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Drew Pearson wants all the buzz surrounding Super Bowl XLV to qualify North Texas as a host, on a regular basis, in a set rotation, for many more Super Bowls to come.
"I think that’s the goal," Pearson said Monday. "I don’t mean just back into it, either ... but let’s do everything possible so that the NFL just can’t turn us down." Multiple Super Bowls have been in the backs of minds ever since the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee set up shop eight months ago to begin multi-platform preparation for the Feb. 6, 2011 game at Cowboys Stadium. It will be the third Super Bowl held in the Lone Star State, but the first in North Texas. Pearson, former wide-receiver great of the Tom Landry Cowboys, joined Bill Lively, president/CEO of the North Texas Super Bowl Host, as guest speakers at a North Texas Chambers of Commerce luncheon at Cowboys Stadium on Monday.Close to 350 members — representing 52,000 businesses and 95 chambers across a four-county region — were brought up to date on the economic impact that will hit North Texas roughly 15 months from now. "We think the economic impact here will be as much as $700 million," said Lively, comparing this favorably to an estimated $300 million Super Bowl windfall on the Phoenix, Ariz., area two years ago. Lively continued: "Now the NFL is intrigued with the college football Bowl Championship Series concept in which the [title game] rotates among the different bowl venues ... and now the NFL may well adapt to a "set" [number of Super Bowl stadium sites] across the country."Lively’s best guess is that the rotation would include Florida, New Orleans, Southern California, Arizona ... "and, of course, North Texas."His reason for optimism is Cowboys Stadium, a $1.2-billion structure with a six-digit capacity.As Pearson pointed out, "What matters with the NFL, just like any other business, is the bottom line ... and 100,000 people at $1,000 [per ticket] is going to be hard for anybody to top."Lively gestured to the far reaches of the stadium."For our Super Bowl, there’ll be 20,000 more seats in here that aren’t in here now," he said. "The eastern plaza will be fenced in, with tents, stages, food and beverage — even heaters — to accommodate another 10,000 fans."The Super Bowl attendance record is 103,895 for SB XIV (Steelers-Rams) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 20, 1980.Super Bowl XLV is expected to draw 110,000 fans, according to Lively."North Texas doesn’t do anything small," said Pearson, drawing a parallel between the "teamwork and class" that characterized the Landry Cowboys and now what it will take to turn North Texas into a great Super Bowl host."People are going to be talking about this Super Bowl for years to come," Pearson said. "But it’s going to take everybody to roll up their sleeves and get on board."Ray Buck, 817-390-7760
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