NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has the final say on whether Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s retractable roof will be open or closed for the Super Bowl, on Wednesday deferred the decision until later in the week.
“As we get closer to the game, we’ll evaluate that,” Goodell said. “We’ve talked an awful lot about we’d love the idea of being able to show off the technology of the roof that exists here. … It’s still a few days before we’ll have to make that decision.”
Goodell addressed the roof and other issues in his annual Super Bowl news conference, held in the Georgia World Congress Center. He expressed confidence everything is on track for a successful Super Bowl week here.
» Read: AJC's complete coverage of the Super Bowl in Atlanta
“Atlanta has done an incredible job,” Goodell said. “I think all the preparations that need to be made have been made. Everybody has worked tirelessly to be prepared for this.
“We’re early in the week, but we see no reason why this isn’t going to be a great Super Bowl.”
Whether the roof is open or closed for Sunday’s game, Goodell predicted the $1.5 billion stadium will shine.
“The stadium is one that I think everybody is going to marvel at on Sunday,” he said. “I just think it’s an extraordinary stage for all of us.”
The roof decision will hinge on weather and fan comfort, other NFL officials have said. The league is closely monitoring Sunday's forecast, which as of Wednesday called for a high temperature of 61 degrees and a low of 48 with a chance of occasional rain showers.
Goodell also addressed another aspect of Mercedes-Benz Stadium: the reduced food and beverage prices that are in effect for all events there, including the Super Bowl. Hot dogs and refillable soft drinks cost $2, for example.
Goodell praised “the innovation and courage” of Falcons owner Arthur Blank and his organization for implementing the new pricing model, which bucks a long tradition of overpriced food at stadiums nationwide.
“I would tell you other teams in our league are watching,” Goodell said. “They’re learning from that, and I believe if they have the right opportunity they’re going to implement that in their communities. But that’s a team-by-team decision; that’s not something we dictate from the league.”
The Super Bowl is in Atlanta for the first time in 19 years, and Goodell gave no indication how long the wait might be for the next one.
“They get more and more competitive. More and more cities want to host the Super Bowl,” he said. “We think that’s great. But it is a challenge for us to meet all those demands.”
He added that Atlanta is “an incredibly important city to us.”
Goodell got numerous questions during the news conference about the pass-interference violation that inexplicably was not called late in the NFC Championship game. He acknowledged game officials erred and said the league’s competition committee will reexamine the officiating process.
“We will look again at instant replay,” Goodell said. “There have been a variety of proposals over, frankly, the last 15 to 20 years of should replay be expanded. It does not cover judgment calls. This was a judgment call.”
The commissioner neither endorsed nor rejected the idea of making some such plays subject to video review.
“Another complication was that it was a no-call,” said Goodell, noting that NFL clubs in the past have opposed allowing “a replay official or somebody in New York” to throw a flag when one wasn’t thrown on the field.
About the Author
