Looking Back on Detroit’s Super Bowl

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Winterblast

Winterblast, photo by Allan M.

Allan’s photo of the brightly lit Detroit Winter Blast festivities was the most popular photo for “Super Bowl XL” on Flickr.

I’m wondering one year later, how you think the Super Bowl impacted the city of Detroit. I asked someone the other day what they recall and (to my less than surprise) they took home “Jerome Bettis is from Detroit“. Did it make a difference for the city of Detroit and Michigan? Post your thoughts in the comments!

You can get a bunch more photos from the 2006 Super Bowl on Michigan in Pictures and read a locker room full of Super Bowl XL articles at Absolute Michigan.

Photos from Super Bowl XL in Detroit

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Ford Field by Ian Freimuth

Superbowl XL, originally uploaded by ifmuth.

This dynamic photo from Ian Freimuth is one of a number of photos of Super Bowl XL shared in the Absolute Michigan group and in the Super Bowl XL photo group. He’s also got a great up close shot of Ford Field.

One highlight more Michiganders of the Super Bowl was that it was Detroit native and Pittsburgh Steeler great Jerome Bettis’s final game. Here’s a short video from the NFL that begins with one of the coolest tributes I’ve ever seen.

Celebration!

Confetti Flies

Celebration, originally uploaded by ddurbin123.

Steelers win, confetti flies

Be sure to check out these other shots from Dave Durbin (he also has about 180 more of Super Bowl weekend in the Motor City):

Halftime Rox- Start Me Up!

Start Me Up

Start Me Up, originally uploaded by CAVE CANEM.

Race Bannon writes: I could have reached out and touched him.. He was one of the folks who got free admission to the Super Bowl … though only for halftime.

Be sure to check out Bobby Alcott’s gallery from Super Bowl XL as well.

Ford Field, Home of Super Bowl XL, Right there in Detroit, Michigan, a Beautiful city that could use a boost!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Ford Field

Ford Field, originally uploaded by Boston Fan in Michigan.

I looked and looked for a picture that could summarize the day of Super Bowl XL. I found this picture of greektown that I liked quite a lot, another of a happy Steeler fan that’s not from Michigan but is really great, and another of an aerial view of Ford Field at kickoff (the players look a lot different from this angle). I even thought about a shot of the really neat interior of Ford Field I had taken but discarded it as “too vain”.
I decided in the end to go with this great shot of Ford Field from Thanksgiving Day 2005 and my prediction: Seahawks 23 – Steelers 21

John

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

John

“Who’s the Super Bowl for? Not people like me…”

The Snowsuit Effort is probably Michigan’s most popular photo site. The site’s creator and photographer, Ryan Keberly, allows his subjects (and his amazing pictures) to do the talking. Head on over to The Snowsuit Effort for many more pictures (including a photo of John’s compass). Be sure to read and listen to the intervews as well. While you’re at it, vote for the site in the 2006 Bloggies.

Nights in the D

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Detroit Skyline

Detroit Skyline, photo by SOUTHEN.

Ryan Southen has created this amazing set of night photos Detroit taken over the last few days that capture the energy and pulse of a city in the eye of the Super Bowl storm.The hardest part about this post was picking which photo to use!

The above photo is of the Renaissance Center, headquarters of General Motors and really quite an amazing structure. Here’s a close up shot I took in the daytime and a more distant shot of the RenCen from the Detroit River by MiRae.

NOTE: Ryan’s original photo was deleted so I added this one!

The Big Football, The Bigger Vehicle

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The Big Football

The Big Football, originally uploaded by raywert.

The colors made me think it was a Steelers football, but it turns out it’s promoting the official vehicle of Super Bowl XL (click for photos of the nifty banner Cadillac has).

The photographer, Ray Wert, is better known as the blogger DetroitWonk. On his site, he has great stuff about Detroit every day including highlights of discussion elsewhere in the Motown Blogverse.

He also tipped us of to the very cool webcam for Campus Martius Park (site of the Motown Winter Blast).

Looking Towards Ford Field

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Looking Towards Ford Field

Looking Towards Ford Field, originally uploaded by ifmuth.

Nice shot of how Ford Field sits amidst the city. It’s not an “out in the boonies” field like the Silverdome was but right in the heart of Detroit.

The photographer also has a great shot of Woodward Avenue that shouldn’t be missed.

Here’s another view of Ford Field that lets you zoom waaaay in.

The Spirit of Detroit

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

the-spirit-of-detroit-sculpture-at-night

The Spirit of Detroit, photo by Global Reactions.

One of Detroit’s most recognizeable landmarks is the Spirit of Detroit.

Lauren supplies the scripture behind the Spirit on one of her photos of the statue: “Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty” II Corinthians 3:17

Fans of the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings and even the Tigers know that when their team plays for or wins a championship, the Spirit will don their uniform. Lions fans are as yet unsure if the tradition applies to them… The Spirit also wore a jersey to honor Super Bowl XL.

Marshall Fredericks, the sculptor who crafted the Spirit of Detroit and other public works in Detroit & Michigan. Fredericks was a man who felt his art was a civic duty and said this about it:

I want more than anything in the world to do sculpture which will have real meaning for other people, many people, and might in some way encourage, inspire or give them happiness.

UPDATE: I was in Detroit and got a few photos of the Spirit (including some decent detail shots and a shot of the plaque).

UPDATE 2: Check out this cool photo of the Spirit of Detroit from One Foot Over the Moon.