Motown momentum

By Mark Barden

Detroit - it's cold, but a warm welcome awaits Super Bowl XL

Super Bowl XL will not feature NFL fans partying outside the host stadium in shorts and tee-shirts - not unless they want to freeze to death. Or they are Geordies, obviously.

For its landmark 40th edition, American football's annual showpiece has returned to Detroit, where the average mid-winter temperature is around -9C.

The 1982 Super Bowl in Detroit, which saw San Francisco beat Cincinnati 26-21, was the first to be held outside the event's usual sunnier climes.

Before anyone else points it out, Super Bowl XVI was actually played at the Silverdome in Pontiac, which is a Michigan city in its own right.

But it is part of Greater Detroit, which is located north of the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario - so it's cold in February, okay?

SUPERBOWL XVI WEATHER An ice storm saw temperatures in Pontiac down to -12C, with a wind chill of -27C. Good job the game was played indoors...

So, although Detroit's only previous Super Bowl was staged indoors with good reason, the NFL broke with tradition by sending its big game north.

In fact, up until 1982, only Pasadena, CA - home of the Rose Bowl - and Houston, TX, had interrupted its Los Angeles-Miami-New Orleans cycle since Super Bowl I in 1967.

Fans braving the Great Lakes big chill this year will see a city much-changed since Detroit last had the honour of staging a Super Bowl.

For many, the Motor City is still, to quote America's Associated Press, "widely associated with riots, murder and lousy weather".

In the 1950s, Detroit was booming, with a population of around 2m. Since then, the city has become synonymous with urban decay, unemployment, crime and "white flight" to the suburbs.

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While the 'burbs have flourished, less than 900,000 people now live in the city itself, and it remains a staple butt of jokes for America's comedians.

But 23 years ago, Detroit's image was even more badly in need of a boost than it is now.

To make the most of its NFL windfall, the city set up the first-ever Super Bowl host committee.

This acts as the official liaison between the league and host city, organising build-up events and seeking to ensure visitors enjoy a positive experience.

Detroit's pioneering committee did such a good job that the NFL adopted the idea, and establishing one is now a requirement for any bidding city.

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The home of the Motown record label also set another precedent by lining up Detroit native Diana Ross to perform at Super Bowl XVI.

This was the first time a major singing star was brought in to add some pizzazz to the game.

Since then, the Super Bowl's pre-game and half-time slots have become huge features on the US entertainment industry's calendar.

In 1982, the going rate for a 30-second TV commercial spot was $324,000. These days, advertising during the game costs around $5m per slot.

Those figures show why Detroit was so keen to host a second Bowl. To attract investors, it needs show the world things have got better.

Aside from the fact that staging the game is now worth more than $300m to the local economy, the city wants to show off its new image.

FORD FIELD FACTFILE Cost: $500m Build time: 34 months Capacity: 65,000 First game: 24 August 2002

A multi-billion dollar revival of its once-dying downtown area has seen General Motors and Compuware locate their world HQs in the heart of Detroit.

GM now occupies the 1970s-built Renaissance Center (RenCen), part of earlier stalled bids to re-invent downtown, along with the People Mover elevated railway and riverfront casinos on the Detroit River.

The self-styled "Renaissance City" has also seen its musical fortunes rise again through the likes of rapper Eminem and the indie sounds of the White Stripes, Electric Six and the Von Bondies.

Naturally enough for a city which boasts teams in all four major US pro leagues, sport is also playing a big role in Detroit's revival.

Opened in 2000, Comerica Park - home of baseball's Detroit Tigers - is one of the best of America's new generation of ballparks.

And Ford Field, opened in 2002 as the Detroit Lions' new indoor home and venue for the 2006 Super Bowl, is also located bang in the middle of downtown.

Other recent projects include a $22m downtown park opened this winter in the business district, and a fresh $500m revamp of the city's riverfront.

Detractors will argue even this considerable investment amounts to little more than window dressing for a metropolis still blighted by many ills.

But after all its troubles, Detroit surely deserves its moment of glory. Even if people have to wrap up warm to go to the game...

Live coverage of Super Bowl XL will feature on the BBC Sport website and on BBC Radio Five Live from 2200 GMT on Sunday, 5 February.