The Proof is in the Pudding: So just want does goes into hosting a wrinkle free international sporting spectacle?

Weather: It is no secret that Indy get it share of winter storms. The first weekend in February last year held an ice storm that put many people out of power for days. Indy officials and the Host Committee had its fair share of anxiety concerning the unknown weather factor. However, Indy has experienced an unusual warming trend with weather in the 50s. This temperatures are supposed to drop as the week progresses, but the sheer absence of a blizzard is enough to alleviate major weather concerns for folks responsible for ensuring a positive experience in Indy.

Fear Factor: In a post-9/11 world, everyone has a heightened sense of awareness of the potential for a few motivated individuals to cause untold harm. Before September 2001, very few people without the occupational training and awareness would have thought about the risks associated with an errant package left unattended or why it matters if a car sits in one place over night. However, in this post 9/11 era, nearly everyone is familiar with the potential to weaponize common viruses or bacteria, the presence of YouTube videos on how to make an IED, and the idea that potential perpetrators are motivated and good at ‘fitting in.’

There are pros and cons to this heightened sense of awareness. Of course, with more people concerned about these potential threats, the more people watching and reporting suspicious activity. The cons include the ease of teaching potential perpetrators of how to inflict this harm.

The Real Boogie Man: While there is little to be done but prepare for the weather and mitigating any potential attacks, the real threat that is most likely to tarnish the Super Bowl experience for many is the threat of communicable and food borne diseases. The January/February timeframe typically sees high levels of flu-like symptoms and other communicable viruses. Bringing 200,000 people from various locations across the country to a concentrated one-mile square is creating a Petri dish for spreading cooties. All of these folks are staying in hotels downtown or riding shuttles from various remote parking locations. That means they are all touching the same buttons in the elevator and holding the same rails on the busses. They are sneezing and coughing in their hands before opening doors and using the same port-o-potties around town with limited hand washing facilities.

The best risk mitigation for everyone to practice is washing their own hands, not touching their face, and isolating themselves when they are sick. It just takes one person to ‘tough it out’ to get to the ‘big game’ to infect many people from across the country.