New Orleans to host ArenaBowl XXI
December 4, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
NEW YORK - New Orleans, a city renowned for sports championships, will host its first team championship since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina when ArenaBowl XXI is played at New Orleans Arena on Sunday, July 29, 2007 at 2 p.m. CT.
"I'm proud of Mr. Benson and his staff that they are returning the VooDoo to New Orleans," said Commissioner DAVID BAKER. "Immediately after Katrina, the AFL Board of Directors voted to bring an ArenaBowl to New Orleans as soon as it was logistically and economically viable. That time is now. It is our hope that ArenaBowl XXI can, in its own small way, encourage other organizations, events and conventions to consider returning to New Orleans as soon as possible."
The AFL's 2007 season kicks off the weekend of March 1-4. Nineteen teams will compete for the right to play in ArenaBowl XXI, including the VooDoo, who return to the field after suspending operations in 2006 due to Katrina.
"This announcement is about commitment, and we have witnessed the commitment of the great football fans in our region this past year. We are thrilled to once again bring back football year round to New Orleans with the Saints and the VooDoo. And to finish it off with the Arena Bowl here in our city, highlighting our region in July to an audience of millions is another milestone in the economic recovery of our community. Now, we need to get to work and make sure the VooDoo are hosting that game," said VooDoo owner TOM BENSON.
VooDoo season-ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase ArenaBowl XXI tickets before they go on sale to the general public. AFL fans throughout the country can immediately go to www.arenabowl.com to register on a priority list for tickets and to reserve rooms at the Sheraton New Orleans, which will serve as the Official Headquarter Hotel of ArenaBowl XXI.
New Orleans is synonymous with championships. It has hosted nine Super Bowls, four Final Fours and 71 Sugar Bowls.
"Being awarded ArenaBowl XXI for 2007 is another huge testimony toward the remarkable recovery of our hospitality industry," said JAY CICERO, President of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. "New Orleans has a stellar history of hosting major sporting events, and the continued investment of marquee events, such as the ArenaBowl, in our city is vital toward continuing that tradition. The GNOSF sees the ArenaBowl as much more than a valuable rebuilding step. We also see it as yet another important milestone toward living up to our reputation as a favorite destination for sporting events."
ArenaBowl weekend will be filled with interactive player and celebrity events, the annual ArenaBall Awards Show, a player combine, concerts, fan festivals and more. Significant community relations efforts will also be apart of the events leading up to the game. ArenaBowl XXI will mark the AFL' s third consecutive neutral-site championship game. The previous two were both played in Las Vegas.
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