The NFL season hasn't started yet, but the Miami Dolphins already have suffered their first defeat.
Florida lawmakers ended their 60-day legislative session on Friday without approving a deal that would have provided taxpayer support for a $350 million dollar upgrade to Sun Life Stadium, according to the Miami Herald.
Had the legislature approved the deal, the people of Miami-Dade county would have voted on a referendum on May 14. The proposed deal would have raised up to $289 million for renovations by raising the Miami-Dade hotel tax from 6 to 7 percent. The Dolphins would have also had a shot at up to $90 million in state sales tax rebates.
The rejected deal all but kills South Florida's hopes of hosting Super Bowl L or Super Bowl LI. The NFL had told the Dolphins that Miami would only be considered as a Super Bowl host if the team had a plan in place to renovate the 26-year-old stadium.
The host cities for Super Bowls L and LI will be voted on by NFL owners on May 21. The 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara is now almost a lock to host Super Bowl L as Miami was the only other competition in the bid to host the NFL's 50th anniversary Super Bowl. The Bay Area hasn't hosted the NFL's championship game since 1985, ironically enough, San Francisco beat Miami in Super Bowl XIX.
Houston is now the most likely candidate to host Super Bowl LI. Whichever city didn't get Super Bowl L was supposed to compete with Houston for the right to host Super Bowl LI, but now Miami appears to out of the running all together.
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