Dan Rooney vocalizes his desire for a Pittsburgh Super Bowl

A Super Bowl played at Heinz Field by the close of the decade is a very real possibility.

In January, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney vocalized his desire for Pittsburgh to become a host Super Bowl city in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is close with Rooney, said he wants "some new blood" in the mix of citys to host the 2019 Super Bowl, and surely will consider Pittsburgh along with Philadelphia and New England, who have also made public pitches to host a Super Bowl.

"Yeah, I think it should happen," Rooney told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review back in January. "As of last year, the (New York) Giants have had one. There have been games in Minnesota and Detroit, places like that. So now you think about it. Of course, you'll have a lot of teams in the Northeast that will want one, but I think Pittsburgh would be a good place for the next one in the North."

While potentially adverse winter weather conditions wouldn't deter Goodell from putting a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh, Heinz Field's seat capacity (currently 67,400) and the lack of hotels within the city are cause for concerns. It's no coincidence that Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto is meeting next week with representatives from Four Seasons Hotels to discuss bringing the hotel chain to the city. Peduto hopes that a strong influx of hotels built inside the city within the next decade will help bring a Super Bowl along with other major sporting events like the NCAA Final Four to Pittsburgh.

The positives of Pittsburgh hosting a Super Bowl are obvious; it would mean a big economic payday for the city. Pittsburgh would also be able to show itself off as one of the premier cities in the United States. Once known only as an industrial city, Pittsburgh has reinvented itself over the last 20 years due in large mearsure to the cities advancements in the medical field. The city has brought to life areas like Shadyside and making them the premier social spots to eat, drink, and shop.

Pittsburgh isn't called the City of Champions for nothing, and visitors will surely be able to hit up a Pitt basketball game or a Penguins hockey game the week leading up to the Super Bowl. Visitors looking for a relaxing night can take in the Pittsburgh skyline by enjoying a ride on the Gateway Clipper Fleet. While some may scoff that Pittsburgh's a cold weather site and that it's not New York City, there are plenty of attractions that make Pittsburgh the ideal city to host the biggest spectacle in sports.

The mean reason why having Pittsburgh host the Super Bowl is obvious, with the hope being that the Steelers can win the AFC that season and host the Big Game at Heinz Field. No NFL team has ever played a Super Bowl in their home stadium, with the 1979 Rams and 1984 49ers being the closest teams do so. Playing their games at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Rams took on the Steelers down the road at the Rose Bowl in Super Bowl XIV. San Francisco defeated the Dolphins 38-16 at Stanford Stadium, which was less than 40 miles from the old Candlestick Park.

The Steelers and their fans revel in being the first at doing things. The Steelers were the first team to win three, four and six Super Bowl titles. To be the first team to win a Super Bowl inside their home arena would be the another feather in Pittsburgh's cap of sports accomplishments, and it would surely be one of the most unforgettable nights in Pittsburgh history