No, today is the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, and the Hawaii Tourism Authority must be agonizing, as a wet front is moving into our islands. The Super Bowl is next Sunday, but I thought I'd give you a heads up in case you need to host a party or purchase $70 worth of snacks predicted to be the average Americans (mind you, this is per person) will spend this year just for this occasion. This bit of trivia came from Jonnelle Marte of the Wall Street Journal a couple of days ago. She also went on to provide 10 Things the Super Bowl won't tell you:
1. Good luck getting a ticket: there will be 70,0000 in the Mercedes-Benz New Orleans Superdome (SD). When did name change happen? Well, in October of 2011. MB now has naming rights also to a soccer stadium in Stuttgart and another in Shanghai. I went to the Sugar Bowl five years ago and this was an incredible experience, for you can actually feel the noise. Worse, try carrying a hot dog and beer and walk down to your seat. The stairs are so steep that tripping would be fatal. This was the home to 23,000 during Katrina just four months earlier, and 10 died here during this ordeal. It is reported that ticket resales to get a seat for the Superbowl this year begin at $3,300. Prices rise to $300,000 for a suite.
2. You're welcome for a stock gain: companies that advertise gain 1% over the S&P a week after the game is over.
3. We leave a carbon footprint: 600 tons of greenhouse gases to be specific. The world average is 6.8 tons/person, but that is for the whole year. Red is high and green is low. The U.S.? 23.5 tons. The worst? United Arab Emirates at 38.8 tons.
As a matter of perspective, two weeks ago I reported that the Superbowl last year drew 111 million viewers. However, the World (soccer) Cup was watched by 620 million, and something like the semifinals of the World Cricket Cup had 150 million. India, by the way, won in 2011, and just yesterday I lamented that when I last was in New Delhi on the day of the 2010 super bowl, there were 3 cricket matches on TV but ZERO super bowl availability in the entire country. And I was staying in a Starwood property. Here is a nice bit of trivia to store: the U.S. is a bit more than 4% the world population, and Hawaii is 0.4% that of the USA. We tend to overinflate our significance.
5. ...and the reason you lost money: more than $10 billion will be wagered on the SB this year, and, I find this hard to believe, but 90% will lose money.
6. Ads outshine the game: which is why companies are willing to spend $3.8 million per 30 second spot, as people, including me, tend to watch the commercials more than the game itself. In any other TV program, if I pre-recorded, I would whisk through the ads. By the way, #1 last year was Chrysler, using Clint Eastwood as America's cheerleader. And, by the way, here is a teaser of commercials to come next week. In fact here is the Danica Patrick Go Daddy ad.
8. We're an excuse to splurge: 7.5 million will upgrade their TV set, and we will spend $70/viewer on snacks.
9. The hoopla isn't super for the local economy: New Orleans spent $85 million to upgrade the Superdome. The visitors bureau expects an additional revenue of $430 million. There is a 49 member Hawaii local community for the Pro Bowl, and they expect $25 million in visitor spending today.
10. Watching could give you a heart attack: fans of the losing team were 15% more likely to die of a heart attack in the days following the game. This debatable.
9. The hoopla isn't super for the local economy: New Orleans spent $85 million to upgrade the Superdome. The visitors bureau expects an additional revenue of $430 million. There is a 49 member Hawaii local community for the Pro Bowl, and they expect $25 million in visitor spending today.
10. Watching could give you a heart attack: fans of the losing team were 15% more likely to die of a heart attack in the days following the game. This debatable.
The game itself next Sunday will feature the San Francisco 49ers versus the New England Patriots. The emotional highlight is that the Brothers Harbaugh (Mom Jackie, Jim, John and Father Jack) coach the teams.
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