Atlanta Has the Most to Gain from Super Bowl
The NFL season has been reduced to four remaining teams and three remaining games.
Three of the four teams have won the Super Bowl before -- New England, San Francisco, Baltimore.
Storylines abound.
We might see two brothers coach against each other in the Super Bowl -- Jim Harbaugh for San Francisco and brother John, who coaches the Baltimore Ravens.
And on that Ravens team, there's linebacker Ray Lewis who continues his Hall of Fame retirement tour.
Then, there's the New England Patriots. A win in New Orleans would mean four Super Bowls for Tom Brady, tying him with all-time greats Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.
Then again, that was a storyline last year as well. So, not surprisingly, the one team that has NOT won it all might have the most to gain.
But not necessarily for the obvious reasons.
The Atlanta Falcons would certainly gain unprecedented credibility, and there is no doubt it would lead to more ticket and apparel sales.
However, a potential win in New Orleans could not come at a more opportune time. The franchise is one of only a handful of NFL teams valued at less than a billion, and the Falcons are working on something that would change that: A new stadium.
The team is trying to push forward with a new facility to replace the 20-year old Georgia Dome. Ownership wants public funding assistance, and with the current tax environment in this country, it's not an easy sell.
Reportedly, the plan is for the Falcons to provide about 70-percent of the funding for the $1 billion retractable roof project. The other $300 million would come from public money - most likely taxes.
"If they win the Super Bowl they can come back and talk to us," Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston told a local news station.
It does not get any more direct than that.
Right now, it's not a high political priority in Georgia, but if the Atlanta Falcons become Super Bowl Champions, eveything changes.
—By CNBC's Brian Shactman; Follow him on Twitter: @bshactman