DETROIT – One of them is a hit in Seattle, the other is a sensation in Germany.
But, hey, who’s keeping track?
Newbie Seahawk fans from Michigan were corralled Sunday night in a small area of the lobby at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Mich., where the Seattle Seahawks are making their temporary home.
One autograph seeker was Jennifer Mascia, 30, of nearby Allen Park, Mich., who had been there for about two hours.
“I’m waiting for the quarterback guy. What’s his name? Hasselhoff?” she said. “He walked by earlier, so I’m waiting for him to come back.”
So maybe they don’t all know Seahawk quarterback Matt Hasselbeck from “Baywatch” lifeguard David Hasselhoff.
“I got this guy named Joe,” she said, proudly showing off a white Super Bowl hat adorned with random scribbles in permanent ink. “And this guy named Hill.”
No matter, the locals are proud to have the game in their hometown, and they’re going to soak it all up.
Tale of two cities
Detroit and Windsor, its Canadian partner to the south (more on that later), are both hosting the Super Bowl. Many Super Bowl events are taking place across the Detroit River in Windsor, the only city that has a public transit system that crosses an international border.
But there is the quandary of too many of the event’s dollars – of either currency – making their way across the border. It was a topic that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was asked about Monday.
“Are there any concerns with too much of people’s entertainment dollars flowing over there, because you can get away with a little bit more?” a reporter asked, a thinly veiled reference to Windsor’s relaxed laws on prostitution and where the smoke from Cuban cigars flows as freely as the Detroit River.
The question sparked a laugh from the crowd of reporters, and Kilpatrick handled it with poise.
“Whew,” the mayor said. “I guess the bad answer would be, ‘We’ll let you get away with stuff.’”
Kilpatrick did point out that laws enacted in the mid-1990s allow casinos in Detroit, and there are three major gambling sites in town.
“I’m not a big fan of casinos, but they are there,” Kilpatrick said. “And let me just let everyone know that when you lose, it goes directly into our general fund, so you’re helping the children of Detroit.”
The big day gets closer
The newspaper headlines said it all.
“Welcome, World,” the front page of the Detroit Free Press screamed.
“Detroit: The real deal!” the cover of the Detroit News exclaimed.
There’s no question the world is watching because the international media is working its way to the show.
Representatives speaking Spanish and Japanese are already doing their live TV shots from the Super Bowl media center and the official Media Day, where things really get crazy, isn’t until today.
The hype machine is nearly in full swing. Or to put it in Motor City speak: The hype engine is revving up and, come Sunday, it’ll be in overdrive.
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