company relocating its headquarters and 3,000 people from NYC to Downtown Houston and the CEO says: "I came for the Super Bowl and loved it so I moved the company here"....... then I might begin to think that there is a smiggeon of the "huge wealth" you describe......

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mollusk

mollusk

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Posted
On 2/9/2017 at 4:02 PM, lockmat said:

 

There was no NFL Experience?

 

Nope.  There wasn't anything formally called that IIRC, and nothing anywhere close to the dog and pony show that got set up this time regardless of what it's called.

 

The last time around was pretty much the start of the downtown sidewalks not getting rolled up at 6 pm every weekday evening and staying that way through the weekend.

 

The first time we had it, in 1974, it was even less of a big deal - and held at Rice Stadium because it had the biggest capacity at the time.

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mollusk

mollusk

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, kbates2 said:

Yeah....I would take a Superbowl over 10 conventions any day.

 

The two aren't mutually exclusive.  CVB hosted a number of event planners.

 

It's just a disappointment that the publicity outfit was out of LA.  Houston as the cultural and culinary capital of the SOUTH???  It's a flippin' miracle they didn't come up with a tumbling tumbleweed ride or some such.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Houston19514

Houston19514

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, samagon said:

the article was removed.

 

do a google search and past the link, it definitely existed, and you can read the google cached version:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lvlBM9VV74kJ:www.chron.com/business/texanomics/article/Sales-taxes-show-no-Super-Bowl-bump-yet-10974230.php+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

I'm afraid they may have removed the story because it was bone-headedly ignorant and incorrect, even for the Chronicle.  The $64 million referenced in the story was the amount distributed to Houston in February.  That amount was based on sales tax collections made in Houston in December and 4th quarter 2016, periods that were greatly influenced by the Super Bowl.  How can a major-city newspaper be this bad??

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