Arizona Cardinals president on Glendale hosting Super Bowl XLIX: ‘They are acting very selfishly’

With Super Bowl XLVIII week winding its way down in the New York/New Jersey area, the clock has begun to tick for the city of Glendale, who will host next year’s big game.

Back in November, Arizona Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill expressed ‘concern’ about the city’s ability to host the NFL’s biggest event — a stance he didn’t veer from as a guest on the Dan Bickley Show with Vince Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Thursday from Radio Row in New York.

“I think generally, the community is doing a good job,” Bidwill said. “But when you’re talking specifically about Glendale, they are acting very selfishly.”

A major issue currently causing some disconnect between the league and Glendale has been the city’s inability to shore up guaranteed prices for its hotel block.

And with just a year remaining until the Valley plays host to its third Super Bowl, Bidwill said it’s certainly ruffling some feathers at the most inopportune of times.

“You look specifically at the hotels out there, they’re are just worried about their bottom line,” said Bidwill, who serves on the Super Bowl 2015 planning committee. “That’s not how great cities act. That’s not the way great leaders act. If people and cities want to be big time, they have to come together.

“We are, the Cardinals included, giving so that we get this. It’s a collective effort from the corporate world from the government side to the public sector side, so that we can continue to work hard to compete to be in these rotations.”

From an economic standpoint, Bidwill said hosting the Super Bowl could be worth up to $500 million and is a major boon when it comes to attracting both future tourism and major sporting events.

It’s an endeavor, though, the Cardinals team president isn’t so sure Glendale is entirely up for.

“We’re going to continue going after big games,” said Bidwill. “We’re a finalist for the Final Four. We’ve got the [College Football Playoff] Championship Game for 2016. We as a community and as a state will continue to do that, but if there is a city like Glendale that doesn’t want to participate, they are going to lose out.

“All the activities are going to go to the other cities that are participating. And in this instance, it’s going to be Phoenix and Scottsdale for the most part. And, they are great partners. The problem with Glendale all comes down to leadership and shortsightedness.”

Update:

In response to Bidwill’s comments, the City of Glendale released the following statement:

Glendale’s past performance with hosting the 2008 Super Bowl as well as, national championship college football games, the 2010 WrestleMania and other mega events, has effectively prepared the city for the opportunity to host the 2015 Super Bowl. The city is excited and eager to welcome fans to Arizona for the 2015 game. Glendale continues to coordinate within its control and to use its experience and expertise to work with the NFL and cities throughout the Valley to make next year’s game another successful event in Glendale.