New Orleans-bashing sportswriter rethinks criticism of city's

Just three years after ESPN sportswriter Bill Simmons called New Orleans a disgusting sinkhole while covering the 2002 Super Bowl, the self-proclaimed Sports Guy is changing his tune.

In a column covering Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Fla., Simmons said the city's handling of the event is a disaster. Simmons says the Super Bowl should be rotated between four cities: Las Vegas, San Diego, Miami and New Orleans.

My first Super Bowl was the Pats-Rams in New Orleans, one of the greatest weeks of my life, Simmons wrote on ESPN.com. Sure, I was almost lynched. But the food was unbelievable. It was easy to get around. Every vice was taken care of. ... For that entire week, there was an energy in that city that was almost indescribable. I will never forget being there. And neither will anyone else.

Although people in Jacksonville are friendly enough, Simmons wrote, the lack of taxicabs and public transportation made getting around the city a nightmare. One cab company was planning to charge $100 for a cab ride during Super Bowl week no matter the distance, he wrote.

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