How not to muff the Super Bowl

By A Times Edtorial
Published February 13, 2008

Leaders in the Tampa Bay area got a good look in Phoenix at what works and what doesn't as Super Bowl XLIII heads to Tampa next February. Hosting a monumental event for a global audience holds as much peril as it does promise. The region has plenty to offer, but it will take outreach, attention to detail and cooperation on the part of many for the event to leave a good impression on visitors and residents alike.

The Gulf Coast's weather, beaches and proximity to theme parks in Orlando all helped Tampa secure its fourth Super Bowl. Those are rich amenities to draw on, and it is encouraging, at this early stage in the planning, that the host committee is so committed to staging a regional event. The big impression Tampa organizers walked away with, a committee official said, was that "clearly, Arizona was involving the whole state." That means doing more than looking to other communities for hotel beds, but marketing the game, spreading business opportunities and opening some events to local residents.

This is a chance for the region to come together on a host of challenges at a time when local governments are faced with a slowing economy and a limited tax base. Moving tens of thousands of people through a week of activities could lay the framework for more cooperation in the future - on everything from security and transportation planning to tourist and business development.

The heavy lifting will fall to Tampa. It will need to move thousands of people in and out of downtown, where traffic already is trying enough during the work week. The city will need to balance moving teams, the media and VIPs with keeping Platt Street and other major corridors open to workday traffic downtown. It also needs to improve the quality of Tampa taxi-cab services, which the local government regulates.

The same goes for balancing security. People who live and work here should not be unduly inconvenienced going about their normal lives - getting to work, their homes and the usual places. The city needs to make locals feel proud about winning and welcoming the game. That means opening events to the general public. The residents of downtown and Harbour Island, near the headquarters for the NFL and the media, and those in West Tampa, near Raymond James Stadium, deserve extra help dealing with the demands posed by hosting these crowds, whether added security, street cleaning or other services to soften the impact on their neighborhood.

The key here is sensitivity. The nearly 60 local officials who visited Phoenix should remember that as Tampa Bay prepares for Super Bowl XLIII.

[Last modified February 12, 2008, 22:24:51]