When Philly almost hosted the Super Bowl | Morning Newsletter
And one Penn student’s extreme adventures.
The Morning Newsletter
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It’s Erin Gavle — I’m covering for Taylor who’s taking some well-deserved time off.
Today’s expected high is 49, but the sun will be out. Take that, Phil.
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— Erin (@ErinKGavle, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Super Bowl LVII kicks off in Arizona in less than a week. Did you know that in the ‘80s Philly almost hosted the event?
In 1984, Mayor W. Wilson Goode declared that the city was going to bid on Super Bowl XXI, scheduled for Jan. 25, 1987. The city’s proposal included free hotel rooms, chauffeured limousines, police escorts, personal aides, and $500,000 to spend on a party. The total cost would be about $6.4 million today.
No candidate was able to secure the necessary 21 votes from 28 team owners, but on the 13th ballot, the league waived that rule and Pasadena won by a majority. Philadelphia came in second.
The NFL is secretive about its demands for aspiring host cities. But in 2018, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune posted the league’s 153-page bid document, which stated that the NFL should get 100% of the revenue from tickets, won’t be subject to any taxes, and must have exclusive use of up to 3,000 parking spaces.
Oh, is that all? Actually, no. Keep reading for more on the Super Bowl selection process.
Climbing a 22,615-foot volcano in the Andes mountains over winter break was just the latest extreme adventure that Ryan Torres has accomplished since coming to Penn from his native Spain. The finance and history major also:
🚴♂️ pedaled across the United States on a $300 bike he bought on Craigslist.
🏊♂️ swam the butterfly stroke from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco’s main harbor.
🏃♂️ ran from Philadelphia to New York City (that’s about four marathons).
Pushing himself physically is something Torres has been doing since he was a teenager competing on the Spanish National Modern Pentathlon team. “It wasn’t about the destination but about the journey ... all the uncertainty, all the doubt, all the conditions I faced that I had to push through.”
Back at Penn, he’s already thinking about his next extreme adventure.
Torres doesn’t know exactly what it will be, “I just know it’s going to happen.”
What you should know today
Three special elections this week will likely decide which political party controls the Pa. House.
An eastbound Market-Frankford Line train derailed late Saturday.
The bus operator who broke up a would-be carjacking in Fishtown is invited to Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
Lawyers say a Philly charter school illegally expelled a girl after an argument with fellow students.
Cecil Baker, the architect behind some of the city’s most notable high-end housing towers and a lot of affordable housing, is leaving his own firm after 40 years.
The International Skating Union named 15-year-old Isabeau Levito of South Jersey the best newcomer of 2023.
🤔 Philly Trivia Time 🤔
Philadelphia is set to get what sport’s first major league team?
A) Pickleball
B) Putt-putt golf
C) Cornhole
D) Quidditch
Think you know? Click here to check your answer.
What we’re...
🎧 Listening to: Legacy, the jazz album by three-time Super Bowl music director Adam Blackstone. He chose Rihanna’s halftime set list but wouldn’t give us any spoilers.
💚 Testing: If football fans really have their heart in the game. Check out this fun experiment we’re conducting.
🦅 Playing: Our Eagles-themed version of another popular word game, Birdle.
🧩 Anagram 🧩
Hint: ‘Round Midnight
LUIS VNELZAMIANJ
Think you know the answer? Email us! And send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like.
Photo of the Day
Thanks for starting your week here. Taylor will be back soon, and you can find me over on The Inquirer’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Take care!