Just ask Minneapolis, which probably sees the 10-figure sum as a bargain after being awarding the 2018 Super Bowl. In a surprise that had the Twin Cities bid committee high-fiving and hugging as if Adrian Peterson had just broken another vintage touchdown run, Minneapolis beat New Orleans and Indianapolis in voting by the 32 NFL owners. Everyone from Commissioner Roger Goodell to a variety of owners, including the Vikings' Wilf family, to members of the other cities' bidding groups agreed on the decisive factor. ''The stadium project, the effort they had to bring that stadium to completion, the plans they have for it and the commitment that community has demonstrated was a positive influence on several owners that I talked to,'' Goodell said. More...