This is a rough Monday for many around Boston & the New
England area. Today, the Giants' victory is the main
headline. However, there was another winner:
Indianapolis.
This entire NFL season, the city of Indianapolis has been
the only constant in the ever-changing Super Bowl outlook.
The Indianapolis Colts were the worst team in the entire league,
but the city was still guaranteed a front and center position for
the big game.
Two days ago, the Christian Science Monitor asked,
"Super Bowl cities: Is hosting a boon or a bust?" They
continue: "Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Ind. will bring
tourists, visibility, and money. But is hosting the Super Bowl
worth it?"
To me, the answer is an easy yes. Not only can a city rake
in money - something cities desperately need - but a good hosting
city gets loads of free positive press. Indianapolis (the
smallest city to ever host the Super Bowl) has had no short of
praise during the week leading up to the game. During the
game,
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Indianapolis had exceeded
the NFL's high expectations as a first-time Super Bowl host.
Earlier in the week, he congratulated the Indianapolis Host
Committee and said people across the world are talking about the
city
"in glowing terms." It seems like every broadcast of the
exhaustive coverage mentioned that the analysts and commentators
and anchors were all pleased with the reception they got from the
city. Even the
fans who found themselves without seats during last year's
Super Bowl were happy with their replacement seats.
The crowning jewel for the city is that it was able to win over
the stiff Patriots' coach
Bill Belichick: "I never had too much hospitality here until I
went for it on fourth-and-2. Since then I've been greeted in
a lot more friendly manner than I was in the past."
For a round up of quotes concerning the host from all levels of
participants, check out the Indianapolis Star story
here. The Palladium-Item also had
a story making its case for Indianapolis as a 2012 Super Bowl
winner.
By Ben Levine, Account Coordinator at Solomon McCown &
Company