It's your turn now Indianapolis

First appeared on February 8th, 2011
in The Lebanon Reporter

Time to put away the Mardi gras beads and football shaped snack plates, another Super Bowl has come and gone. And with a lockout looming, Commissioner Roger Goodell has to be both excited and terrified by 111 million Americans tuning in to watch the NFL’s final game Sunday. This makes his season finale the most watched television event of all time and also proves a lockout would torpedo his game at its high-water mark.


As for the Super Bowl, the ice storm that hit the Dallas-Forth Worth area during the week leading up to the game proved everything truly is bigger in Texas; except apparently snow plows. And while the impromptu game of “Super Bowl Survivor” that sprang up, forcing fans to dodge falling chunks of ice and navigate Dallas without cabbies, may have brought headlines to an otherwise slow news week, they certainly weren’t part of the Super Bowl package pitched by organizers.

Evidently a billion dollars doesn’t go as far as it use to for, in the case of Jerry Jones’ beloved Cowboy Stadium at least, it bought everything he needed except a gutter system to trap falling ice chunks. Note to Jerry: Stop fast-forwarding through infomercials, installing the Gutter Helmet on Cowboy Stadium probably would have been a good investment.

It would appear the only catastrophe the Super Bowl planners of North Texas avoided was Jerry’s supersized scoreboard falling and crushing the players on the field, the referees and coaches, the Punt, Pass and Kick kids waiting in the end zone for halftime with the Black Eyed Peas as well as those who paid top dollar to sit in the first 50 rows.

To be fair I’ve never planned a Super Bowl. It appears to be tough sledding indeed; maybe something like planning a birthday party for 100,000. And if you haven’t covered every angle you are one cabbie strike or avalanche away from being labeled a disaster.

So with Indianapolis hosting the next Super Bowl what can fans expect? Well, the average highs and lows for an Indy February range from 40 to 23, but if history is any guide fans should be prepared for everything from an ice storm or blizzard with -50 wind chills to sunny and 60. Good luck packing.

But beyond glamorous movie stars and incredible exposure, the Super Bowl looks to bring much more to Indianapolis. Give the planners of the 2012 game credit for fostering ideas that will reach well beyond the field.

Part of the Super Bowl “Legacy Project” will build athletic facilities at Arsenal Tech as well as spearhead redevelopment efforts in a neighborhood where 30% of the properties are vacant lots or abandoned homes. Enclosed skywalks will connect the convention center with both nearby hotels and Circle Center while climate controlled walkways will link Lucas Oil with other Super Bowl destinations. The committee also promises to increase capacity at Lucas Oil by 7,000.

The “2,012 campaign” pledges to plant 2,012 trees on the near eastside before next February as the “1st and Green” initiative will seek to reduce carbon production and water usage in Indianapolis through a variety of green measures. Fans can find local carbon and water counters at 1standgreen.com. The “Super Scarves” program will turn to local knitting circles to create 8,000 mufflers with which to outfit the army of volunteers who will help facilitate the experience.

The countdown is on Indianapolis. With less than 365 days left until the Super Bowl arrives, enjoy the hype and soak up the spotlight for the eyes, and wallets, of the world are soon to be upon you.