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Show Foul Lines ' Super Bowl wf boom for ,:, San Diego, I and Denver t ( By TOM HARALDSEN Sports Editor When Gene Klein, long time owner of the NFL's San Diego Chargers, sold the team four years ago to businessman Alex ? Spanos; he was quoted in the book "First Down and a Billion" as saying "The one ticket we never got to distribute to Charger fans was for the Super Bowl." In a sense, that will cease to be true this weekend. When the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins take the field of San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium Sunday for Super Bowl XXII, it will be largely the result of Klein's efforts to bring football's crown jewel to the paradise on the Pacific. . Super Bowl locations are decided, like everything else, by politics. Owners get together and vote on these sites every so often, and usually the location is chosen with respect to size of stadium, and proximity to bars. So a clean little city like San Diego doesn't generally arouse much interest for these high rollers. When owners met in May 1984 to vote on the 1988 site, Klein appeared destined to lose again. There was a tie vote, between Miami and San Diego. It was after an impassioned plea from Klein that his peers finally decided to let San Diego have a crack at the big one. Immediately the city went to work, first, expanding Jack Murphy Stadium from 61 ,00 to 74,000 seats (The NFL has a set 70,000 seat requirement). Surveys indicated that 95 percent of the residents of San Diego favored the game. Even as early as 1984, the city was caught up in the prospects of hosting a Super Bowl. Those of us sitting at home watching a game of this magnitude have no idea how much work is involved in getting such a game off the ground. The San Diego Super Bowl Task Force was formed, a group of businessmen who studied every facet of the impact of Super Bowl XXII on services of the city. If you head to the coast this weekend, you'll see transit authority drivers donned in Super Bowl attire, and buses will even be allowed to back up this weekend, a first. San Diego realizes that in addition to the immediate economic impact of such an event, the long-range "showcasing' ' opportunities opportu-nities will be even more beneficial. Research shows that San Diego's market will realize an inflow in-flow of $141 million from the Super Bowl. Even if the Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams have made it (Fantasy Island time), L that amount would still have totaled $120 million. It is figured that 25 percent of the visitors will spend $152 a day during Super Bowl weekend, but the biggest wallop comes j from corporate indulgence. For instance, hospitality facilities are being coordinated by a British company now operating out of Atlanta. It offers three types of pavilions to corporations. A table for ten costs $2400, while a corporate chalet, with res-trooms, res-trooms, a champagne reception and garden tables for 200 guests, runs a paltry $52,000. In between all the wining and dining, the game itself will be played. San Diego's victory is good news for all of us in the West. It is indicative of a new attitude in sports, the breakup of the good old boys' network. Regardless of who takes Sunday's game, Super Bowl XXII is evidence that those of us in smaller markets are getting our due, and it's about time. As for the game, I think we may finally have a super matchup. The difference should be at quarterback, where Denver's John Elway could beat Washington's Doug Williams with either arm. Look for the Broncos to come home the winner, maybe 27-21. |