New York's Senator
CHARLES E. SCHUMER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2001

SCHUMER ASKS THE NFL TO MOVE SUPER BOWL XXXVI TO NEW YORK CITY

Senator, Joined By Former Giants and Jets Stars Otis Anderson and Marty Lyons, Says Holding Super Bowl at Giants Stadium Would Be the Perfect Symbol of Triumph over Terrorism Super Bowl Would Pump $400 million into Struggling NYC Economy Status of Current Super Bowl Site - New Orleans - In Question Due to Scheduling Conflicts, NFL Looking for Alternatives

Standing at Chelsea Piers with former New York Giants star running back Otis Anderson and former New York Jets star defensive lineman Marty Lyons, US Senator CHARLES E. SCHUMER today called on the National Football League (NFL) to move this year's Super Bowl to New York City. Emphasizing that holding the world's largest annual sporting event in and around New York City would both be an ideal symbol of triumph over terrorism and give the area the economic boost it desperately needs, Schumer outlined the case for moving the game to Giants Stadium.

Because NFL games were postponed on September 17, the NFL season will conclude a week later, creating conflicts with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), which is scheduled to hold its annual convention in New Orleans on February 3, the same day as the postponed Super Bowl. The NFL is working to reach a compromise with NADA, but any agreement is likely to bear high indemnification costs for the NFL. A Super Bowl held on February 3^rd would also conflict with the first major weekend of Mardi Gras parades, raising logistical and security concerns for the City of New Orleans. Giants Stadium is available on February 3.

"I can think of no better symbol of triumph over terrorism and no better way to send a message to the terrorists who attacked our city that they cannot and will not stop our way of life than by putting the Super Bowl right here, in and around New York City. It sends one message, loud and clear: we are not afraid." Schumer said. "If the NFL wants to know how it can help, the answer is simple: move this year's Super Bowl to New York."

According to the city's convention and visitors bureau, NYC & Company and the New York City Central Labor Council, since September 11, New York City hotels have lost an estimated $6-10 million in room revenues per day and are averaging occupancies of only 40-45 percent. In contrast, the occupancy rate for September 2000 was 89.5 percent. Over 3,000 New York City hotel employees have been laid off since September 11, and an additional 4,300 are expected to lose their jobs in the next month. New York City restaurants are losing an estimated $20 million daily, with nearly 12,000 upcoming layoffs anticipated. Broadway shows lost an estimated $3-5 million in the week of the World Trade Center disaster, with five shows closing and six others in jeopardy. Nearly 110,000 total layoffs may occur in the next month alone, with over 12,000 in retail.

"The Super Bowl provides a $400 million boost in tourism revenues to the host city," Schumer said. "Considering the impact of the attacks on our hotels, restaurants and entertainment industry, it's something we need now more than ever."

In 2000, 37.4 million visitors came to New York City, spending $17 billion. As of July, 37.6 million visitors were predicted to visit the city in 2001 and expected to spend $17.1 billion. While the city has yet to adjust these numbers since the attack, even a 1 percent decline in visitor volume for 2001 will have a tremendous economic impact on the city's economy, translating into losses of $169.7 million in visitor spending, $31.6 million in lost tax revenues and 15,000 lost jobs.

Schumer called the estimated $400 million the 2002 Super Bowl would bring to the area an essential economic boost for the city. According to the NFL, Super Bowls in recent years have generated between $218 and $396 million for the given host city. Marketing experts predict that a Super Bowl at Giants Stadium could exceed all previous records, generating over $400 million in total revenues for the New York City area.

"The Super Bowl would help our industries that depend on travel and tourism begin to recover, and show people across the world that New York City is just an ideal tourist destination as ever," Schumer wrote in his letter to Tagliabue.

In 1998, San Diego generated just under $300 million from Super Bowl XXXII; Miami generated $396 million from Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999; and Atlanta generated $292 million from Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. Estimates for the economic gain for Tampa resulting from the 2001 Super Bowl are about $300 million. Overall, the Houston Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department estimates the economic impact attributed to a Super Bowl to be about seven times that of Major League Baseball's All-Star game.

The NFL estimates that an average person attending a Super Bowl spends $343.79 per day and spends an average of 3.3 nights in the city where the game is played. The average fan spends 30 percent of this sum on lodging, 20 percent on retail, 19 percent on food and alcohol, 16 percent on entertainment and 9 percent on vehicle rental/local transportation. In addition to those fans attending the game, about 25,000-40,000 visitors come to a Super Bowl host city for related activities alone.

Schumer said that New York City's 66,000 hotel rooms are more than double the number the NFL would mandate to support a Super Bowl in Giants Stadium, which seats 79,466 (the NFL defines the room requirement as 35 percent of the stadium's capacity). In addition, New York City has more than 18,000 restaurants, 150 world-class museums and more than 10,000 shops. The area is served by three major airports - JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark - which collectively have the capacity to handle 260-287 flights per hour. In addition, New York City can be accessed nationwide via railroad into Penn Station, which handles an annual rider-ship of more than 8 million annually. New York's subways carry 1.4 billion people each year, ranking only behind Moscow, Tokyo, Mexico City and Seoul.

"There is no question that New York City is equipped to accommodate an event the size of the Super Bowl," Schumer said. "The only question remaining is the weather. Might it be cold? Sure. But the last time I checked, football was a cold weather sport. A Super Bowl in New York City, especially in the wake of the events of September 11, would attract more fans, more sponsorship opportunities and more attention than any Super Bowl in history. There's almost no downside for the NFL while the upside for both New York and the country goes beyond anything holding the Super Bowl anywhere else could ever provide."

Since the first Super Bowl was played in 1967, New Orleans and Miami have each played host to the game eight times. Pasadena follows with five Super Bowls, followed by Tampa Bay with three. Additionally, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pontiac, Mich., San Diego, Stanford, and Tempe, Ariz. have all hosted at least one Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has never been played in the New York City area.

"New York City deserves a chance," said Schumer. "And I cannot think of a more appropriate time to make that happen."

Schumer was joined by former Giants star Otis Anderson, former Jets star Marty Lyons, as well as sports marketing experts Brandon Steiner and Jared Weiss of Steiner Sports Marketing.

A copy of Schumer's letter to Tagliabue is attached.

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