The writing’s on the wall for Hawaii’s Pro Bowl contract. And it says O-r-l-a-n-d-o in big, bold letters.
Although NFL officials are insisting that no decision has been made on where the 2017 all-star football game will be played, several news organizations have confirmed that it’s headed to the Sunshine State.
We bid the Pro Bowl a fond aloha, but what a shame that a tradition that’s been around for 30-plus years is slipping from our hands.
By leaving Hawaii, the NFL is opting out of its $5.2-million contract with the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). Most who recall this year’s Pro Bowl traffic fiasco at Aloha Stadium can hardly fault the NFL for exiting. Ticket-holding fans were stuck in traffic for hours — with some never making it through the stadium turnstiles.
The event’s departure must compel the HTA and Aloha Stadium officials to regroup, to do a serious post-mortem of the Jan. 31 debacle to ensure future events don’t experience the same fate.
And just weeks before the all-star matchup, the U.S. women’s soccer team abruptly canceled its game at the Aloha Stadium against Trinidad and Tobago, citing unsafe turf conditions.
The 11th-hour cancellation also brought to light that there was no executed contract between the HTA and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The HTA argued that the lack of an executed contract worked in its favor, saving it from paying the soccer federation $200,000 to serve as a marketing sponsor — but it also highlighted the authority’s loose oversight of the contract.
These missteps clearly call for better management of high-profile sporting events.
Management of sports tourism is the responsibility of the HTA, which must shore up that part of its operation and aggressively pursue revenue-
generating sporting events — especially now that
$5.2 million would be freed up with the Pro Bowl leaving town.
The annual gathering of football stars here was good — at times great — while it lasted.
For many local kids and families, the Pro Bowl gave them a rare chance to meet NFL players, who were often gracious with fans during the week of events leading up to the game.
The NFL all-star game has been played at Aloha Stadium every year since it moved to Hawaii in 1980, with the exception of 2010 when it was played in South Florida and 2015’s game in Glendale, Ariz.
It’s commendable that the state was able to hold on to the event that long, but regrettable that the relationship ended so messily this year.
Orlando’s gain is Hawaii’s loss, especially the tourism benefits related to the Pro Bowl: HTA has cited
$26.2 million in economic impact for the state. The images of sunny Hawaii, shown via the televised game, also was a boon for tourism marketing.
In response to the NFL’s “pending” decision on the Pro Bowl, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told the Orlando Sentinel, “I think it is pretty much ours to lose.”
Unfortunately, that used to be our line.
