Jacksonville, Houston and Detroit Are Awarded Future Super Bowls

With the help of some shipping companies that will bring in 10 cruise ships to help provide rooms, NFL owners meeting at Atlanta voted to bring the Super Bowl to Jacksonville, Fla., for the first time.

Jacksonville beat out Miami, which has played host to eight Super Bowls, in a closely contested race for the 2005 game.

As expected, the owners gave the 2004 Super Bowl to Houston and the 2006 game to Detroit, rewarding both cities for building new stadiums. Neither had opposition

That wasn’t the case for Jacksonville, which required four ballots to become one of the smallest metropolitan areas to land the biggest one-day event in American sports.

“This raises us to a first-tier city,” said Wayne Weaver, owner of the Jaguars.

The city will dock at least 10 cruise ships near Alltel Stadium on the St. John’s River, adding about 8,000 rooms to its downtown hotel capacity. Sydney used a similar tactic during the Olympics.

“I think the membership bought into that,” Weaver said. “We’re going to give them a different and unique experience.”

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Barring miraculous improvement to Rob Johnson’s injured shoulder, Doug Flutie will make his third start in a row when Buffalo faces New England on Sunday.

Johnson said he isn’t ready after throwing in practice for the first time since separating his shoulder Oct. 15.

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49er running back Garrison Hearst practiced for the first time since breaking his left ankle in a January 1999 playoff game. Hearst, who rushed for a team-record 1,570 yards in 1998, has had two surgeries on the ankle and months of rehabilitation.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said there is “a small possibility” Hearst could play for the 49ers this season, but that it’s more likely he won’t be ready until next year.

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Marshall Faulk thinks he can make it through the season with loose cartilage, torn scar tissue and a bone bruise on his right knee.

The St. Louis Rams’ running back, who leads the NFL with 1,326 total yards, said that he’s not considering surgery until after the season unless the piece of cartilage that came loose in the knee lodged in a place that affects his mobility.

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St. Louis Coach Mike Martz suggested that Reggie White should have stayed out of football.

Martz, whose team plays White and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night, was critical of White’s contribution to the Carolina defense. Martz said White has been “very inconsistent.”

“He at times will make some great plays,” Martz said. “He’s a guy that is at the end of his career.”

White, 38, came out of retirement this season after taking a year off. He has 12 solo tackles, 10 assists and 3 1/2 sacks.

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Chad Hennings, a mainstay on the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line since their Super Bowl days in the early 1990s, will not play Sunday because of nerve irritation in his neck. . . . The Cleveland Browns put wide receiver Lenzie Jackson on the reserve non-football injury list and moved offensive lineman Noel LaMontagne to the 53-man roster. . . . The New England Patriots put linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer on injured reserve because of a back injury and activated rookie offensive tackle Adrian Klemm. . . . Defensive back Payton Williams, who served as a return man in the first seven games of his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, was waived by the team. . . . The Atlanta Falcons put starting linebacker Keith Brooking on injured reserve.

Seattle running back Ricky Watters has turf toe and his streak of 106 regular-season starts might be in jeopardy. Watters is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against San Diego. Watters’ streak is the longest among active NFL running backs. . . . Quarterback Steve McNair tossed a few passes but watched most of his Tennessee teammates practice along with running back Eddie George. McNair wasn’t able to loosen a stiff back after Monday night’s game at Washington. George rested his right leg after doctors removed fluid from his toe. Coach Jeff Fisher said he expects both players to practice today. . . . Washington quarterback Brad Johnson is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Arizona because of a sprained knee ligament.