Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Jamie Johnson wrote:Jack Murphy Stadium seemed out of place to me for some reason. I'm surprised the Astrodome and the Kingdome, before it started to fall apart, never hosted a Super Bowl.

I think the issue with the Astrodome was that it had a relatively small capacity. I liked it when Jerry Jones' new stadium hosted the Super Bowl, with the tickets being sold based on the original blueprint and one of the seating sections being eliminated during the building. "Hi, welcome to the Super Bowl, let me see your ticket...sorry, Section 238 DOESN'T EXIST!".

I guess it was a big deal when the Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XIV, because it had never hosted a pro football game before and was still seen as 'sanctimonious' with college football.

Bryan wrote:

Jamie Johnson wrote:Jack Murphy Stadium seemed out of place to me for some reason. I'm surprised the Astrodome and the Kingdome, before it started to fall apart, never hosted a Super Bowl.

I think the issue with the Astrodome was that it had a relatively small capacity. I liked it when Jerry Jones' new stadium hosted the Super Bowl, with the tickets being sold based on the original blueprint and one of the seating sections being eliminated during the building. "Hi, welcome to the Super Bowl, let me see your ticket...sorry, Section 238 DOESN'T EXIST!".

I guess it was a big deal when the Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XIV, because it had never hosted a pro football game before and was still seen as 'sanctimonious' with college football.

The Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XI three years before. It was notable for being the last Super Bowl played in bright sunshine the whole game.

SixtiesFan wrote:The Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XI three years before. It was notable for being the last Super Bowl played in bright sunshine the whole game.

Yes, thanks for the correction. When I go off-script, I tend to mess up.

I was surprised when the Metrodome was awarded Super Bowl XXVI because of having a capacity below 70,000 (In Super Bowl XXII for example, Jack Murphy Stadium had to be expanded to over 70,000 capacity).

Bryan wrote:

Jamie Johnson wrote:Jack Murphy Stadium seemed out of place to me for some reason. I'm surprised the Astrodome and the Kingdome, before it started to fall apart, never hosted a Super Bowl.

I think the issue with the Astrodome was that it had a relatively small capacity. I liked it when Jerry Jones' new stadium hosted the Super Bowl, with the tickets being sold based on the original blueprint and one of the seating sections being eliminated during the building. "Hi, welcome to the Super Bowl, let me see your ticket...sorry, Section 238 DOESN'T EXIST!".

I guess it was a big deal when the Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XIV, because it had never hosted a pro football game before and was still seen as 'sanctimonious' with college football.

You are correct about the Astrodome seating capacity. The maximum capacity was just a shade over 62,000 during the early 1990's, which I find surprising since it looked much larger on TV.

From stories that I've read, Pete Rozelle was always a big proponent of Stanford Stadium hosting a Super Bowl, so that's probably how that happened.

And also that the Rose Bowl "Committee" was not fond of hosting NFL games because of their college tradition. So XXVII will probably be the last one held there, and was only done so, because the state of Arizona would not declare MLK Day a State Holiday, so Tempe lost that game and it got moved.

I though the aesthetics of Super Bowl V, VI, VIII, IX, X were poor. The astroturf was awful and a few of those games had dark dreary feels to them (Pitt/Minny, Miami/Minny(

Jamie Johnson wrote:

Bryan wrote:

Jamie Johnson wrote:Jack Murphy Stadium seemed out of place to me for some reason. I'm surprised the Astrodome and the Kingdome, before it started to fall apart, never hosted a Super Bowl.

I think the issue with the Astrodome was that it had a relatively small capacity. I liked it when Jerry Jones' new stadium hosted the Super Bowl, with the tickets being sold based on the original blueprint and one of the seating sections being eliminated during the building. "Hi, welcome to the Super Bowl, let me see your ticket...sorry, Section 238 DOESN'T EXIST!".

I guess it was a big deal when the Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XIV, because it had never hosted a pro football game before and was still seen as 'sanctimonious' with college football.

You are correct about the Astrodome seating capacity. The maximum capacity was just a shade over 62,000 during the early 1990's, which I find surprising since it looked much larger on TV.

My first game live was a preseason Buccaneers-Oilers at the Astrodome in 1983. Back then it seated 50.000 (there were not yet the upperdecks in the east endzone/outfield, but that large and crazy scoreboard) and for that game there were about 41,000 spectators.

sheajets wrote:I though the aesthetics of Super Bowl V, VI, VIII, IX, X were poor. The astroturf was awful and a few of those games had dark dreary feels to them (Pitt/Minny, Miami/Minny(

When I was a kid I loved watching games played on AstroTurf (and also the similar TartanTurf Kansas City, Dallas, Pittsburgh and New England played back then) because the uniforms never got dirty and I could see the surnames and numbers of the players clearly. But now I'm regretful of that, I miss games with mud and the dirt of baseball infields.