A new Detroit set for 40th Super Bowl

Detroit's innovations have shaped the way America moves and what America hears. It has also changed the way America's premier annual sporting event is experienced. The same innovating spirit that drove Henry Ford's creation of the assembly line and Berry Gordy's independent Motown record label ensured that Super Bowl XVI -- Detroit's first -- would leave a proud legacy on the game. Super Bowl XL, to be played in Detroit on Feb. 5, 2006, is the city's second opportunity to redefine the Super Bowl experience and reintroduce Detroit to the world.

To prepare for the NFL's crown jewel in 1982, Detroit established the first Super Bowl host committee -- a local organization acting as the official liaison between the league and host city to provide a level of hospitality which is now part of the experience. The committee was so successful that the NFL adopted the structure for subsequent Super Bowl host cities. The establishment of a host committee is now a requirement for any bidding city.

When the Super Bowl came north, it set an important precedent by breaking the rotation of Miami-New Orleans-Los Angeles Super Bowl as host cities -- where 14 of the first 15 championship games were held. Detroit's Super Bowl stirred civic pride and the ambition of owners throughout the league, who now viewed the prospect of hosting a Super Bowl as a realistic possibility. Since 1982, eight different cities -- including San Diego, Atlanta, Tempe, Tampa, Jacksonville and Minneapolis -- have played host to their first Super Bowl. These first-time host cities were able to share in the game's growing impact and prestige of hosting a Super Bowl.

For Super Bowl XVI, the league brought in Detroit native Diana Ross to perform the national anthem. This was the first time major entertainment was brought in to perform at the Super Bowl. Ross' performance launched the Super Bowl's pregame and halftime entertainment slots as the most coveted pieces of broadcast real estate for artists and has since featured some of the world's biggest musical acts, including U2 and Paul McCartney.


Since Super Bowl XVI, both the game and Detroit have experienced significant growth. Advertising rates have grown from $324,000 to more than $5 million for a 30-second television spot. The economic impact of hosting the Super Bowl now exceeds $300 million as events such as the NFL Experience, NFL Concert Series and other entertainment options thrill residents and more than 100,000 expected visitors to each Super Bowl city.

Changes in Detroit have kept pace with Super Bowl over the past 25 years. Detroit has experienced an on-going civic revival and downtown renewal. General Motors moved its world headquarters to the Renaissance Center -- the city's signature building located on the Detroit River that will serve as the NFL headquarters hotel. Compuware opened its world headquarters downtown. Comerica Park -- home of the Detroit Tigers -- settled nicely in the city's bustling theater district, and Campus Martius Park, a $22 million dollar downtown park, opened this past winter in the heart of the business district. Combined with over two dozen recently opened restaurants, streetscape improvements and a $500 million transformation of the city's international riverfront, the Detroit that Super Bowl visitors will experience is far different than it would have been even 10 years ago.

Ford Field -- the $500 million home of the Lions that opened in 2002 -- has also been a significant factor in bringing the Super Bowl to Detroit. Built into the historic 1920's Hudson Warehouse, the stadium is not surrounded by acres of pavement, but rather set amongst Detroit's streetscape. Considered by many to be the league's premier indoor stadium, the 65,000-seat complex includes a seven-story atrium abutting a glass wall, offering views of the Detroit skyline. It is a uniquely Detroit building, much like the entire Super Bowl XL experience. From the Motown Winter Blast -- an outdoor wintertime festival which celebrates winter and embraces the game's northern setting -- to authentically Detroit venues and events that will recognize the city's automotive and musical heritage, Detroit is ready to welcome the world this February.

It is only fitting the NFL is bringing the 40th anniversary of Super Bowl to Detroit, a city that has been the birthplace of innovation in industry and music since the turn of the 20th century. It is there that the experience of America's biggest game was once enhanced and will again be redefined.
article source : www.superbowl.com