California. Background The NFL awarded Super Bowl XVIII to Tampa on June 3, 1981, at the owners' meetings in Detroit. This was the first time Tampa hosted the game, and it was the first Super Bowl to be played in Florida in a city other than Miami. Tampa Stadium won the rights to host the game in a landslide, earning 24 out of the 26 votes (the were two abstentions). Three other cities submitted bids for XVIII: Pasadena (Rose Bowl), Miami (Orange Bowl), and New Orleans (Superdome). Detroit (Silverdome) and Dallas (Cotton Bowl) also made presentations, but stated they were only interested in bidding for Super Bowl XIX. Detroit, in particular, was a long shot, as they were slated to host Super Bowl XVI in just over six months, and owners were not ready to award them a second game before they finished their first. Tampa entered the meeting as a heavy favorite to land the game, representing a new market for the Super Bowl. The representatives led by Tampa mayor Bob Martinez and Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse touted the local hotels, proximity to Walt Disney World, and the availability of luxury boxes at the stadium. They even hired Pat Summerall to narrate their film presentation. They also received praise from the other owners for their fan support. The Buccaneers had joined the league as an expansion team in 1976, but despite starting 0–26, maintained a loyal fanbase. Pasadena received only one vote, owing much to the fact that they were already slated to host XVII. New Orleans fell out of consideration after a lackluster reception five months earlier at XV. Meanwhile, Miami, back in the running, was also voted down, in an apparent effort to continue providing Dolphins owner Joe Robbie with leverage to build a new stadium. With no outstanding options, owners decided to postpone the awarding of XIX until the 1982 meeting. Washington Redskins The Redskins entered the game appearing to be even better than the previous season when they defeated the Miami Dolphins 27–17 in Super Bowl XVII. The Redskins finished the regular season with a 14–2 record, the best in the NFL, and their two losses were only by one point each. In addition, the Redskins set new NFL records with 541 points (since broken by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, the 2007 and 2012 New England Patriots, 2011 Green Bay Packers, 2011 New