by Elpidio R. Estioko
With American football overwhelmingly considered as the favorite sport in the United States, the ripple effect of the just concluded Super Bowl LX, which was held in the Mainland on February 1, 2026, spread all over the different islands of Hawaii.
With roughly 36% to 53% of adults identifying it as their top choice, football has held this dominant position for decades, far outpacing basketball (17%) and baseball (9–10%) in popularity.
American football is without a doubt the most popular sport in the USA. The NFL also has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any sports league in the world!
The league consists of 32 teams, which are divided between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).
The 17-week regular season starts in September and ends in December, with every team playing 16 games. Then it only gets bigger, as the best teams advance to the play-offs culminating in the Super Bowl, which in itself is the biggest annual sporting event in the country!
Yes, the ripple effect of the Super Bowl LX was unmistakably felt in Hawaii, characterized by energized celebrations, viewing parties, and a strong, surprising turnout of fans, according to my friends and relatives in Oahu and its neighboring island of Maui and as far as the Big Island.
Recent reports mentioned that the impact was felt in Hawaii with enthusiastic fan celebrations. Seahawks fans in Hawaii refer to the champion Seahawks as the “12s”. The team’s Super Bowl LX victory against the New England Patriots was celebrated with massive gatherings at venues like Agave and Vine at Ala Moana Center.
Despite windy and wet weather, there were surprising turnouts in Hawaii celebrations throughout the night, with the crowd spilling into the Lanai food court seating at Ala Moana.
In the Mainland, the celebration was centered at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara but the ripple effect spreads in all adjoining cities of San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Jose, Milpitas, and Fremont affecting all aspects of society including businesses, families, events, private gatherings, appointments, socials, and local governments.
The local governments and establishments were busy from hotels, restaurants, the San Jose Convention Center, parking spaces, parks, the SF Golden Gate, and even residential houses hosting relatives attending the Super Bowl.
Initial reports showed that Super Bowl LX has generated an estimated $370 million to $630 million economic impact across the Bay Area caused by packed hotels, increased tourism, and high-spending visitors. The event boosted local businesses, particularly in the South Bay, while serving as a global showcase for San Francisco’s economic resurgence, Santa Clara and even San Jose.
Festivities and visitors were spreading economic activity throughout the region. Due to the oversized number of visitors coming from various cities other than Seattle’s Seahawks and New England’s the Patriots, accommodations and hospitality gestures overflowed to adjoining Bay Area cities.
Those attending the event in person coming from other cities either drove from their nearby hotels to Levi’s Stadium, took the rail transit or walked a mile or two. Traffic was jampacked and people scrambled for time, space and mileage.
Activities were not only focused on those attending the event. For those who opted to stay home, they converted their garages into tail gate-like gatherings watching the event on TV with friends and relatives.
Homeowners open their doors hosting super bowls by turning their garages into personal super bowl-watch parties avoiding traffic, the crowd, expensive tickets, long waits, driving, and personal hassles. They turn their garage to barbecue parties watching the Super Bowl on TV at the comfort of their homes.
Besides, they enjoyed bonding with their friends and relatives during Super bowl season right at the comfort of their homes, not outside among the madding and volatile crowd.
Also, prior to the Super Bowl, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan likewise held his State of the City Address in the first week of February to let his constituents know of his accomplishments for the past three years which jumpstarted his decision to run for governor of California. He mentioned that what he did for San Jose will be spread to the whole state of California and will be replicated and improved as a statewide project.
In his early 2026 State of the City address, Mayor Matt Mahan highlighted the city’s role as a leader in California, focusing on accountability for better results.
Key themes included strengthening public safety through community partnerships, addressing homelessness by expanding emergency housing, and capitalizing on the city’s economic, cultural, and sports opportunities.
The city, Mayor Mahan said, is undergoing a transformation period describing it as a transformative era for the South Bay, highlighting the city’s growth, including hosting major international events like the 2026 World Cup, focusing on delivering tangible accountable results for residents.
He thanked the residents for showing up, showing out, and showing us what it means to hold the government accountable for better results. “It’s because of all of you that San José is leading the way for the state of California,” Mahan concluded.
With his state of the city address as a prelude to the Super Bowl, he included a Super Bowl ad of what he did for San Jose as he committed to continue to do more for California!
Backers of Matt Mahan spent $1.4 million in Super Bowl ad campaign funded by Silicon Valley tech executives to boost his gubernatorial bid. The 30-second ad depicts Mahan, a moderate Democrat, as a “fixer of problems” in a big city “just miles from the big game” and touts his record reducing homelessness, building housing and reducing crime.
The ad was produced by a committee run independently of Mahan’s campaign and funded mostly by Silicon Valley executives, including $1 million from Michael Seibel of Y Combinator and $500,000 each from Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill and his wife, Ashley.
Committee spokesman Matt Rodriguez said: “This Super Bowl ad kicks off our support for Matt Mahan’s run for governor. His unmatched record on tackling crime, homelessness and housing in San José while focusing on the basics that Californians care about is very different than the old playbook of toxic politics.”
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist here in the US. He just published his book Unlocking the chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream which is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Xlibris Publishing. For feedbacks, comments… please email author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.
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