We now know the three finalist cities to host Super Bowl LII in 2018.
NFL Media's Albert Breer reported Tuesday that the three bid cities for the game are Indianapolis, Minneapolis and New Orleans, according to sources involved with the process. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed the news during his Tuesday news conference.
Six cities had put in applications to host the game, including Miami, Dallas and Tampa, Fla. Representatives of the six cities made their pitch during this week's NFL Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C. The league will choose the host of the game at the NFL Spring Meeting next May.
Earlier this year, league officials chose San Francisco as the host for Super Bowl L in 2016 and Houston as the city for Super Bowl LI in 2017.
Let us now break down the chances of each city:
The Favorite
Minneapolis hasn't hosted a Super Bowl since 1992. No one has complained about this, mostly because Minneapolis in February isn't exactly a hotbed for global tourism. Still, the Vikings will have constructed a new stadium by then and the NFL is known to reward cities for such civic endeavors.
The Underdog
New Orleans is the ultimate Super Bowl city and should be on this ballot every year as far we're concerned. The biggest issue might be the Superdome, which is old and has the stank of that blackout in February. We wonder if that stumble could lead to a silent probation.
The Longshot
Indianapolis did a fine job as host of Super Bowl XLVI, and the city's compact nature makes for a convenient experience for players, the media and fans. Also, the shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo Steak House is pure glory. But we worry how the experience could sour with bad weather. The city had unseasonably warm temperatures in the walk-up to Super Bowl XLVI. You feelin' lucky, punk?
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