Super Bowl XLV for Texas

NFL owners have awarded Super Bowl XLV in 2011 to the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium being built in Arlington, Texas.

It marks the first time a Super Bowl will be played in North Texas after the venue fought off rival bids from Indianapolis and Glendale, Arizona.

Former Dallas star Roger Staubach and Cowboys owner and president Jerry Jones made the presentation for the North Texas group.

The Cowboys' new stadium, which will feature a retractable roof and a capacity of up to 100,000, is scheduled to open in 2009.

"This is a thrill of a lifetime," said Staubach, who served as the North Texas Super Bowl Bid committee chairman.

"We're thrilled to bring the Super Bowl to North Texas and this magnificent stadium. There's a lot of work to be done. But it will really get cooking here in the near future. We're going to work real hard to live up to the responsibilities that go along with the bid."

Staubach led the Cowboys to their first two championships in franchise history - a 24-3 victory over Miami in Super Bowl VI in January 1972 and a 27-10 win over Denver in Super Bowl XII.

Texas has previously hosted the Super Bowl twice - in Houston in 2004 in the Texans' new stadium and in 1974 at Rice Stadium.

"Certainly, we're committed to do everything we can to make it the best Super Bowl there has ever been," Jones said.

"We think the capacity of our new stadium as well as the hotels and transportation were very much a positive."

The Indianapolis bid featured the Colts' domed stadium opening in 2008. However, the capacity is roughly 30,000 seats less than the Cowboys' new stadium.

Colts coach Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Motor Speedway chief executive officer Tony George and NCAA executive vice president Tom Jernstedt made the presentation for Indianapolis, who previously lost a Super Bowl bid to Minneapolis for the 1992 Super Bowl.

Glendale, Arizona hosts Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and was considered a long shot to get the nod over North Texas or Indianapolis for the 2011 game.

Tampa and Miami will host the Super Bowls in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Not since the Cowboys defeated Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena has a Super Bowl attendance exceeded 80,000.

NFL Draft Update

The wheeling and dealing among NFL teams continues even after this past weekend's NFL Draft.

The Tampa Bay Bucs swing a trade to acquire Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Ryan Sims, a former first round draft choice. The Bucs give up a future draft choice to the Chiefs. Kansas City also cut defensive end Eric Hicks.

The Carolina Panthers release veteran wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and the the Denver Broncos cut former Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs.

Atlanta signed former LSU running back Justin Vincent and former Georgia linebacker Tony Taylor and punter Gordon Ely-Kelso. The St. Louis Rams signed former Mississippi State linebacker Quentin Culberson.