BAY AREA COUNCIL JOINS SAN FRANCISCO BID FOR 2016 SUPER BOWL

With a tweet and a song, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee on Thursday kicked off a bid to bring Super Bowl L (50) to the Bay Area in 2016. Standing with San Francisco 49ers President and CEO and Bay Area Council Executive Committee member Jed York, Mayor Lee talked about the tremendous benefits of bringing one of the world’s most-watched events to the region. With the Super Bowl marking its 50th Anniversary in 2016, the hoopla will generate even more economic activity. The Super Bowl would be played at the 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara, which York said would wow the NFL and fans with its many high-tech amenities and strong emphasis on sustainability. Lee said the hundreds of extracurricular parties and events leading up to and during the big showdown will be a boon for the city’s hotels, restaurants and tourist businesses. Also tapped for the bid committee were Bay Area Council President and CEO Jim Wunderman and several other Bay Area Council members, including angel investor Ron Conway, Visa Chairman and CEO Joseph Saunders and Dignity Health President and CEO Lloyd Dean. The committee is led by Tipping Point CEO and Founder Daniel Lurie, who said the local bid will blow the doors off the NFL’s philanthropic requirements for hosting the Super Bowl. Wunderman’s knowledge and experience from his instrumental role in developing the region’s last successful bid to bring the Super Bowl is expected to prove valuable in assembling the 2016 pitch, which must be submitted by May 7, 2013. San Francisco is competing against Miami, whose Dolphins the 49ers gave a 38-16 drubbing in the last Super Bowl to be played in the region at Stanford Stadium in 1985. To join the movement to Bring the Bowl to the Bay, visit sfsuperbowl.com.