Infighting clouds 2011 Super Bowl bid
NFL officials, Arizona negotiators at odds
Scott Wong and Amanda J. Crawford
The Arizona Republic
May. 22, 2007 12:00 AM
A testy dispute in Arizona over 2008 Super Bowl planning could color the NFL's decision today about whether to bring the big game here again in 2011, high-ranking state officials confirmed Monday.
The disagreements are significant enough that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made a surprise call to Gov. Janet Napolitano two weeks ago warning that there were unexpected problems with Arizona "staff run amok" during negotiations about the upcoming 2008 Super Bowl, said Dennis Burke, Napolitano's chief of staff.
In one facet of the flap, the public agency that owns University of Phoenix Stadium stunned the NFL by asking for reimbursement for mega-event improvements to the stadium that were made after it opened in Glendale in August.
Another aspect is a fight about whether the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl should retain control over three stadium party suites it contributed $3 million to build, or relinquish that control to the NFL during the 2008 Super Bowl. The NFL traditionally controls such suites and the big money that comes with them.
The political infighting couldn't come at a worse time: less than nine months before the Glendale stadium hosts Super Bowl XLII and on the eve of the NFL's decision about whether to return the big game to Arizona in 2011.
This morning in Nashville, an Arizona delegation will make its case before the league's 32 team owners to bring the nation's marquee sporting event back in four years.
Dallas and Indianapolis, both of which are building football stadiums, are front-runners in the 2011 sweepstakes.
Beginnings of infighting
Both Burke and Larry Landry, chairman of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, laid blame for recent disagreements at the feet of Ted Ferris, authority president and chief executive. Burke and Landry expressed fear that Ferris' actions would affect the state's chances of landing the 2011 Super Bowl.
Burke said Goodell's comments about "staff" problems were spurred by Ferris' asking the Super Bowl to pay retroactively for recently completed stadium improvements. The authority counts among those improvements new media rooms, additional party suites and mega-event space.
Burke said that the NFL felt that Ferris was "shaking us down for improvements" and that "this guy was screwing them around after they thought a deal is a deal" on the 2008 game.
An NFL spokesman clarified that Goodell had called Napolitano with concerns that Arizona was changing its bid just months before the game.
Authority spokesman Brad Parker said that Ferris did ask NFL officials to reimburse the agency for some of the $7.5 million in improvements made after the stadium was completed but that NFL officials brushed off that suggestion during initial talks.
Instead, Parker said, NFL officials pledged to make more improvements to the $455 million facility and include the authority in the process.
Fiesta Bowl issues
Meanwhile, Landry said Ferris upset NFL officials when he bypassed his own board and told the Fiesta Bowl that it would control the rights to the suites it had paid to build.
The authority board eventually voted earlier this year to give the NFL complete control over those suites, but that decision has prompted Fiesta Bowl officials to seek outside mediation.
In a March 19 letter, Mike Allen, former Fiesta Bowl chairman, wrote Landry that his organization's decision to invest in the construction of stadium party suites and other improvements was partly based on "assurances" from the authority that other events, possibly including the Super Bowl, would help it recoup that investment.
John Junker, president and chief executive of the Fiesta Bowl, said that he had not expected the disagreement to be insurmountable.
"All I heard from Mr. Landry were goodwill assurances in the interest of moving forward together happily," Junker said, noting that he had an amicable 45-minute conversation with Landry at a recent Phoenix Suns game.
Landry, however, was openly critical of Ferris' handling of the matter.
"It appears to be a material abuse of power, and I am very concerned with it," Landry said by phone from Nashville, where he was huddling with the Arizona delegation bidding for the 2011 game. "I am concerned that any hiccup, any problem with our bid could hurt us."
But Ferris, who has served in his leadership post since the authority's creation in January 2001, denied making any promises to the Fiesta Bowl regarding who controlled the suites. He disagreed with Landry's characterization that he had overstepped his authority.
"I've always worked very hard to represent the board of directors in and the authority in the best interest of the public," Ferris said.
"That's always been what I've attempted to do."
Ferris said that he had recommended that the authority board double to $500,000 the amount it was contributing for Super Bowl game-day costs. The board also has agreed to rebate to the NFL all sales-tax revenue from 2011 Super Bowl tickets, an estimated $4.2 million.
Ferris has been a lightning rod for controversy in the past, butting heads with lawmakers over funding issues, as well as with the Arizona Cardinals over how stadium construction costs would be split and who would control stadium activities.
He has been targeted for removal several times by his critics, but because he serves at the pleasure of the authority board, has retained his position. His contract expires at the end of 2008.
Landry said Ferris' tenure could be the subject of a board meeting on June 15.
