Zimmer Pitches to the NFL, Mason Spurns Super Bowl 2014 Plan

The Hoboken Reporter, Volume 29, Number 24, February 5, 2012- page 3 Beth Mason ad attacking Jen Giattino and Leo Pelligrini's February 2012  meeting with the NFL in Indianapolis. Giattino and Pelligrini were there to pitch Hoboken to host Superbowl 2014 events. Both left Indianapolis BEFORE the Superbowl game.  Both were in Hoboken on Superbowl Sunday.  Beth Mason's lying ad claims 2 "political supporters" went on an "all-inclusive trip to Indianapolis" to the Super Bowl. They were NOT "political supporters", they were an elected official (Giattino) and the Hoboken Director of Recreation (Pelligrini) there to open up a dialogue with the NFL for Super Bowl 2014.  

GA doesn't follow football, but I do know the Super Bowl is one of the most-watched sporting events world-wide.

In fact, the Super Bowl is broadcast to around 225 countries with about one billion people in those countries having access to the broadcast.  An estimated 80-100 million people watch it with  98% of those viewers from North America, and 97% of that amount coming from the United States.

And if you didn't know it already, Super Bowl 2014 is scheduled to bring BIG MONEY to it's host cities.

Which is WHY Mayor Zimmer, Councilwoman Jen Giattino and 2 members of the Hoboken Events Committee met with the NFL Host Committee last Friday in New York City.  Yep, and the conversation between the NFL and the City of Hoboken started in Indianapolis in February 2012. 

Back in 2012, Zimmer sent Giattino and Director Pelligrini to pitch the City of Hoboken to NFL Executives for a host city in 2014.  The 2 officials were smeared by Councilwoman Beth Mason who characterized them as freeloaders there for the game, living large on the taxpayers' dime.

Get this, for example: Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans takes place this Sunday and is expected to generate, by some estimates, upward of $430 million for the Crescent City's economy.The Big Game is expected to create more than 6,000 full-time and part-time jobs for the New Orleans area, and visitors and businesses are projected to generate more than $26 million in revenue for state and local governments in Louisiana.

 

Last year's numbers for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianpolis are downright staggering. Visitors spent an average of $571 per person per day during the 10-day period surrounding the game, according to a Rockport Analytics report. More than $50 million was spent on food and drinks, more than $63 million on lodging and more than $43 million on ground transportation. Those numbers are all likely to grow this year for New Orleans.  The total economic impact of Super Bowl XLVI reached an estimated $384 million for Indianapolis' local economy last year.

WOW.

THIS is why Mayor Zimmer, Jen Giattino and 2 members of the Hoboken Events Committee were in the midtown office of the NFL last Friday.   And why the Mayor sent Giattino and Pelligrini to Indianapolis in 2012.  Because sharing Super Bowl 2014 hosting events with NYC means MILLIONS of DOLLARS to Hoboken's local economy.

GA hears that the NFL committee seemed to "love" Hoboken and has been very receptive so far to the Mayor's Plan.

If the NFL agrees, the Mayor's Plan is that all Hoboken- based Super Bowl events in Hoboken will be fully-funded including costs to our municipality- such as police, sanitation, etc.  In other words, a bonanza for local business, residents and the hospitality industry.

Even the City Council minority supported the Mayor's meeting with the NFL on Friday.  Well almost...

SEVEN City Council members agreed to meet with or speak with the Hoboken Events Committee  about Zimmer's Hoboken NFL Pitch.  Except for... well, take a look at the slide from Friday's presentation to the NFL and FIND THE MISSING COUNCILPERSON'S NAME to asnwer:

WHO DID NOT SUPPORT HOBOKEN's PITCH TO THE NFL TO ADD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HOBOKEN'S LOCAL ECONOMY?

 Yup! You gussed it.

GA was told by a member of the Hoboken Events Committee That mason did not answer telephone calls, nor emails asking for support. When advised on the subject matter she neglected to follow up with the Committee.

Council Minority members Russo, Castellano and Occhipinti enthusiastically supported the Mayor's NFL pitch. How could they not?

An elected official would have to be crazy not to support his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to host Super Bowl events for their city.. I mean clinically insane... 

Maybe she doesn't like football? And the millions of dollars it could add to Hoboken's economy?

Well, I guess she's more of a baseball fan.  

...Mason proposed the possibility of a Minor League AA baseball stadium as the foundation of the district.

"Hoboken is the original home of baseball," said Mason. "Why not make it that way once again?"