The 2016 Super Bowl Has Been Awarded to the Bay Area, at the New Levi's Stadium [UPDATE: Houston Will Host in 2017]

The NFL owners are announcing the Super Bowl locations for 2016 and 2017, with the NFL Network putting us live as owners vote with a 90 minute riveting special. The Bay Area will be hosting the Super Bowl in 2016, thanks to the brand new button fly Levi stadium being built in Santa Clara, it was just announced.

That means we must congratulate Miami, who had roughly as good a chance as Rick Reilly does of winning a national poetry award, after the new public financing for a stadium in Miami failed to pass. South Florida won’t have to give tax breaks to the NFL people who bring about the need for tax hikes in the first place. Miami is technically up for 2017 now as well, but it is highly likely that the bid will go to Houston. [Update: In a truly enthralling vote, Houston will host in 2017].

According to Frank Supovitz, NFL senior vice president of events, as quoted in this piece by Jeff Darlington, the NFL does not have a set philosophy of awarding Super Bowls to communities that build new stadiums. The NFL also doesn’t want you to look at Roger Goodell’s ever-expanding nose. The 49ers’ new stadium is the next to open for business, and now has a Super Bowl to go along with it. It marks the first time the Super Bowl will be in the Bay area since 1985, when it was at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto.

It also means each of the five new stadiums since Roger Goodell became commissioner before the 2006 season have had a Super Bowl within four seasons of the stadium opening for play. That includes, of course, the first ever cold weather Super Bowl site in an outdoor stadium at the end of the next season, when New York hosts.

The only thing more ridiculous than trying to say new stadiums aren’t tied to Super Bowl bids is a 90-minute special prefacing the announcement of the news. Not every singular piece of information, even if news worthy, requires a lengthy bunch of nonsense. There were only three cities in the running, and we knew with 99% certainty that Miami was not getting it. I mean, what is next, a televised show about a backup quarterback with 90 hours of programming?

Never mind.

[photo via USA Today Sports Images]