ATLANTA -- Jay Cicero's knuckles must be bloodied and bruised. The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation president has been knocking on wood for months as not to jinx New Orleans' chances to land Super Bowl 2024.
A smiling Gayle Benson walked back to the "Delegate" meeting room at the Whitley Hotel in Buckhead on Wednesday morning and sat in front of a speaker phone for a conference call with Cicero and an anxious group of supports at GNOSF headquarters in Bucktown.
Cicero opened the call asking, "Do we have some good news for New Orleans?"
A couple of hotel workers delivered iced-down champagne to the "Delegate" room shortly before the New Orleans contingent arrived to the room after making its 10-minute presentation.