Indy Receives Praise For Its Authentic Tone As This Year's Super Bowl Host

The NFL relishes associating the Super Bowl "with celebrity and glamour, but the choice of Indianapolis as host for this year's game has struck a more authentic tone," according to Simon Evans of REUTERS. It feels like "at the heart of this week, for once, is the sport itself and Indianapolis is a sports town." Perhaps the experience will "prompt NFL decision-makers to give some thought to bringing their biggest event to more cities in the midwest and other parts of [America] where fans truly relish the sport" (REUTERS, 1/31). SI.com's Chris Burke wrote there is a "long way to go between now and Super Bowl Sunday but, so far, so good." From the walkways "connecting many of downtown’s major venues to an ample number of restaurants and bars to an army of volunteers, Indianapolis has made a terrific first impression on the swarm of people arriving for football’s showcase week" (SI.com, 1/30). NFL.com's Adam Rank wrote, "I would like to welcome Indianapolis into the Super Bowl rotation. Honestly, the city has been this remarkable and I'm not sure I've been here for 24 hours yet" (NFL.com, 1/30). Syndicated radio host Jim Rome said, "Indy's been great. Sometimes when you roll out to a Super Bowl venue, you've got all the talking heads on Radio Row crying about the set-up, crying about the weather, crying about the town. Indy so far has been great. Everything is centrally located, it's all right there. Things are going down, there's a lot of energy, there's a great vibe" ("The Jim Rome Show," 1/31). Former NFLer and Indianapolis native Rosevelt Colvinsaid, “I feel very, very proud of what Indianapolis has done. You walk around the city, you walk around downtown and the way aesthetically they've tried to address the whole Super Bowl situation and it looks great” (“NBC Sports Talk,” NBC Sports Network, 1/31). CBSSports.com’s Gregg Doyel wrote on Twitter, “Indianapolis, by the way, is putting on the best Super Bowl yet, at least from my perspective. Loving it here.” CBSSports.com’s Will Brinson tweeted, “Indy mayor Greg Ballard just walked over, introduced himself, asked if I was enjoying my trip. Hospitality off the charts.”

INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE: In Indianapolis, Matthew Tully notes foreign reporters "seemed genuinely impressed by what they'd learned about Indianapolis since arriving." The London Sun's Simon Veness said, "I'm not just saying this: Indianapolis has put the super back in Super Bowl. ... This city is the first one we've seen that has really embraced the Super Bowl concept." Tully writes, "Time and again, the foreign journalists I talked to said it was cool to see a city so jazzed about hosting such an event" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/1). Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said of the economic impact on the city, “It's a wide range that the NFL estimates -- $150-400 million. I think we'll be in the $200-250 million range." He added, "We've done so much in the city. ... There's so many things happening as a result of this Super Bowl" ("NBC Sports Talk," NBC Sports Network, 1/30).

MOTHER NATURE IS COOPERATING: NBC Sports Network's Russ Thaler noted it was 60 degrees in Indianapolis yesterday and said, "I can't help but think that Jerry Jones is looking up to the heavens saying, ‘Really?’” The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram’s Charean Williams said, “He was a year too early on getting this Super Bowl. They won by one vote over Indianapolis in that first vote to get last year's Super Bowl and looking back on it, I guess he wishes Indy would have beaten them and they had the Super Bowl this year” ("NBC Sports Talk," NBC Sports Network, 1/31).

ONLINE SHOPPING: In L.A., Jim Peltz noted Costco's website is "offering three ticket packages for" Super Bowl XLVI. They include a single-ticket package "for $2,999.99 and a pair of two-ticket packages, one priced at $9,999 and the other at $15,499.99." Costco Assistant Buyer Kristin Lovik said that membership is "not required to shop at Costco.com, but without it there is a 5% surcharge to the purchase." Costco also offered tickets for the Super Bowl last year and "for the Masters and U.S. Open golf tournaments in 2010." The chain's website also "sells tickets for movies, ski lifts and other entertainment" (L.A. TIMES, 1/31).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS: Last night’s "Late Show" Top Ten list was “Top Ten Questions To Ask Yourself Before Spending $16,000 On A Super Bowl Ticket.” Host David Letterman: “The Super Bowl is the perfect thing to watch from the comfort of your own home. You don’t need to go anywhere. You can get drunk, you can hop up and down with your pants off. You don’t need a $16,000 ticket” (“Late Show,” CBS, 1/31).

10) “Do they have anything in the more affordable $15,000 range?”
9) “Have I recently divorced either Kobe Bryant or Tiger Woods?”
8) “Can I afford it after spending $12,000 on a Pro Bowl ticket?”
7) “Isn’t this why the rest of the world hates us?”
6) “Would it make more sense to watch at home and spend the $16,000 on snacks?”
5) “Before I spend the money, how’s Gronkowski’s ankle?”
4) “For $4,000 an hour, couldn’t I get a really good hooker?”
3) “If I got $16,000, should I buy the Mets?”
2) “Will I be forever known as the assh*** who spent $16,000 on a Super Bowl ticket?”
1) “Do I get to have sex with Madonna?”