The Super Bowl may or may not be the greatest party/sports extravaganza on the planet. But, there's little question that it's in the running.
Every year, tens of thousands of people spend millions of dollars for the privilege of watching the Super Bowl. Last year in Super Bowl XXXVIII, 71,525 fans crowded Houston's spanking new Reliant Stadium to watch the New England Patriots earn their second championship title in three years by beating the Carolina Panthers in a dramatic 31-29 victory, thanks to kicker Adam Vinatieri's three-point field goal in the game's final four seconds.
Equally dramatic was the over $300 million in revenue that the game brought to the Houston area. Once the fans had already shelled out thousands of dollars apiece for tickets and airfare, they then proceeded to spend even more for hotel rooms, transportation, meals, merchandise and, of course, lots and lots of beer.
Clearly, the majority of the fans in attendance were not from the Houston area, nor will they be from Jacksonville, Fla., when that city hosts Super Bowl XXXIX on Feb. 6. While it's a good bet that a large percentage of them will be hometown fans coming to root for either the Philadelphia Eagles or the returning Patriots, there are just as many who will be there -corporate chieftains, executives from local companies like CSX and Winn-Dixie, Super Bowl junkies, celebrities and hotshot salesmen - just because it's the hottest ticket and biggest event in the country.
Of course, the game is the main attraction, but it is by no means the only action in town. In fact, not unlike the recent Presidential inauguration, all of Jacksonville will be jumping for days leading up to the big game. Among the dozens of events scheduled are the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Concert Series on Feb. 3, the 2005 Player's Wives Fashion Extravaganza, Luncheon and Auction on Feb. 4 and the Playboy Super Bowl Party on Feb. 5. There are also celebrity golf challenges, motorcycle rides, fireworks, a gospel talent competition and much more.
So, if you are planning on being among the 76,000 fans in attendance at Alltel Stadium on Feb. 6, what are you going to do, where are you going to eat and where are you going to stay? To find out about the best that Jacksonville has to offer during the Super Bowl - and beyond -please click here.
