Hosting More than a Super Bowl Party

While I consider myself someone who is very involved in politics, I have, for my entire life, always chosen not to associate with a Party.  I have always considered myself an independent.  I really like some Republican presidents, and I really like some Democratic presidents.  The past presidential election I found myself clearly on one side of the political spectrum.  People who didn't know me before this most recent election season swore I was a staunch conservative.  My endorsement for Mitt Romney came early in the GOP debates.  I became a huge Romney fan and didn't feel Obama was the right candidate for the time.  I am fine sharing this now considering I was almost in-your-face about it at the time.  Being politically active, when I heard the Democratic National Convention was going to take place in my home city of Charlotte, I was interested.  I thought it would be cool to see the events unfold.  I wasn't overly excited given my stance on the Democratic candidate, but I wasn't too upset.  When I learned that Charlotte was going to lose money over the ordeal by having to make so many upgrades, I was initially upset.

Comparing Democratic National Convention coming to Charlotte to the Super Bowl going to almost any city is not a very difficult task.  Both require the local government to make certain changes to accommodate for the event, but also bring in many people who cover at least most of the costs.  Learning that Charlotte, who always seems to be needing money for many reasons (education particularly), was going to lose more money was frustrating.  As the events of the DNC began to unfold, I watched coverage on tv, since I was away at school.  It was cool seeing the places that I knew very well on national television.  That was when I realized that I was actually quite happy that the DNC came to Charlotte.

Short-term economic loss for Charlotte was inevitable, but long-term returns were more than likely.  Getting my city exposed to the world showed many people the better parts of the city; making it appeal to movers, tourists and businesses.  People around the nation learning more about Charlotte and how it is home to some of America's biggest companies, such as Bank of America, began to see the opportunity Charlotte had to offer.  Finally, seeing President Obama accept his party's nomination for a second term gave viewers an image of patriotism when they think of Charlotte.  These are all aspects that eventually pan out to an increase in Charlotte economic prosperity as well as put Charlotte on the national map.

These results are very similar to the cities that host the Super Bowl.  While New Orleans likely lost money off of hosting the Super Bowl this year, it gave the networks a chance to remind America that parts of the city still hadn't totally recovered from Hurricane Katrina.  This tactic was aimed at getting America to rally around New Orleans and continue to help our fellow countrymen.  The city brought in many tourists and exposed the benefits to viewers at home. These are all aspects that, even if they don't lead to immediate economic success, may lead to long-term payoffs and at least put a city on the map.  I saw the images of the parties on Bourbon Street after the game and I know I want to go spend my tourist dollars there.

This is why a city may be excited about a Super Bowl even if their team isn't playing, much like a kid who became excited for a National Convention even though it was for his Party.