Super Waste

Soon, people from all over will be travelling to North Texas to watch the great spectacle that is the Super Bowl. Arlington spent tons of money to update their local airport in order to accommodate the influx of private planes that will be landing there. Airlines have added extra flights to accommodate all of the Super Bowl travelers. Hotels are practically booked solid. Road improvements and beautification projects have been sped up and completed so that the visitors to North Texas can remember that this area was a nice place to visit.


Over 100,000 people will attend, paying upwards of $600 a ticket for upper bowl to $900 for lower bowl (face value of course). More than likely, they will pay even more than face value for those tickets. And how much are luxury suites? Upwards of $250,000, maybe? I really don’t know for sure, but when I Googled it, that number appeared quite often as a low-end figure. I’m pretty sure it is safe to say that great amounts of green will be exchanging hands in North Texas for Super Bowl week. Just imagine. If each of the 100,000 people that attend actually only pay $600 for a ticket (which we know is a low-end estimate), that generates $60,000,000 right there. If you build it, they will come. Jerry built it, and they are coming in droves with their wallets open, ready to spend. It will be a great game I’m sure.


Companies will pay millions for their 30-second ads that will run on television during this grand spectacle. It is such a great exposure opportunity since millions of people will be sitting in their houses tuning in on their flat screen TVs, waiting for their pizza to be delivered, and for Stan to get back from his beer run. When Stan finally gets back with the beer, they will be able to rewind the DVR so that he can watch the spectacular play that he missed while he was out at the neighborhood grocery store that now has a permit to sell beer and wine, thanks to a recent city election. He won’t miss a second of what is sure to be a great game, I’m sure.


People will brag on Facebook and Twitter about how much it cost them. They will say it was worth every penny, though, and would do it again without a second thought. They will post videos of the Black Eyed Peas doing their halftime show and brag about how amazing it all was. OMG, That was a gr8 halftime show! And, it will be a great halftime show, I’m sure.
Afterwards, they’ll probably complain a little bit about the traffic situation after the game. They may even complain about $8 beers, ironically. But, deep down inside, that will just be a minor imperfection to what was a fantastic experience. They will get back in their private jets, their commercial airline, or their SUVs and travel back to wherever they came from, thinking positive thoughts of this very hospitable area. They will think to themselves, “Hmm..what a nice area. I should come back here someday.” And, the citizens and businesses of North Texas will truly be hospitable, I’m sure.


Come Monday morning, everything will be back to normal. The hotel, airline, retail and restaurant industries will be checking their ledgers and counting profits. The TV ads will be judged in all kinds of media, generating even more exposure. The NFL will start worrying about whether there will be a next year. Ted Williams will be on the news again. Diane Sawyer will host a new follow-up special to the “Congresswoman and the Astronaut.” And, school districts across the state will go back to work, trying to find ways to cut costs while still educating students. Some districts will decide to cut pre-k programs. Some will decide to cut school nurses, librarians, music teachers, and assistant principal positions. Some will increase class sizes and shut down campuses. Some may do all of the above, and more. And all of these decisions will lead to bright and successful futures for our young ones, I’m sure.


I’m as big a football fan as the next guy, but priorities are priorities, and something seems a little off center to me. Finland and Korea, watch out! Here we come!