ATLANTA -- Build it and the Super Bowl will come. That message rang loud and clear Tuesday when Minneapolis was awarded the 2018 game after a vote by owners rewarded the city for its new stadium deal. The owners chose Minneapolis and the $1 billion stadium planned for the site of the old Metrodome to host the championship over New Orleans and Indianapolis. "In large part, it was due to recognition of the great work theyve done on the stadium," Commissioner Roger Goodell noted. "Its been 10 years and weve always been driving to build a stadium," Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said. "We can rejoice right now for being rewarded this, but the hard work comes now." New Orleans bid committee members were certain the new Minneapolis stadium, set to open in 2016, swung the vote. The stadium will hold up to 72,000 for the Super Bowl. "The new stadium was absolutely the deciding factor," Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation President Jay Cicero said. "Any time that there is so much public support for a $1 billion stadium, the NFL owners are impressed. "We did everything we were supposed to do, had a fantastic presentation. In the end we think the stadium did it." The big game will be staged in the Twin Cities for the second time. It was there in 1992, when Washington beat Buffalo. It will be there in 2018 because the Vikings lobbied for years to replace the aging Metrodome, one of the NFLs least profitable facilities. When Minnesota political leaders realized the team could move out of state without a new home, the stadium project moved forward. Legislators in 2012 approved the stadium, with taxpayers carrying about 56 per cent of the freight. Owners needed four ballots to choose Minneapolis, with Indianapolis the first city eliminated. Indy was praised for a highly successful 2012 Super Bowl, but could have been hurt by the recent legal troubles of Colts owner Jim Irsay. Irsay underwent treatment after he was arrested and accused of having $29,000 in cash and bottles of prescription drugs in his car. He made his first public appearance at these meetings since the arrest. Irsay said Indianapolis will bid again. "Before, we had to lose one to get one," he said, noting Indy fell short in previous bids before landing the 2012 game. "It will take persistence and we know we have the type of people who will be that." New Orleans was considered the favourite and has staged the Super Bowl 10 times, tied with South Florida for the most. Its bid might have been damaged by the blackout that interrupted the 2013 title game. Next years game is in Glendale, Arizona, followed by Santa Clara, California, for the 50th Super Bowl, then Houston. Earlier at their spring meetings, NFL owners tabled any vote expanding the playoffs to 14 teams. There is strong sentiment among the owners to add a wild-card team in each conference to the post-season, most likely beginning in 2015. Under such a setup only the team with the best record in each conference will get a week off at the beginning of the playoffs. Goodell said it will be discussed again in October. "I do believe it will be approved for the 2015 season," he said. New York Giants owner John Mara is against adding more playoff teams. "I dont think its a sure thing at all," Mara said. "Its probably more likely than not, but nothing is set in stone. There was no straw poll taken. ... I think its good the way we have it." The players union says it needs to be consulted on an expanded post-season, and Goodell said he spoke with NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith two weeks ago about it. Also Tuesday: --A committee examining the time, length and site of the draft reported to the owners. The NFL will consider whether to keep it in May. It drew record TV ratings this year after it was moved back two weeks from its usual late April slot. It also will look into adding a fourth day and moving it from its traditional spot in New York to a variety of NFL cities, with a dozen already having expressed interest; "If I was king of the world, Id put it right back where it was," Mara said, referring to the April dates. --Goodell said that had HGH testing been implemented, 104 other cases under the leagues drug policy would have been heard by an independent arbitrator, with 21 players being referred to the first level of the drug program rather than being suspended. The NFL and players union agreed to HGH testing in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, but the union first balked at the procedures for testing, then at Goodell having the final say on appeals. The NFLPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. --New director of football operations Troy Vincent hired three advisers, including Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary. Vincent, a former All-Pro defensive back, also hired former NFL player and coach Jimmy Raye and former player and general manager Mike Reinfeldt. Among other chores, the three new hires will serve as liaisons to league coaches and front-office personnel. Patriots Jerseys 2019 . Long snapper Patrick Mannelly announced Friday that he is retiring after a 16-year-career with the Bears, a span in which he played in a team record 245 games and snapped the ball 2,282 times. Custom New England Patriots Jerseys . Head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed on Sunday that his starting goalie has a head injury and the team will take it day by day. https://www.patriotsjerseysale.com/ . The Thunder earned the Game 1 win with a 100-86 victory Saturday night. Oklahoma City dominated the first half and led by 22 at the break, but saw its lead shrink to just two points in the fourth quarter. Fake Patriots Jerseys . The Montreal Canadiens goaltender has won three of his four games since returning from a lower-body injury that kept him out from the end of the Olympic break until March 15. Patriots Jerseys 2020 .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers.Arnhem, Netherlands (SportsNetwork.com) - Ajaxs quest for a fifth straight Eredivisie title took a hit on Sunday as the champions were handed a 1-0 defeat at Vitesse thanks to an 85th-minute goal from Uros Djurdjevic. PSV Eindhovens 2-1 win over Willem II on Saturday extended PSVs lead over Ajax to nine points at the top of the league, making Sundays result vital for the Amsterdam side. However, the hosts looked to be the more dangerous side throughout, and Djurdjevic finally made the pressure count five minutes from time with a goal that leaves Ajax with a lot of ground to make up over the next three months. The visitors had few good looks at goal on Sunday, and goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was tested on a few occasions in the first half by Vitesse forward Bertrand Traore, who saw both of his efforts kept out by thee Netherlands international.dddddddddddd. It wasnt until the final 20 minutes that Ajax managed to test Vitesse goalkeeper Eloy Room, but the hosts finally made the most of a chance in the 85th as Djurdjevic flicked a ball past his defender before lashing a shot past Cillessen for a great individual goal. Ajax had one last chance to take something from the game, but Anwar El Ghazis shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Room to preserve the win. Feyenoord moved to within five points of Ajax after a 2-1 win over Den Haag that saw Feyenoord score twice in the opening 20 minutes, Zwolle used goals from Thomas Lam and Stefan Nijland to remain in fourth place with a 2-0 victory at Utrecht, while AZ Alkmaar notched a 3-1 victory over Heracles behind second-half goals from Steven Berghuis and Markus Henriksen. ' ' '