But It’s 3rd and Long Because of ‘Small’ Stadium : Anaheim Bids Anew for a Super Bowl

The City of Anaheim is preparing to put in its bid to bring the “most-watched sporting event in America”--the Super Bowl--to Anaheim Stadium.

This will be the city’s third attempt to attract the Super Bowl to the 70,500-seat stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams. This time Anaheim officials are talking about 1991 or ’92.

“Our deficiency is our stadium size. The Rose Bowl is a tough thing to compete with in terms of seats,” said city spokeswoman Sheri Erlewine. She added that the city meets all the other requirements.

City Manager William O. Talley said: “It’s the single most-watched game in America. There are incredible image benefits from that. It gives you an exposure you just can’t buy or get any other way.

“Our chances are less than 50-50, but I think we have to stay in the running if we ever want to get one.”

The stadium’s capacity can be expanded to 75,000 seats, according to Talley and stadium general manager Bill Turner. The NFL requires a minimum of 70,000 seats for a Super Bowl game.

Talley acknowledged that Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, with more than 100,000 seats, is a tough competitor, but he also noted that a capacity of 75,000 would make Anaheim Stadium bigger than Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, the home of the Chargers, where the game is to be played next year, and the Buccaneers’ stadium in Tampa, Fla.

Rams spokesman Pete Donovan said Anaheim and its stadium “absolutely” qualify for a Super Bowl.

Written proposals are due Feb. 5 and oral presentations to the NFL Super Bowl Site Selection Committee will be given Feb. 11 and 12, Talley said. Anaheim unsuccessfully applied for the Super Bowl games in 1981 and ’84.