As expected, the 2016 Super Bowl (that’s No. 50 for those counting) will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, future home of the 49ers. The NFL’s announcement came just before noon, with the Mercury News first among Bay Area media to report it. Now, who’s hosting—that’s a nomenclature issue. The politically correct term of art so far appears to be “the Bay Area,” which provides a fig leaf for San Francisco’s oversized role considering that, by the end of next season, the city will no longer have an NFL team.
Mayor Ed Lee hosted Santa Clara mayor Jamie Mathews at San Francisco City Hall (not the other way around) for today’s announcement. You’ve got to feel for Lee. It’s sort of like scheduling a dinner date with your wife three years in advance, knowing you’re about to be divorced.
Here’s an excerpt from Mercury News’ columnist Mark Purdy’s take:
The game will be played in Santa Clara, where the stadium is being constructed. Most of the pregame parties and hoo-hah will be held 40 miles away in San Francisco, because that's where the most naive tourists always hang out and it's where the hotel rooms and clam chowder are much more expensive, creating more trickle-down ancillary revenue. Good for them.
Image: @49ers via Twitter
