We'll take their word on Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is going to be played in Mobile for at least three more years. How do we know this? Because Steve Hale and Vic Lott said so.

If the statements from the head of the Senior Bowl and the leader of the group that owns the game aren't proof enough for you, then you'll just have to remain unconvinced. Because nothing else that happened last week shed any light on the long-term future of one of Mobile's most vital annual events.

To recap, the city offered the Senior Bowl $115,000 on the condition that the Mobile Arts and Sports Association sign a five-year contract to play the game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The money came with the stipulation that there would be no buyout until the five-year contract elapsed — in other words, a legal commitment that the game wouldn't be going anywhere until at least 2014.

On Thursday, the Senior Bowl declined the money, with Lott saying that such conditions would "endanger the fiscal viability and independence of the Senior Bowl."

So what Mobile supporters are left with is a contract that ensures the game will be played at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium one more time. After January's game, Senior Bowl officials will have three months to decide if they want to pay a $40,000 buyout to move the game to Jacksonville, Fla., or elsewhere.

"If we're not here for another 59 years, I'll be shocked," Hale said Thursday. "We're going to work hard to earn the trust of our fan base back."

One way to do that is by saying the Senior Bowl will not listen to offers from others cities hoping to acquire the game. Hale did that Thursday, which was a great first step. But a more effective way to restore trust — not to mention excitement for the game — would be to sign a legally binding contract. Short of that, this messy saga is never going to completely go away....