PASADENA
-- The Rose Bowl's effort to lure an NFL team to Pasadena is
expected to gain steam this week when NFL owners will meet
to discuss awarding the city a Super Bowl, possibly in 2008.
Published reports indicate league
owners will accept from their Super Bowl committee a
recommendation that the '08 game be played here, an oddity
in that Super Bowls are only rewarded to regions that have
an NFL team. The owners convene today and Thursday in New
York for their annual fall meetings.
An NFL spokesman refused to comment
specifically on the league awarding the Rose Bowl a Super
Bowl. But if Pasadena does receive one, it could be deduced
that NFL owners believe a team will be here by '08.
No team has been tabbed for
relocation, but possible candidates to move include the San
Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts, with the New Orleans
Saints, one NFL source said, an intriguing dark horse.
Rose Bowl General Manager Darryl
Dunn said the league's consideration of Pasadena for a Super
Bowl means the city is making progress with the league.
The city of Pasadena, at Dunn's
recommendation, hired Maryland-based sports consultant John
Moag in August to head the effort to revamp the Rose Bowl
and lure a team to Southern California. Moag was
instrumental in luring the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore
seven years ago, and he apparently has the NFL's ear again.
When asked if the NFL's willingness
to award the region a Super Bowl means it plans to have a
team in place here before then, Moag said Tuesday,
"Let's just say their statement is not insignificant.'
"It's an incredibly positive
sign, and something we all ought to be very, very happy
about,' Moag said. "Notwithstanding that, we have a lot
of work to do. What the NFL is saying is we have confidence
in the community's ability to put this together. If you
succeed, we'll be there. Bottom line, we still have to
produce for them.'
Moag said he will announce next
week the architectural team to be involved in the project.
Capacity in the 80-year-old stadium would likely be reduced
from 92,000 to around 65,000, and the revamped facility
would be constructed with Super Bowls in mind.
Several sports analysts agree that
if Pasadena landed an NFL team, it would probably play host
to the Super Bowl roughly every four years.
The construction process would be
three-tiered. First, the stadium must be revamped to meet
safety and seismic standards. Then, it must be remodeled to
fit modern NFL needs. And it also would need an update to
comply with handicapped access per the terms of the
Americans with Disabilities Act. The Rose Bowl currently
does not meet ADA standards, Moag said.
Moag said the stadium also would be
constructed in a manner that would allow for expanded
seating for special events, such as the Rose Bowl Game. The
Tournament of Roses has prided itself on having the largest
capacity for any bowl game, and a remodeled stadium would
threaten that designation.
Moag said the plan is to make the
stadium expandable, but he doubted it could reach the
current capacity of 92,000.
"One thing you can be sure of,
this is a building that we want to resemble as much as
possible the existing Rose Bowl,' Moag said. "You can
expect to see pretty much an oval stadium.'
The Rose Bowl still must form a
partnership with the NFL and a relocating team for all of
this to happen. But if it does get done, it figures to
happen quickly, Dunn said.
"This sends a signal from New
York that they are also encouraged, and that they want to be
here,' Dunn said. "(Moag) knows how to do this deal.
He's done the deal. He has an excellent grasp of the NFL and
he's also getting a grasp for Pasadena. He needs to bridge
the two.
"At the end of day this is
Pasadena's stadium. We are trying to diligently make sure we
have the stadium in a position to be successful long-term.'
-- Gabe Lacques can be reached at
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2239, or at gabe.lacques@sgvn.com.
