NFL Super Bowl 49

From Iwe

Super Bowl XLIX is an upcoming American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2014 season. The game is scheduled to be played on February 1, 2015, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30pm MST (6:30pm EST/23:30 UTC). This will be the second Super Bowl played in that stadium (XLII), and the third one held in the Phoenix metropolitan area (XXX at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe). The game will be broadcast in the United States by NBC.

For the second season in a row, but only the third time in 21 seasons, the number one seed from each conference will meet in the league championship game. This will also be the first time in a decade that an NFL team will play in consecutive Super Bowl games, with the last such instance in 2004 and 2005, when the Patriots played in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX, respectively. Super Bowl XLIX will be the Seahawks' second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, having defeated the Denver Broncos 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, while the New England Patriots will be returning for their eighth Super Bowl appearance, and their first since losing 21–17 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. With their appearance in Super Bowl XLIX, the New England Patriots will join the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers as one of the three teams that collectively share the record for most all-time Super Bowl appearances, as each has appeared in eight separate Super Bowls to date.

Pete Carroll will be the fourth head coach to face his former team: Weeb Ewbank defeated the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, Dan Reeves lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII and Jon Gruden defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII; Carroll coached the Patriots from 1997 to 1999, and he was succeeded by Bill Belichick.

Host selection process

Initial plan for Kansas City as host city

NFL owners initially voted in November 2005 to award a Super Bowl to Kansas City, Missouri, in honor of Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, the founder of the American Football League in the 1960s who helped engineer the annual game. Then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue further announced on March 5, 2006, that Kansas City would host Super Bowl XLIX. However, the game was contingent on the successful passage of two sales taxes in Jackson County, Missouri, on April 4, 2006.

The first tax to fund improvements to Arrowhead and neighboring Kauffman stadiums passed with 53% approval. However, the second tax that would have allowed the construction of a rolling roof between the two stadiums was narrowly defeated, with 48% approval. In the wake of the defeat, and opposition by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and several civic and business groups, Hunt and the Chiefs announced on May 25, 2006, that they were withdrawing the request to host Super Bowl XLIX.

Bidding process

The following then submitted bids to host Super Bowl XLIX:

• Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida
• Sun Life Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
• University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona

Tampa and Miami both submitted bids after losing the Super Bowl XLVIII bid to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Arizona declined to bid for Super Bowl XLVIII, citing the economy, to focus on bidding for Super Bowl XLIX.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed in April 2011 that Tampa and Arizona were selected as finalists.

On October 11, 2011, it was announced by the owners that University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, will host Super Bowl XLIX. This will be the second Super Bowl contested at University of Phoenix Stadium, which hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008, and the third Super Bowl contested in the Phoenix area, as Super Bowl XXX was held at Sun Devil Stadium in nearby Tempe.

References

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