Recession Dims Super Bowl Glitz

Thanks to the economy, Super Bowl week will be less extravagant and profitable than in years past, the Washington Post reports. While host city Tampa Bay is expected to attract more than $150 million from Super Bowl visitors, that’s 20% less than usual; despite hotels filled to the rafters, stays will be shorter than before. Playboy and Sports Illustrated have even canceled their high-profile parties.

"No one is immune, not the NFL or the Super Bowl or the host committee," said the director of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl host committee. While Tampa will feel the decline, the league itself is stable thanks to strong ratings and television contracts that run as far as 2013. "Sponsorships, licensing, ticket sales" may drop, said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, but "the passion for the game has never been higher." (More NFL stories.)