Expert: Chuck - 1/31/2004

Question
Hi--

The Super Bowl seems to always be played in a climate at least as hot as LA (though it will be in Detroit in 2006--perhaps Detroit is a domed stadium). How do they decide where it will be played.

It seems that no team has played in its home stadium. Is this just luck? (They seem to name the sites at least four years in advance, so one would think that a superbowl team would have at least once played at home.)

Any help greatly appreciated.

Steve

Answer
Steve,

The sites for the Super Bowls are picked by the a selection comittee chosen by the NFL owners. The choosing of the sites are based on the number of hotel rooms available within a certain radius of the stadium and a suitable climate, which is why all but two Super Bowls have been played in the south or out west. Super Bowl XVI and XXVI were both played in the north (Detroit and Minneapolis, respectively). Both of those cities have domes.

One team, The Los Angeles Rams, actualy played what one might call a home game in the Rose Bowl in neighboring Pasadena, Ca. against the Steelers in Super Bowl XV.

thanks for asking,
Chuck