While most eyes will be focused on the Panthers-Broncos matchup this Sunday, the most important plays will be called behind the scenes by federal and local law enforcement.
Since the Paris attacks, which included suicide bombings outside the national stadium during a soccer game between Germany and France, host cities of major events such as the Super Bowl are taking extra precautions to ensure the security of fans. Thirty federal agencies will be coordinating security for Super Bowl 50, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the Coast Guard.
Authorities say there have been no specific or credible threats for this weekend, but even those not going to the game are feeling the increased law enforcement presence. Employees in the area surrounding Levi Stadium in Santa Clara—the venue for Super Bowl—have entered their offices through metal detectors this week.
The NFL isn’t the only sports league taking extra precautions in the face of terror threats. Fans attending Major League Baseball games were required to enter through metal detectors for the first time in 2015. Several foreign governments have developed safety standards that must be met for a city to be able to host an event, understanding that the treat of a terror attack on a sporting event—particularly one drawing significant attention like the Super Bowl or Olympic Games—is real. "A terrorist group would receive a great deal of publicity (if they attacked it), which is what they are looking for," said David Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Francisco field office. Similar precautions are being undertaken in preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, with the state police, the federal police, the federal intelligence agency, and the military joining forces to thwart any attacks.
Despite all these security concerns, cities still vigorously compete for the honor of hosting major sporting events. Arizona, host of the 2015 Super Bowl, saw a gross economic impact of $719.4 million. According to the NFL spokesman for Super Bowl 50, P.J. Johnston, economic impact estimates for the 2016 event "have varied widely, from a couple hundred million to nearly $800 million."
Hosting major sporting events, however, requires lofty upfront investments. San Francisco expects to spend over $50 million for the Super Bowl this Sunday, which is a relative bargain considering that New Jersey and New York spent a combined $70 million hosting the game in 2014. Although this is still a profitable endeavor overall, especially for cities with pre-established infrastructure, the regional Vice President for the company that manages the New Orleans Superdome, Doug Thornton, believes that “soon certain cities may be priced out” because the costs have skyrocketed in the past 15 years.
When it comes to major international events, such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games, profitability is even less certain. For example, after spending $8.5 billion to build train routes linking the Black Sea coast and the mountains for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, trains are now barely running. Barcelona, which hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics, is one of the few cities that escaped this Olympics curse, but the factors that led to these differences remain unclear.
One thing that is certain is that major sporting events—no matter the city or sport—are the ultimate unifier. Underneath a layer of team or national pride, people from different backgrounds come together in good spirits ready to forget rivalries, if only just for a few hours, to enjoy the exciting and competitive atmosphere of the game.
Alana Garellek and Alexandra Viers are International Producers with The Cipher Brief.
