Super Bowl XL meetings held in Atlanta, two years before the stadium opened in 2002; the only previous Super Bowl held in the Detroit area, Super Bowl XVI, had been played at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1982 (also between teams from the AFC North and NFC West divisions [the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers, respectively], though the AFC North was called the Central at that time). The NFL promoted this Super Bowl under the slogan "The Road to Forty." The slogan not only honored the 40-year history of the game, but was a nod to Detroit's traditional role as the center of
Super Bowl 50 the game by residents of the city, the statues notably became the target of vandals, with the "SUPER BOWL 50" lettering on their bases re-arranged to form other phrases such as "SUPERB OWL", "SUP BRO 50", and after the Alamo Square statue was toppled, "OOPS". The annual NFL Experience was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. In addition, "Super Bowl City" opened on January 30 at Justin Herman Plaza on The Embarcadero, which featured exhibits showcasing the culture of the Bay Area. More than a million people were expected to attend the festivities in San Francisco during Super