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Super Bowl first-time hosts

San Francisco appears to be in the driver's seat to play host to Super Bowl L, according to our own Bert Breer. And it's a pretty good choice. San Francisco has deserved a chance to play host to the Super Bowl and the city would no doubt be an excellent host for America's biggest sporting event.
So with San Francisco presumably off the bucket list for Super Bowl host cities, what are some of the other options for cities to be first-time hosts for the Super Bowl?
And before you even mention it, I'm going to eliminate one city you will no doubt think of for the obvious reasons: Las Vegas. I love Sam Boyd Stadium as much as the next guy, but there's no way you can play a Super Bowl in that stadium. It's just not happening. Let's just leave it at that.

And without further ado ...

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  Kansas City - Arrowhead Stadium has been recently upgraded and it's been long regarded as one of the best atmospheres to watch a football game. Plus, there's barbeque.
  
  
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  Washington D.C. - If New York gets a Super Bowl, then it only stands to reason Washington D.C. will be next. Of course, the biggest problem will be the stadium. Or more to the point, the grass (painted dirt) at FedExField.
  
  
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  Chicago - Do you think if Chicago got too much snow during its Super Bowl, we could have a repeat of the 1932 NFL Championship which was moved indoors to Chicago Stadium and played on an 80-yard field? Either way, Chicago has to be in the running.
  
  
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  Seattle - Yes, Seattle has the reputation of being all rainy and such. However, did you know New York gets more rainfall than Seattle each year and Seattle's average temperature in February is 10 degrees warmer? Plus, if you've ever been to a game in Seattle, you know it deserves a Super Bowl.
  
  
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  Green Bay - I like the idea of a Green Bay Super Bowl. It just seems to make sense. The trophy was named after Green Bay's coach after all! But the lack of infrastructure means this is a long shot. But dare to dream, right?

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Green Bay Packers Getting Those Fond Feelings for Brett Favre Once Again

What's the statute of limitations on prodigal sons returning?
Fox Sports Wisconsin reports the Green Bay Packers are ready to accept legendary quarterback Brett Favre back into the fold in some capacity.
Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the team, stated as much to the website:

There is no mention as to what kind of role Favre might have in the organization. The only thing that is certain is that the franchise he played 16 seasons for—winning a Super Bowl with in 1997—wants him back.
Of course, you cannot mention Favre and the Packers in the same story without reliving the soap opera that concluded a remarkable tenure.

Fox Sports Wisconsin's Paul Imig does just that with what we assume was limited eye rolling. As a reminder, Favre retired from the Packers back in 2008, only to think better of his decision and ask to come back to the team.
At that point, the Packers had already moved on with Aaron Rodgers, which led to a melodramatic back-and-forth with the Packers' front office and star quarterback, who very much wanted to play.
Favre would later play with the New York Jets and then the Minnesota Vikings, an act of defiance some fans may never forgive.

Of course, time heals all petty wounds, and as Murphy noted above, Favre seemed to be in great spirits as he reunited with Rodgers at the NFL Honors show earlier this year.
Imig reports the Packers' current star QB was on a local Wisconsin radio show back in February and mentioned that the time was right to bring back a man who meant so much to this organization.
"I thought it was good timing to just let the fans know, to let Brett know, let's move forward," Rodgers said. "Let's heal things up and move forward."

Murphy even mentioned last year that he could see retiring Favre's number at some point in the near future, an act that should seem far more obvious as the years go by.
It's now been two seasons since Favre wore a hated team's colors and more than five since he was a member of the Packers contingent.
It's about time to remember the good times he shared in Green Bay. It's about time for Favre to come on home.

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Levi's Stadium Will Be New Name for 49ers' Home Field

The San Francisco 49ers have agreed with denim company Levi Strauss & Co. on a naming rights deal for the team's new home field in Santa Clara, Calif., which will be dubbed Levi's Stadium.



