Hahn Has Point to Make to Get NFL Back to L.A.

My Super Bowl Diary: Days 5 and 6

NEW ORLEANS--When I heard the mayor of Los Angeles was going to make the selfless sacrifice to fly here for Super Bowl 36 to meet Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and make a pitch for the return of football, I wanted to help.

I called the mayor’s office, the lady on the phone wanted to know who was calling, and when I told her, she immediately put me through--to Hilda Delgado.

I made a promise to myself to start reading the front page of The Times instead of only the Sports section because I was embarrassed to say I had no idea Hilda had already replaced Jim Hahn as mayor of L.A.

Hilda explained to me she worked in the press office, she doesn’t read the Sports section unless it’s baseball season and she’s an Oakland A’s fan. I’m not surprised City Hall ran out of Dodger fans to hire.

A few hours later I received a telephone call in my hotel room and this friendly voice saying, “Hi, this is Mike Garrett.”

The friendly voice, of course, was a dead giveaway, but it was a nice try by Mayor Hahn. Had he identified himself as Steven Sample, I might have bought it, because I’ve never heard his voice.

As a rule I like to see what people are made of, so right away I chastised the mayor for going on the radio recently and making the mistake of saying there are 31 teams in the NFL and L.A. has a good shot now of becoming No. 32.

The mayor blamed the faux pas on his staff, and for a moment there I thought I was talking to Sports Editor Bill Dwyre, but then the mayor laughed to let me know it was his fault, and I knew it wasn’t Dwyre.

“I’m coming to meet Mr. Tagliabue,” the mayor said.

“Be prepared to fall asleep,” I said.

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NOW WHAT happened next might be the most impressive thing I’ve heard since covering this NFL-L.A. saga after the departure of the Rams and Raiders in 1995: “This is something I have to do,” the mayor said, “I’ve got to be the point person in this thing if L.A. is going to have a football team.”

Nashville, Cleveland, Baltimore, St. Louis and Houston were each successful in securing a team because each city had a strong identifiable leader--something L.A. lacked when the opportunity was there to get an expansion team.

“The last time everyone fought too much among themselves and the mayor didn’t take an active role,” Hahn said. “The people of this city are not going to provide a lavish public expenditure for a new stadium--that’s real clear, but there is still a lot local government can do to make this happen.”

I WAS expecting the mayor to fly here on a corporate jet, or at the very least first class the way Dwyre does, but the mayor insisted on going coach. He also told me he insisted on an aisle seat, so there’s a limit to his common-man routine.

But I was impressed at the incredible sacrifice he was making--leaving the city of Los Angeles for the Super Bowl and missing the NHL All-Star game Saturday.

That’s why I was unable to provide Day 5 of “My Super Bowl Diary,” in Saturday’s newspaper, because as soon as I heard what the mayor was doing, I spent morning, noon and Friday night walking up and down Bourbon Street.

When I tell you the mayor left his wife behind in L.A. and here I am walking up and down Bourbon Street on his behalf--before you get any wrong ideas, do you know how difficult it is to find a TV around here that will show the NHL All-Star game?

But right across the street from the Ragin’ Rooster, next to the Boogie Woogie, I found Utopia, and don’t let the jiggling girl waving the “Live Dancing” sign fool you--inside they had the NHL Celebrity Game on two TVs, and although the place was packed, it still felt as if I was the only one watching the game.

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TWO WEEKS ago former Dodger owner Peter O’Malley and Casey Wasserman, L.A.’s favorite grandson, went to New York for a sit-down session with Tagliabue. It was the first indication--since O’Malley abandoned plans to build a football stadium at Dodger Stadium after losing Mayor Richard Riordan’s support--he is interested in football again.

“I’m helping as a friend--I’m energized by it because I think it has to happen soon for L.A.,” O’Malley said. “I’m thrilled to hear the mayor wants to be point man.”

Hahn, O’Malley and Wasserman all say the same thing: The benefit to L.A. is Super Bowls, and to get Super Bowls L.A. must get a team.

“I believe having the Super Bowl in L.A. justifies whatever taxpayer dollars are spent--and they may be very minimal--in getting L.A. the finest football stadium,” O’Malley said. “The project can be an absolute success for taxpayers, and when elected officials see that, I believe they will stand up and proudly speak on behalf of such a project wherever the stadium may be located.”

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RIGHT NOW, of course, I’m just thrilled the mayor of L.A. knows there are 32 teams in the NFL. That’s progress.

“Who do you think is going to win the Super Bowl?” Hahn asked.

“I’m not going to let you off that hook that easy,” I told the mayor. “Tell me who is playing in the game.”

The mayor didn’t hesitate: “Notre Dame against ...”

I’m telling you, a mayor with a sense of humor is the best thing we have going for us when it comes to dealing with the jokers who run NFL.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com.