One year later, North Texas' Super Bowl mishaps are still fresh in many people's minds.
A winter storm dumped snow, ice and wintry temperatures the week of the Super Bowl, falling snow and ice injured several people at Cowboys Stadium the Friday before the big game, and about 1,250 seats were deemed unsafe.
Mac Engel, sports columnist at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, said that everything that could have gone wrong last year went wrong.
“You had the worst weather ever," he said. "I mean, the worst weather on record, and you have an area that's not prepared for that weather even in the best circumstances. Then when the game actually did start, there were tickets and no seats."
And it hasn't been forgotten.
On his radio talk show, NBC sports commentator Dan Patrick had some advice for Indianapolis, this year's host city.
"Unlike Dallas, make sure you have snow removal and you have salt for the streets just in case there's an ice storm," he said.
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"That would be the first thing,” he said. "You want to make sure people who have tickets, have seats."
It was a learning experience for Arlington.
Jay Burress, of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, said it’s important to “expect the unexpected."
"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best," he said. "But all in all, I think they're in for a great week up there in Indianapolis."
Engel said Super Bowl host cities such as Arlington or Indianapolis that are not destination cities like frequent hosts Miami or San Diego have no room for error -- or even bad luck.
“You need every good break to go right," he said. "Otherwise, expect the out-of-town media to mock and ridicule your city as being overwhelmed and underprepared and wholly inadequate to be a destination for God's gift to the NFL, which is the Super Bowl."
While Arlington had a rough first chance, Engel said he thinks the Metroplex will get another shot.
“I think Jerry Jones wields enough influence in the NFL. I think the stadium is so big that I do think that they'll get one more," he said. "If they blow it again, they won't get another one.”
That would be much to the pleasure of folks such as Burress.
“[Arlington] is a fantastic place, and we get better and better every year, so we're ready for that next one to come back whenever that might be,” he said.
And if it does, Engel urges that North Texas “pray for good weather, and then pray for more good weather.”