As reported by the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the 20-year, $220 million deal was announced on Wednesday by Levi's CEO Chip Bergh and 49ers CEO Jed York from San Francisco's Levi Plaza.
Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee were also present. The proposal additionally has a five-year extension option, and it will be submitted for approval on Thursday to the Santa Clara Stadium authority.
The new $1.2 billion replacement venue for Candlestick Park is slated to open for the start of the 2014 NFL season. The 49ers showed what this branding could look like with a picture they posted on their Instagram account.



The team tweeted a picture of the 49ers and Levi's pep rally. Even coach Jim Harbaugh, who is famous for sporting his signature khakis, has transformed his look:
York had a humorous allusion to the film Field of Dreams with regard to the Niners’ new deal (h/t NFL on ESPN):

According to the report, only the New York Giants and Jets, who play in MetLife Stadium on a $400 million deal over the span of 25 years, are believed to have a more lucrative agreement in place.

Bergh was excited to form this unique partnership between one of the league’s most storied franchises and his company:

What has to have the Niners excited is the prospect of hosting a Super Bowl, which becomes much more realistic with this ambitious stadium project—especially since this Levi's deal is going to help fund it.

The new state-of-the-art atmosphere and wonderful Bay Area weather certainly helps, and as the AP report highlights, the franchise is vying to foster the Super Bowl following either the 2016 or 2017 season.
If Jim Harbaugh’s team keeps playing as it has the last two seasons and the foundation remains intact for the foreseeable future, perhaps San Francisco could even host the Super Bowl while the 49ers are playing in it.

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Could Miami Dolphins move after failed stadium bill?

The Miami Dolphins likely lost their shot at hosting Super Bowl L when Florida lawmakers opted not to approve a deal that would publicly fund improvements to aging Sun Life Stadium.
Could the consequences be even greater?
Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said Sunday on Miami's CBS affiliate that the team will not provide any upgrades to Sun Life Stadium without the help of public funding. The Dolphins have canceled all renovation plans and say stadium improvements cannot be made without public-private partnership.
Dee left the door open that the stadium issue could lead to the Dolphins' eventual exit from southern Florida.
"The Dolphins are one of the only franchises in the NFL that don't have a long-term lease with their community," Dee said, according to The Palm Beach Post. "At some point, somebody's going to buy the franchise from (Dolphins owner Stephen Ross), and clearly the stadium is the first thing they would need to address."
Dee focused his ire on Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, who chose not to bring the stadium bill to a vote before the legislative session concluded Friday. That kept the decision out of the hands of Miami-Dade County voters.
Said Dee of Weatherford: "At the end of the day, this abuse of power, I believe, will follow his career for a long time."
Ross has said he doesn't plan on selling the Dolphins in the immediate future. Still, egos have been bruised in Miami. This story isn't going away.

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Lions, Packers and Vikings all were able to stock up well in NFL draft

The Bears might have improved their pass protection in the NFL draft, but they might not have moved closer to winning the NFC North.
The reason is each of their division rivals may have improved their pass rush. That's why the Bears' selection of Kyle Long in the first round looked even more significant afterward than it did during the draft.

Here is a look at how the rest of the NFC North played chess with the Bears.

LIONS

Many thought the Lions wanted one of the left tackles with their first-round pick, but Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel and Lane Johnson all were off the board by the time the Lions came up fifth.
They chose the player general manager Martin Mayhew has said they rated third highest, Ziggy Ansah.
The defensive end filled a need as well, as the Lions lost Cliff Avril in free agency. And the Lions knew Ansah would fit their scheme because coach Jim Schwartz and his staff had Ansah in the Senior Bowl.
Ansah is believed to be a favorite of new Lions assistant Jim Washburn, who is one of the game's premier defensive line coaches.
At BYU, Ansah had 41/2 sacks, in part because he played in a four-point frog stance as a five-technique defensive end. During Senior Bowl week, Lions coaches used him as a seven-technique and nine-technique, and he was dominant.
"If we hadn't gone through the Senior Bowl, if we hadn't worked with the kid, I might have been a little more concerned about it," Mayhew told media in Detroit after the draft. "But having been there, having worked with him, our coaches (and I) felt very comfortable with it."
Some NFL teams believe Ansah also can play inside on passing downs, but the Lions probably won't need him at tackle because they already have Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
The Lions have a lot more talent on their defensive line than on the offensive side, where they have holes from losing starting left tackle Jeff Backus and starting right tackle Gosder Cherilus in the offseason. They did draft guard Larry Warford in the third round, and he likely will be starting soon.
But tackle could be an issue. Riley Reiff, the team's 2012 first-round pick, is expected to start at left tackle. That leaves Jason Fox and Corey Hilliard to compete on the right side.
Though the Lions couldn't get help at tackle, they did address another problem area when they took cornerback Darius Slay in the second round. The fastest cornerback at the NFL scouting combine, Slay should be an immediate starter.


