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Hundreds of millions of people from around the world will watch the New York Giants face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl this Sunday. The National Football League championship game is traditionally surrounded by holiday spirits in the United States as friends and family gather for celebrations. Tens of thousands will actually attend the game -- and the host city of Glendale, Arizona in the southwest United States is ready to welcome them. VOA's Tony Budny has more.
Ninety-three million people watched the Super Bowl last year in the United States alone. This year, there is added interest, because the Patriots are playing to become only the second undefeated team in N.F.L. history.
The events around the Super Bowl last all week long and not only attract people interested in American football, but in having a good time.
Local businesses in Glendale are weighed down by tens of thousands of football fans and rooms are hard to find. Benedictine nuns in nearby Phoenix are trying to help out. They are renting rooms for $250 a night, compared to $500 elsewhere.
Sister Linda offers insight into the monastery's discount. "I would think that God's got to be excited about the Super Bowl as well. He wants people to enjoy life," she said.
Restaurants have no reason to rely on divine intervention. One employee says, "We've maxed out our staff and brought in a few people for our corporate headquarters to make sure everything's running smoothly."
An event this large needs extra security. A small army of local police and federal officers are posted across town.
Not only does the town have to prepare for the unexpected, but so do the players. Ines Gomez Mont of TV Aztec had a very personal question for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at a Super Bowl Media Day news conference.
Brady: "To the woman in the wedding dress."
Mont: "I'm in love with you, Tom!"
Brady: "Are you really?"
Mont: "Marry me, please!"
Brady: "Wow. I've never had a proposal before."
We will leave those two to work that out. For everyone else, get ready to watch the Super Bowl -- not to mention its always-creative TV commercials.
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