When you view the story via the link below, you will quickly discern the point and counterpoint: do we embrace the winter with gusto, or do we position winter as one of many attributes we can offer to visitors, prospective employees and others we want to attract?

The facts speak for themselves in my view, since our community overcame any weather biases that the NFL owners may have had about coming to a northern destination for their premier event, which is also a major revenue source. Indianapolis did us a big favor by successfully hosting Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. Since then New York City (in an outdoor stadium) did a great job in 2014 and now cities such as Denver and Pittsburgh want their turns to show how they can handle winter.

My simple request of our KARE 11 friends, the local affiliate for NBC that will broadcast Super Bowl LII in 2018 is to have a nice little visit with Al Roker and work to make him our best friend. I have never met him but do appreciate his entertaining and informative approach. But instead of Al grimacing in a snow suit with a snow drift in the background, saying, “International Falls, Minnesota is colder than Anchorage today,” perhaps the message as he sips a designer Super Bowl latte from atop the Stone Arch Bridge is “Minneapolis is a city that embraces all four seasons. Just look at what you can do here in the winter.” That would be the real win for us, in my view. Enjoy the story.

When you view the story via the link below, you will quickly discern the point and counterpoint: do we embrace the winter with gusto, or do we position winter as one of many attributes we can offer to visitors, prospective employees and others we want to attract?

The facts speak for themselves in my view, since our community overcame any weather biases that the NFL owners may have had about coming to a northern destination for their premier event, which is also a major revenue source. Indianapolis did us a big favor by successfully hosting Super Bowl XLVI in 2012. Since then New York City (in an outdoor stadium) did a great job in 2014 and now cities such as Denver and Pittsburgh want their turns to show how they can handle winter.

My simple request of our KARE 11 friends, the local affiliate for NBC that will broadcast Super Bowl LII in 2018 is to have a nice little visit with Al Roker and work to make him our best friend. I have never met him but do appreciate his entertaining and informative approach. But instead of Al grimacing in a snow suit with a snow drift in the background, saying, “International Falls, Minnesota is colder than Anchorage today,” perhaps the message as he sips a designer Super Bowl latte from atop the Stone Arch Bridge is “Minneapolis is a city that embraces all four seasons. Just look at what you can do here in the winter.” That would be the real win for us, in my view. Enjoy the story.