PACKERS

Running backs usually are an afterthought for the pass-first Packers, but they were a priority in this draft. They got two great value picks in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin.
Lacy was rated the best back available and many teams regarded him as a borderline first-rounder, but he dropped and the Packers traded down to the 61st overall pick to get him. General manager Ted Thompson then moved up 21 spots to take Franklin in the fourth round.
Franklin could be more than just an end of-the-roster guy. According to STATS, Franklin had 27 rushing plays of 15 yards or more last year at UCLA. No drafted running back had more, and only one, Panthers' sixth-rounder Kenjon Barner, had as many.
Between Lacy and Franklin and holdovers James Starks and Alex Green, the Packers should be able to run it whenever and however they want.
It appears the Packers were not able to acquire a player who could step in and start immediately on their offensive line, however. As a result, Packers coach Mike McCarthy is moving Bryan Bulaga from right tackle to left, Josh Sitton from right guard to left and T.J. Lang from left guard to right. Right tackle is up for grabs.
The Packers' defensive front seven was fortified with the addition of first-round pick Datone Jones, a defensive end who was notable because he gave No. 1 overall pick Fisher all he could handle during Senior Bowl practices.
Jones gives the Packers' front seven six first-round picks and two second-rounders. Among them are Clay Matthews, who recently became the NFL's highest-paid linebacker. The Packers hope to use Jones and Matthews in concert to take advantage of their speed.
"The way the offenses are heading … we work against our offense every day on the practice field and you're going to be spread out," Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told Wisconsin reporters of the addition of Jones. "It has become more of a space game. Any time you're spread out and you have to cover space, the quicker and faster you are, the better you're going to be."

VIKINGS

The Vikings acquired more potential difference-makers than any team in the draft, picking up the players many teams had ranked as the draft's No. 1 defensive tackle (Sharrif Floyd), the No. 2 cornerback (Xavier Rhodes) and the No. 2 receiver (Cordarrelle Patterson).

All were first-round picks. The Vikings had an extra first-rounder as a result of the trade of Percy Harvin, and then they packaged their second-, third-, fourth- and seventh-rounders for the Patriots' 29th overall pick that they used for Patterson.
Floyd had been projected to be drafted as high as third overall. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he was "shocked" Floyd fell to the Vikings at 23.



"We thought he was a heck of a college player last year," Spielman said. "He was out of position the previous year as an end.
"They slid him inside to his more natural position as an under tackle last year. He has the flexibility to be both, but when they put him where his skill set best suits him, he really played well."
Many projected Rhodes to be chosen in the 12 to 15 range, and he slipped to 25.
"I thought he would go higher because of size, speed and athletic skills," Spielman said. "Because there were so many offensive linemen taken early, it pushed a lot of the good defensive players down."
As for Patterson, he has been compared to Randy Moss from a skill perspective. But he only played one year at Tennessee and is considered very raw.
"He and Tavon Austin were the two most explosive playmakers in the draft," Spielman said. "He has a chance to be a unique player."

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Will Retire Warren Sapp's No. 99

Defensive tackle Warren Sapp was a huge part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl XXXVII championship team and he anchored their defense from 1995 through 2003. Sapp will be rewarded for his efforts as a Buc when the team retires his No. 99 jersey during the upcoming season.
According to the Buccaneers' official Twitter feed, Bucs owner Bryan Glazer announced that the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Famer will have his iconic jersey retired this year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers ✔ @TBBuccaneers
Bryan Glazer just dropped a total surprise: The Bucs will also retire #99. Wow!

