Sightseeing in Northern Michigan: Super Bowl Book

Hundreds of millions of people around the world will be watching the Carolina Panthers take on the Denver Broncos on Super Bowl Sunday.

But it never really matters who’s playing, it’s still a spectacle for so many reasons.

Some local companies helped capture 50 years of all that makes up this huge event.

Michelle Dunaway and Corey Adkins tell us more in tonight’s Sightseeing in Northern Michigan.

"This has become a spectacle. This is the largest sporting event in the world."

The Super Bowl.

A super huge event is even bigger this year, celebrating 50 years of championship football.

And this book looks back at it all.

"Celebrating 50 years of America’s greatest game. If you are a sports fan, if you are an NFL fan, if you are a fan of the halftime entertainment, if you are a fan of the commercials, we have encompassed every aspect of it from soup to nuts," says Kevin Gillespie. 

A bound bio, brought to you by two Traverse City companies.

Kevin Gillespie owns .

"A local publishing company here in town. Jenkins, which is , which is Jerry Jenkins, him and I talked football and he said, ‘I have an awesome idea I want to bring to your table’," explains Kevin.

Now they’re hoping to bring this book to the coffee table. 

"We don’t usually get book projects of this nature at our doorstep, so this was something that we wanted to embrace. We didn’t want this book to be just about the games, the player, the stats," says Kevin.

Of course there are sections on players and the games, but you’ll definitely find things you won’t find anywhere else.

"This is called ‘Hair of Fame’. We created custom illustrations of NFL players and coaches that you have to guess," says Kevin

From the fun to the fanatics…

"If it wasn’t for the fans of the NFL, the fans of the Super Bowl, this is who made the Super Bowl what it is today. Just the amount of face painting, and the clothing and couture, and decoration, and beads, and gizmos, it’s unbelievable. The fans and the level of craze they get into."   

The food…

"We have a spread on the famous dip debate, what are the best dips of the Super Bowl, we have facts, information on how much food is consumed, We have economic impact," explains Kevin.

And the book even has things that have nothing to do with the Super Bowl.

"We wanted to pay homage to the four teams that never made it to the Super Bowl: the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Browns, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Obviously, the Lions have had the longest drought of never having gone to the Super Bowl," says Kevin.

No matter who takes home the Vince Lombardi Trophy this Sunday, you can bet there will be some celebrating happening in Traverse City, recognizing the hard work of two companies who realized their dreams.

"This has been a once in a lifetime project, and this is something I’m going to see on someone’s mantle or bookshelf or table for years to come," says Kevin.

You can find the book .

Use the online code sb50 for $20 off the hardcover version and $10 off the soft cover.

That coupon is good until Sunday.