Houston Texans: The Pros And Cons Of Hosting The Super Bowl
Despite not making it to the big dance on Sunday, the Houston Texans organization can still reap some benefits of being the Super Bowl 51 host city.
So it looks like the bold prediction I made in only my second article with House of Houston did not come to fruition, and the Houston Texans are not going to their own Super Bowl. The host city of big game number 51 will have to sit it out.
However, in spite of this bad news, there are silver linings in the seemingly dark clouds. That is, the Texans organization can actually see some benefits to being the city and stadium that hosts Super Bowl 51.
How, you might ask? Well, that’s where it may get a little bit tricky. This is because there are pros and cons to being a host city. Let’s take a look at a couple of them now.
Pro: The Houston Texans are the most profitable professional team the whole city has to offer.
This is according to an article put out last May by bizjournals.com. It shows how Forbes magazine rated the Texans number 12 on the 50 most profitable sports teams in the world.
Yes, you heard me correctly, ladies and gentlemen. Not just for Houston, or the state of Texas. But the ENTIRE WORLD!!!!
This alone spells really good things for the ball club. Not to mention, the kind of economic boost the city and organization will get from tourism. Merchandise, food, lodging, and even entertainment will all be taken into consideration.
So long as NRG Stadium can deliver a worthwhile experience, plenty of fans from other teams will be inspired to return.
But with that boost being short lived, it brings me to my next point.
Con: Workers for or within the city don’t see those extra profits.
This is the sad, but true part to the reality of hosting any big event in a big city. Let alone, the Super Bowl.
H. Drew Blackburn of Texas Monthly posted an article last February about how most of H-Town shouldn’t get their hopes up about what will happen during Super Bowl weekend to boost the economy.
He, in fact, makes 3 decent points in said article:
- Most of the spectacle is funded by the taxpayers of the city.
- Profits predominately go to the shareholders of the event.
- The places that see boosts in sales were tourist traps in the first place.
So unfortunately, the hard working men and women that try to grow their businesses and bottom lines will only see a temporary jolt.
Next: Examining The Bill O'Brien Denominator
Additionally, Blackburn mentions that while tourism traffic may drive up, some of the usual business that most places get will be more tempted to stay away from the greater Houston area up through early next week. That’s an idea none too reassuring.
I know I personally want my Atlanta Falcons to pull off a victory to get their first Lombardi trophy in franchise history. For those unaware, I spent a majority of my life in Atlanta and have rooted for the dirty birds ever since I was 10.
But however you feel about this year’s Super Bowl, Houston has been bestowed a great honor. And whether or not it translates into actual working dollars for the city, all eyes will be on H-Town Sunday for the big game.
That alone is cause for celebration. And lots of it!