Sapp is synonymous with the Buccaneers, so it is certainly fitting that he will be immortalized by the franchise for generations to come.
Sapp is easily one of the greatest defensive tackles of all time and that much was apparent very early in his career. Sapp retired following the 2007 season with seven Pro Bowl appearances to his credit as well as six All-Pro selections and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1999.

He was a perfect fit in the Buccaneers’ famous “Tampa 2” defensive system as he was a penetrating tackle who rushed the quarterback with reckless abandon. Sapp retired with 96.5 career sacks, which puts him 34th on the all-time list. That is extremely impressive considering the fact that most of the players ahead of him were defensive ends or rush linebackers.
Sapp was well known for his prowess as a defender, but his wild antics and outgoing personality made him popular among Bucs fans and hated by the opposition. There were a lot of important contributors to the Bucs' defensive dominance in the 2000s, but it can be argued that Sapp was the biggest piece of the puzzle.
Without Sapp's consistent push up the middle it is very unlikely that Tampa would have won the Super Bowl. He is among the best players in Buccaneers history and there is no doubt that the retirement of his No. 99 is well deserved.

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Atlanta Falcons Reveal Potential Plans for New Stadium

On the heels of a year in which Atlanta hosted the SEC championship game, the NFC Championship Game and the 2013 NCAA Final Four, officials are doing everything in their power to ensure that Atlanta is a premier destination for any kind of sporting event that can be held in a stadium.
It's no surprise, then, that plans to relocate the Atlanta Falcons from the Georgia Dome to that sort of venue are taking shape, and some of the concept art from the project has been released to the public.

As Max Blau of CLATL.com reported, potential options for a new stadium have started to leak out, and include different mock-ups that designers are presenting to interested parties as the process continues to move forward.

One is a "Pantheon" look, a futuristic adaptation of a domed stadium:



Here's another photo of what the Pantheon stadium would look like from up above:



Another is a "Solarium" approach, one that features a retractable roof and is more along the lines of what we've seen with new stadiums that have been built over the past few years:



The Solarium would still capitalize on the futuristic feel that 360 Architecture is trying to bring to the project:



The team and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority struck a deal with 360 Architecture, the Kansas City-based company, to head up the project, which is expected to be completed in time for the Falcons' opening game in 2017 (h/t The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
360 Architecture is the same group in charge of the blueprint for MetLife Stadium, the current home of the New York Jets and Giants.
If early drawings and ideas from the company's presentation are any indication, this new home for the Falcons could blow every other NFL stadium (including Jerry Jones' creation for the Dallas Cowboys) out of the water.
Some of those ideas include a "100-yard bar," an IMAX-like setup for fans who are sitting in the cheap seats, a "man cave" for patrons who want to feel like they are still at home watching the game and seats that actually vibrate when a big hit happens on the field.



The city and Falcons ownership gave the project the green light back in March (h/t FO Atlanta), but not everyone has been receptive to the potential move out of the Georgia Dome and into a new building.
The current home of the Falcons has only been open for just over 20 years (opened in 1992) and is still a viable option for sporting events of all kinds—a fact evidenced by all of the major sporting events held in the building over the past year.

Shaun Powell of SportsOnEarth.com has been among those unable to come to terms with the reasoning behind the construction of a new stadium:

Shaun Powell @Powell2daPeople
Georgia Dome is still viable. Falcons don't need a new stadium. Pure greed.

After the reveal of the new plans on Tuesday, maybe he and the other naysayers will change their tune.
The city, the Falcons and 360 Architecture are all on board with the legitimacy of this project, and this current assortment of proposed ideas and graphics indicates that there's only one way to describe the direction the brain trust is aiming: bigger, better and more advanced than ever before.

What do you think about the new stadium's two potential designs?
The Solarium provides a new-age approach to the retractable roof and stadium blueprint, but the Pantheon stadium is something we've never seen in the NFL before. With a 2017 target date in sight, expect the decision to be swift so ground can be broken on this project soon.

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