SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Photo: Wikipedia)
Is LA Still The Host of Super Bowl LVI Despite COVID and Alternative Site Concerns?
NFL currently has contingency plans for Dallas-area, other stadiums for emergency
By Evan Symon, January 6, 2022 10:28 am
Officials with the National Football League, State of California, and Los Angeles all confirmed Wednesday that they still plan to host Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium next month despite reports that the NFL is currently looking at alternate, contingency sites due to Omicron variant concerns and heightened COVID-19 protocols in California.
Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, the home of both the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, has been slated as the host of the game since 2017. However, COVID-19 attendance mandates, as well as masking and vaccination policies, have led to some venue changes in the past few years in California. The 2020 MLB All-Star Game, slated for 2020 at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, was cancelled and moved to 2022 due to the pandemic. Later in 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers then had to skip playing in Dodger Stadium during the World Series due to COVID-19 concerns, instead playing at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
While 2021 saw the gradual normalization of professional sports resume in California and across the country, the rise of the Omicron COVID-19 variant late in 2020, as well as California returning to many statewide COVID-19 protocols, such as the indoor mask mandate returning through at least mid-February, has reignited concern that one of the largest sporting events in the world may be moved as a result.
Fueling concerns on Wednesday were reports that the NFL was currently looking at other stadiums in different states as a contingency plan to move the Super Bowl from Los Angeles by next month. At least one stadium, AT&T Stadium in Arlingon, Texas, has been confirmed as one of the candidates.
In response to the growing concerns, the NFL responded on Wednesday that Los Angeles was still going to host the game next month, with the contingency plan stadium scouting being a normal part of every Super Bowl each year due to weather or other emergency-related situations.
No current plans to move the game
“We plan on playing Super Bowl 56 as scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13,” the NFL said in a statement on Wednesday. “As part of our standard contingency planning process that we conduct for all regular and postseason games, we have contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event we cannot play the Super Bowl as scheduled due to weather-related issues or unforeseen circumstances.”
“Our planning process for the Super Bowl in Los Angeles is ahead of schedule and we look forward to hosting the Super Bowl there.”
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly also confirmed that there were currently no plans to move the Super Bowl outside of SoFi Stadium.
“The Super Bowl is coming to L.A. I think Californians are excited to see that event occur and the work is to be sure that, as it is moving forward as planned, the mitigation strategies that create safety around that event are in place.” added Dr. Ghaly on Wednesday.
Many in the sports also added that while Super Bowl LVI will likely stay, Super Bowls in the past have been moved.
“Super Bowl XXVII was moved from Tempe, Arizona to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in the early 90’s because Arizona refused to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day,” noted Steve Roscoe, a PR Representative who has worked for multiple teams in the past, to the Globe on Thursday. So this isn’t unprecedented for the Super Bowl. But it would be within a month of the game being played this year, which is not a lot of time to set it all up someplace else. Unless COVID gets really bad, or LA gets a huge earthquake or something, the game won’t be moved. It’s a big deal to do this.”
Other major events in Los Angeles, such as the Grammy Awards originally scheduled for January 31st, have been delayed due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases.
Super Bowl LVI is currently scheduled for February 13th.
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NFL should reconsider moving it to a mandate free state.
I bet Aaron Rodgers would love to win his title in Texas, Tennesee????
Holding a massive gathering inside a football stadium during this deadly Omicron surge is unwise.
CA would be correct in forbidding any fans inside stadiums during this ongoing pandemic. It was done once before, it needs to be done again. Sports is not important. Human life is important!
Let the greedy money machine known as the NFL move their unnecessary Stupor bowl to a red state, where republicans don’t care about people and as a result, thousands of people have died of Covid.
Can you please tell me how many people have died due to the omicron variant..?? I can only find data stating that there is a single death due to Omicron.
You state that there is a deadly surge of deaths due to Omicron but the data from the CDC and other Countries does not show there is a deadly surge of deaths due to Omicron.
And, according to your comment, if one Omicron death is a surge, what about the almost 11,000 deaths directly tied to the vaccine by the CDC, what is your thoughts on that..??
Yes today Los Angeles county reported 43,883 new cases. They also broke the record of 53 new deaths today as well. LA County has very little control over this Pandemic. Why toss in a huge sports gathering of drunken, no masked yelling fans? Let everybody watch it in the safety of their own home and do not allow fans at this time. They are probably the least understanding about the science of the Covid pandemic. Let get control of this, and get rid of it.
I KNEW there would be another Chicken-Little “The Sky is Falling” response… right on schedule…
The mass formation psychosis is STRONG with this one…
You need to SERIOUSLY read this article, from nurses who are on the front-lines of your supposed “pandemic” :
https://conejoguardian.org/2021/12/14/more-vc-nurses-blow-whistle-on-overwhelming-numbers-of-heart-attacks-clotting-strokes/
These are nurses who have NOTHING to gain by reporting what they are experiencing… the majority of the hospitalizations are FROM THE JABS…
The conejoguardian is a far right propaganda website.
Don’t believe me?
Go ahead and google “conejoguardian” and numerous reviews and analysts will show I’m right.
So, again, you can’t answer the question so you attack the source/website..!!
Back to my question above, how many people have died due to Omicron..???
I hate to bash you but you bring few facts and prefer to use your “feelings” which aren’t relevant when compared to facts. Start bring facts to your comments and you’ll see more respect even if we disagree with you.
https://www.toacorn.com/articles/new-newspaper-is-meant-to-be-divisive/
You didn’t read my comment, did you..?? Can you tell me how many people have passed from the Omicon variant..?? You’re probably listening to the same people as Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor who “claimed” that over 100k children are on ventilators around the country, which is a total lie and fear mongering on her part. Even the CDC says she is wrong, just like your fact less claims about Omicron.
Yeah all the reviews are by left wing lunatics like you. I read the article in the “Conejoguardian” and the nurses are spot on about what is going on. Anything that is reported that does not fall in line with what the Democrats and their mouthpiece the mainstream media say is to you “right wing propaganda”. Then we have high tech shutting down free speech because they don’t like what someone posts because it is “disinformation” or misinformation”. The Democrats and the mainstream news media are using this scamdemic to control people through fear and it won’t end until we say enough.
You post an OPINION letter to the editor as your “proof” that you think the Conejo Guardian is a “far right propaganda” website???
That’s RICH ….
CPUNerd559 and John The Patriot is exactly right on to challenge you as they have….
Or is this actually Jocelyn, linking to your own source???
There have been many football games held this year and most of the fans have not been wearing masks. It has been in both blue and those evil red states. Human life is important and part of that is being free and enjoying life, like going to football games. Lockdowns don’t work as we have been trying them for two years now. The “red states” care about their citizens more than the blue states as they allow them to be free. Omicron is not a deadly surge. So why don’t you go down to your parent’s basement and have a Hot Pocket or Cheesy Bowl!
Many of us have found more constructive uses of our time rather than watching NFL games and the far left woke agenda that the NFL has adopted.
I would like to add a new study to the discussion on the “killer” Omicron scariant feeding the mass hysteria. Data coming out of South Africa and the UK are revealing the variant does not attack the lung tissue as did Delta or the Wuhan original strain.
How does one come out of a Mass Formation Psychosis? It is a hard task at hand to wake up those who have fallen under the Covid trance. Silly me, a mere mortal to keep trying.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00007-8