What we learned from the Super Bowl 2005

[duvaldude08]

Tampa have a Casino and Amusement park for entertainment also...why jacksonville can't have those?

Because were Jacksonville??

[Wacca Pilatka]

I volunteered everyday during Superbowl week, and I know the actual fans I came in contact with were always having a good time. I was always shocked to read what the media was saying, after having been in the thick of the action and seeing everyone having a good time. I know for a fact a lot of people left with a positive outlook on jacksonville.

The media is looking for an easy story because many are too lazy and jaded to write for the umpteenth time about the NFL Experience and the other such venues that are at Super Bowls year after year.  Jacksonville was an easy target for them because not many people know that much about it, it's not a flashy place, and they were able to recycle all the old Waffle House/six-pack/NASCAR cliches they used in writing their 1993 columns on why the NFL wouldn't expand there. 

Some of the criticisms about lack of world-class hotels or venues, or about the car dependency of the city, had merit, of course, but for the most part you had people sitting in Ruth's Chris and Morton's writing asinine garbage about how Applebee's was the fanciest restaurant in town.

And as others upthread have noted, this contrasted quite a bit with the reactions of most fans - many of whom, as was also noted, were impressed at Jacksonville's friendliness and hospitality and concern for showing its visitors a good time.