NFL officials, Arizona negotiators at odds
Scott Wong and Amanda J. Crawford
The Arizona Republic
May. 22, 2007 12:00 AM
A testy dispute in Arizona over 2008 Super Bowl planning could color the NFL's decision today about whether to bring the big game here again in 2011, high-ranking state officials confirmed Monday.
The disagreements are significant enough that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made a surprise call to Gov. Janet Napolitano two weeks ago warning that there were unexpected problems with Arizona "staff run amok" during negotiations about the upcoming 2008 Super Bowl, said Dennis Burke, Napolitano's chief of staff.
In one facet of the flap, the public agency that owns University of Phoenix Stadium stunned the NFL by asking for reimbursement for mega-event improvements to the stadium that were made after it opened in Glendale in August.
Another aspect is a fight about whether the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl should retain control over three stadium party suites it contributed $3 million to build, or relinquish that control to the NFL during the 2008 Super Bowl. The NFL traditionally controls such suites and the big money that comes with them.
The political infighting couldn't come at a worse time: less than nine months before the Glendale stadium hosts Super Bowl XLII and on the eve of the NFL's decision about whether to return the big game to Arizona in 2011.
This morning in Nashville, an Arizona delegation will make its case before the league's 32 team owners to bring the nation's marquee sporting event back in four years.
Dallas and Indianapolis, both of which are building football stadiums, are front-runners in the 2011 sweepstakes.
Beginnings of infighting
Both Burke and Larry Landry, chairman of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, laid blame for recent disagreements at the feet of Ted Ferris, authority president and chief executive. Burke and Landry expressed fear that Ferris' actions would affect the state's chances of landing the 2011 Super Bowl.
Burke said Goodell's comments about "staff" problems were spurred by Ferris' asking the Super Bowl to pay retroactively for recently completed stadium improvements. The authority counts among those improvements new media rooms, additional party suites and mega-event space.
Burke said that the NFL felt that Ferris was "shaking us down for improvements" and that "this guy was screwing them around after they thought a deal is a deal" on the 2008 game.
An NFL spokesman clarified that Goodell had called Napolitano with concerns that Arizona was changing its bid just months before the game.
Authority spokesman Brad Parker said that Ferris did ask NFL officials to reimburse the agency for some of the $7.5 million in improvements made after the stadium was completed but that NFL officials brushed off that suggestion during initial talks.
Instead, Parker said, NFL officials pledged to make more improvements to the $455 million facility and include the authority in the process.
Fiesta Bowl issues
Meanwhile, Landry said Ferris upset NFL officials when he bypassed his own board and told the Fiesta Bowl that it would control the rights to the suites it had paid to build.
The authority board eventually voted earlier this year to give the NFL complete control over those suites, but that decision has prompted Fiesta Bowl officials to seek outside mediation.
In a March 19 letter, Mike Allen, former Fiesta Bowl chairman, wrote Landry that his organization's decision to invest in the construction of stadium party suites and other improvements was partly based on "assurances" from the authority that other events, possibly including the Super Bowl, would help it recoup that investment.
John Junker, president and chief executive of the Fiesta Bowl, said that he had not expected the disagreement to be insurmountable.
"All I heard from Mr. Landry were goodwill assurances in the interest of moving forward together happily," Junker said, noting that he had an amicable 45-minute conversation with Landry at a recent Phoenix Suns game.
Landry, however, was openly critical of Ferris' handling of the matter.
"It appears to be a material abuse of power, and I am very concerned with it," Landry said by phone from Nashville, where he was huddling with the Arizona delegation bidding for the 2011 game. "I am concerned that any hiccup, any problem with our bid could hurt us."
But Ferris, who has served in his leadership post since the authority's creation in January 2001, denied making any promises to the Fiesta Bowl regarding who controlled the suites. He disagreed with Landry's characterization that he had overstepped his authority.
"I've always worked very hard to represent the board of directors in and the authority in the best interest of the public," Ferris said.
"That's always been what I've attempted to do."
Ferris said that he had recommended that the authority board double to $500,000 the amount it was contributing for Super Bowl game-day costs. The board also has agreed to rebate to the NFL all sales-tax revenue from 2011 Super Bowl tickets, an estimated $4.2 million.
Ferris has been a lightning rod for controversy in the past, butting heads with lawmakers over funding issues, as well as with the Arizona Cardinals over how stadium construction costs would be split and who would control stadium activities.
He has been targeted for removal several times by his critics, but because he serves at the pleasure of the authority board, has retained his position. His contract expires at the end of 2008.
Landry said Ferris' tenure could be the subject of a board meeting on June 15.
