City has earned its place as prime Super Bowl venue

    It was Sunday, Jan. 11, 1970.
The phone rang early in the morning on a somewhat nasty New Orleans day.
    “If you want to go to the Super Bowl,” said my cousin. “I have an extra ticket.”
    Hours later, the Kansas City Chiefs played the Minnesota Vikings at Tulane Stadium.
    That day, New Orleans officially became a Super Bowl city. And, although the game has been played in 14 other cities, or regions, New Orleans has proven itself to be the best Super Bowl host city.
    And, it is also the city with the richest Super Bowl history.
    Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry won both of his Super Bowl titles in New Orleans. In January 1972, the Cowboys defeated the Dolphins at Tulane Stadium 24-3.
    In the week before the game, Dallas running back Duane Thomas uttered the most famous words in Super Bowl history. “If this is the ultimate game, how come they are playing it again next year?” said Thomas.
    Six years later, Dallas defeated Denver 27-10 at the Louisiana Superdome.
    A few hours after the game ended, the back door opened to the newsroom at WVUE-TV. It made quite an impression on a Loyola student/sports intern when Cowboys coach Tom Landry walked through the room on his way to do a studio interview with sports director Buddy Diliberto.
    New Orleans was also the place where dynasties are born and another potential one was extinguished.
    On a frigid January day in 1975, Pittsburgh’s famed Steel Curtain defense throttled the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers defeated the Vikings 16-6. Pittsburgh held Minnesota to nine first downs and 119 total yards. Minnesota’s only touchdown came on a blocked punt.
    The Vikings would lose four Super Bowl games in eight seasons. In two trips to New Orleans, Minnesota would score a total of 13 points.
    The Patriots’ dynasty and the legend of quarterback Tom Brady was also born on the corner of Poydras Street and Claiborne Avenue.
    On Feb. 3, 2002, the St. Louis Rams outgained the Patriots 427 to 267 in total yards. But the Patriots scored 17 points off three Rams turnovers. On the game’s final drive, Brady, a rookie, drove his team to the Rams’ 30-yard line with seven seconds left.
    On the drive, Brady completed a 23-yard pass to Troy Brown and a 16-yard pass to Jermaine Wiggins. Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal sailed through the uprights, and the Patriots were champions.
    Brady was voted the game’s most outstanding player despite throwing 16 completions for a scant 145 yards. The Patriots would win three more Super Bowl crowns and reach the ultimate game two additional times.
    Eleven years have passed. And, finally, the Super Bowl is back where it belongs.
    Super Bowls in New Orleans are special.
    If that sounds like a provincial statement, so be it. It’s the truth.
    Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected].