SUPER BOWL XLVIII
 

Your comments, rooting and everything you wanrt to say about this year's Super Bowl XLVIII

Please feel free to post on your favorite teams, playoffs, players and security stories in the news regarding this year's Super Bowl. Videos and stories welcome! Let 'er rip!

Super Security and Lockdown
 

Report from CBS news:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/inside-...the-super-bowl

RB Derrick Coleman
 

Report on RB Coleman and overcoming his deafness:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/inside-...the-super-bowl

On The Road to The Super Bowl
 

Reminder - America's most popular sporting event is also one of the largest venues for human trafficking in the world.
 

Later this week, New Jersey will host the Super Bowl, set to be the most expensive ever, with costs expected to reach $70 million. On Sunday, tens of thousands of football fans will make their way to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — about 20 miles from Douglas’ hometown — to watch the Broncos and Seahawks go viciously helmet-to-helmet.

Before fans cheer, shout, and drink plenty of beer celebrating the ultimate all-American tradition, they will place their hands on their hearts for Renee Fleming’s national anthem, and sing praise to the United States of America.

But there’s another side to the Super Bowl that most football fans will never see: America's most popular sporting event is also one of the largest venues for human trafficking in the world.

According to the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking, "The Super Bowl attracts tens of thousands of fans to the host city … But it also attracts a sector of violence, organized criminal activity that operates in plain sight without notice including human trafficking in both the sex and labor industries." Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) said, "One Super Bowl after another after another has shown itself to be one of the largest events in the world where the cruelty of human trafficking goes on for several weeks." Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), once called the Super Bowl the "largest human trafficking venue on the planet."

There are several reasons why trafficking increases around a huge event such as this. As hundreds of thousands of people (mainly men) flock to the New York City metro area for the week’s festivities, the primary motivator for increased prostitution is increased demand for it.

According to Dorchen Leidholdt, adjunct professor at Columbia University who teaches about violence against women, "The demand for prostitution will drive trafficking. ... It's supply and demand." According to documentary filmmaker Jane Wells, who produced a film on the topic, "There is corporate entertaining, parties, alcohol, corporate-sponsored parties, people away from their families, anonymity. It’s kind of like a perfect storm."

But this year could be worse.

CBS reported, "Many believe the state's sprawling highway system, proximity to New York City and diverse population make it an attractive base of operations for traffickers."

The three most common forms of sex trafficking expected this year are pimp-controlled prostitution, commercial-front brothels, and escort services.

Wells teamed up with John-Keith Wasson to make the disturbing documentary film "Tricked," inspired by the Super Bowl and sex trafficking, which chronicles "the pimps, the johns, the police, the parents and the victims of the America’s thriving sex trade." Douglas features prominently throughout. The filmmakers set out to show the glaring irony that "Americans are trafficked by Americans to service Americans at the quintessential American event."

Here's a snapshot of the startling facts they collected in researching for the film:

- The average entry age of girls into the sex trafficking industry in America is 12 to 14.

- The average life expectancy of a young girl after being trafficked is seven years.

- One third of teens living on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.

- Sex work is the most dangerous job in America, by 51 times.

- The average victim may be forced to have sex up to 20-48 times a day.

Law enforcement and politicians have been gearing up to address the problem. Mayor Bill de Blasio, members of the NYPD, FBI, and about 12 advocacy organizations recently held a meeting. Professor Leindholdt attended and said in an interview that law enforcement affirmed that trafficking activity is significantly increasing ahead of the game. The NYPD is stepping up its efforts.

Importantly, New Jersey’s Attorney General has made anti-human trafficking enforcement a priority.

But, the added emphasis on policing can only do so much. The laws that regulate the entire industry are completely out of whack. Currently, the arrest rate of a prostituted person to a john is 9:1. In other words, the blame has historically been placed on the prostituted individual, and not on the john, who could — at most — get a year in jail.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/79...per-bowl-on-tv

http://www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/P...e_Seahawks.png

W/we are cheering on the Seahawks.

i agree. i hope it is a good watch. i also hope the officials don't mess it up like they have in so many games this season.

SECRET COMMAND CENTER
 

SPECIAL COMMAND CENTER TAKES MEASURES AGAINST OPEN AIR ATTACKS AND TERRORISM AT SUPER BOWL.

Story is from CBS news 1/27/2014 and runs roughly 3:00 into newscast.
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/super-...mand-center-2/

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GO SEAHAWKS,

anyone think this is the last super bowl that will be scheduled for the northeast in winter?

i think it will be played in the cold a lot because the profits will soar. ImO

I heard that attendance is below expectations this year because of the weather.

It seems like they are going to end up with lots of money though. The seats will get filled as the weather will be fair. We shall see. I think a cold or freezing site with chances of snow is a silly idea.

watching the game in Canada has one major disadvantage. We don't get to see the famous super bowl ads because the advertisers don't pay Canadian broadcasters so we end up with dinky local advertising in their place and have to read about them the next day.