The amazing thing about the first Super Bowl held in Minneapolis back in 1992 was the number of media people who, after visiting here for the big game, started to take regular vacations to the Twin Cities area.
Look for the same thing to happen after the game is held here in February, when Minneapolis will be put on the biggest television stage that the world has.
The exposure is unbelievable as more than 5,000 media members will be here and the Minneapolis dateline will be in papers all over the country and the world.
It is probably the one event that gives more exposure to a city than a Final Four, Stanley Cup Final, NBA Finals or World Series.
In 2016, the SuÂper Bowl was by far the most-viewed telÂeÂviÂsion eÂvent in the country, with more than 111 milÂlion peoÂple tunÂing in. The next-closÂest eÂvent was the SuÂper Bowl postÂgame show, with 70 million viewÂers.
Rest asÂsured that the Wilf family, ownÂers of the ViÂkings, are deÂterÂmined to make this eÂvent mayÂbe the best SuÂper Bowl ever held.
AnÂothÂer thing that the eÂvent will do for this area is showÂcase U.S. Bank Stadium, and bring even more events to this city had the big show not been staged here.
NFL in conÂtrol
LesÂter BagÂley, the ViÂkings exÂecÂuÂtive vice presÂiÂdent, said that while MinÂneÂapÂolis will be the host city for the SuÂper Bowl and the 10 days' worth of events leadÂing up to the game, make no misÂtake that this is an NFL proÂducÂtion — not a ViÂkings proÂducÂtion.
"There are sevÂerÂal hunÂdred folks that come here for a couÂple of months, workÂers that come in to get the staÂdiÂum and the venÂue and eÂvent set up," BagÂley said. "The NFL events ofÂfice, which is [NFL SeniÂor Vice PresÂiÂdent] Peter O'ReilÂly, who runs the SuÂper Bowl, that crew will set up an ofÂfice very close to the staÂdiÂum. Right across the street from the staÂdiÂum they'll have a forÂmal ofÂfice in our ofÂfice buildÂing. They'll have four or five floors. It's quite the proÂducÂtion and quite the enÂterÂprise. They're workÂing on seÂcurÂing that right now.
"A lot of work [will be] going on in the staÂdiÂum with addÂing seats and maxÂiÂmizÂing the space. And there are the events and the loÂgisÂtics and the trafÂfic and workÂing with the local law enÂforceÂment."
Most of the maÂjor pubÂlic events will take place on NiÂcolÂlet Mall, BagÂley said, with "SuÂper Bowl Live" beÂing the epicenter of the SuÂper Bowl week.
"We're going to put on a great show and introÂduce the world to Bold North and have some inÂdoor/outÂdoor acÂtives beÂing schedÂuled, as well," he said. "It's a sigÂnifiÂcant ecoÂnomÂic imÂpact to have a SuÂper Bowl here, $400 milÂlion-plus. It's going to be hecÂtic with a lot of peoÂple in the marÂket but a pretÂty good time of the year to have 100,000 peoÂple come into the marÂket. FebÂruaÂry is not typÂiÂcalÂly a great time for tourÂists, as you know."
MeanÂwhile, the Mall of America probÂaÂbly will break every reÂcord they've had for sales, beÂcause the mall is going to be the host site for meÂdiÂa day events and press conÂferÂences for the SuÂper Bowl.
TickÂets will be tough
While it is well-known that SuÂper Bowl tickÂets are some of the most exÂpenÂsive in the world, BagÂley said that the prices won't be set for aÂwhile. The halfÂtime perÂformÂer also won't be named unÂtil later this fall.
When it comes to Vikings season ticket holders, Bagley said there is one way that they'll have a much better chance to get seats at the game.
"In terms of ViÂkings seaÂson tickÂets, the only opÂporÂtuÂniÂty ViÂkings seaÂson tickÂet holdÂers have is if the ViÂkings are in the SuÂper Bowl — and let's hope that's the case — then there will be a proÂgram we'll underÂtake," he said. "But aÂgain, the NFL takes all the tickÂets, and disÂtriÂbutes them and we're workÂing with them on a lotÂterÂy proÂgram that we'll hopeÂfulÂly anÂnounce in the next couÂple of months aÂbout how that will work."
Sid Hartman can be heard on WCCO AM-830 at 8:40 a.m. Monday and Friday, 2 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. E-mail: shartman@startribune.com