# 103
“Three Days”
IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray
February 2, 2012
In three days, my home state takes the spotlight and Indianapolis shines like a diamond when it hosts The NFL’s Super Bowl. For all the hype about the advertising and the rivalries, this event portends a great financial boon for the city and surrounding towns.
The airport will buzz, gas station cash registers will ring, hotel and motel rooms will be packed, restaurants will serve tens of thousands of meals, and many visitors will get that first glimpse of a city that has experienced a true Renaissance over the last decades.
No longer “India-No-Place” or “Nap Town,” Indianapolis is a truly beautiful city and its downtown is a virtual jewel among other cities of like size. Town leaders aided by thousands of volunteers invested years of work into a welcome for guests that will rival anything they have ever seen before.
Blocks of one downtown street were closed for months while designers transformed it into an area of music and entertainment with overhead heat in case of inclement weather. For football fans, there is no venue so highly prized. Ticket prices reflect that. However, most of us will relax in our homes among family and friends or pack sports bars and restaurants to watch with perfect strangers.
Nothing should dampen this venue for the city and the state. So much work has gone into the preparation. Threats have been made, but they are completely unnecessary and in the worst taste possible.
Enjoy the game. I hope the network covering the game airs scenes that highlight the beauty of Indianapolis. If so, those images will not only inspire a sense of pride from residents, but evoke warm memories for Hoosiers living elsewhere. Ticket holders will, no doubt, come away awed by the venues downtown — all accessible by foot. The mix of shopping, entertainment and food is amazing! Looking for a nice place to vacation next summer? Why not try Indianapolis? It offers much more than sports arenas and nothing tops Hoosier Hospitality.
It would take an entire column just to skim over Indiana’s attractions, so take a look at websites for both the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis.
The lights are burning late this week as planners put those finishing touches on all the preparations for Sunday’s game. They deserve a lot of credit. If you are volunteering, thanks to you, too!
For many of those of us Hoosiers close to the Colts, cheers will be for Eli Manning and the Giants. However, no matter who comes away with the Lombardi trophy, Indianapolis comes away THE winner. What a great opportunity for the city and the state! Have fun this weekend and enjoy the festivities!