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Super Bowl LIX is almost upon us, bringing with it a host of questions. Whos gonna win? What brand will have the best commercial and who will star in it? Also, why are ticket sales plummeting? But there are a lot of questions most of us arent thinking about. Questions like, What if the game gets canceled? How will New Orleans and the NFL protect the city and venue from threats? What if an unforeseen event injures players, fans, workers, or worse . . . Taylor Swift? Most would rather not consider such horrors. I dont think anyone wants to live in a world where Kendrick Lamar is a no-show for halftime. But one group focuses exclusively on questions like these, sometimes as early as two years before the big game: insurance companies. Because footballs biggest stage makes the Super Bowl one of the worlds riskiest events. The business of insuring the Super Bowl is as expensive as it is secretive. Many details (premiums, coverage, companies involved) are not public. So we tracked down Martin Ridgers, owner of MKR Specialty Insurance Brokerage. Ridgers has helped insure 10 Super Bowls, as well as the World Cup, the Olympics, and even presidential inaugurations. He provided some insight into what it takes to insure the Super Bowl. Super liability It’s almost like setting up a small city when you execute an event of this magnitude, Ridgers says. Which is why, he says, Its not really the NFL that’s setting up the Super Bowl. Its the city, which creates its own committee and its own organization. For this reason, since so much of the hoopla surrounding the Super Bowl happens off the field (and even outside the venue), the NFL strategically shifts most liability to the host citys committee, which becomes responsible for everything from accidents at NFL-sponsored events to property damage and worker injuries. Traffic incidents, temporary structures, emergency-response delays, protecting fans (ranging in varying degrees of intoxication)the list of risks is exhaustive. And its not just game day that needs to be insured. Its the entire week of Super Bowl festivities. And with potential payouts in the $100 million-plus range, a select few insurance providers are even willing and able to cover such costs. There’s probably less than five insurance companies in the United States or even worldwide that can deal with a Super Bowl, Ridgers says. “So it’s not like theyre buying regular car insurance where they can go out to 20 insurance companies and get a quote. The biggest risk Its difficult to imagine Super Bowl LIX being canceled. But its not out of the question. In 2011, an ice storm paralyzed Dallas for several days and threatened Super Bowl XLV at JerryWorld. In 2014, Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey narrowly escaped a snowstorm, which hit less than 12 hours after the game. So just about every party involvedthe city committee, the NFL, the television network airing the game, cleaning companies contracted for the event, local hotelsbuy cancellation insurance. This makes cancellation the number-one risk on Super Bowl Sunday. The closest the Super Bowl has come to getting canceled was in 2013. During Super Bowl XLVII at the New Orleans Superdome, the site of this years game, the power went out during the third quarter. After 34 minutes, it came back on and the game continued. Had power not been restored and the game postponed as a result, an insurance policy would have likely been triggered to cover the costs of extra lodging, staffing, setup, and much more, according to Ridgers. It’s unlikely that there was a claim in that instance because the power came back on, he says. But it opened the door for a variety of claims had that not been resolved. Media liability is also a key consideration. These policies protect the network airing the game from broadcast interruptions (like power outages), sound issues, and in some cases FCC violationsyou know, from unforeseen issues like wardrobe malfunctions. Insuring the halftime show Perhaps the biggest controversy in Super Bowl historyhalftime or otherwisecame in 2004 at Super Bowl XXXVIII, when Justin Timberlake pulled off part of Janet Jackson’s costume during their performance, exposing her breast. This became known as “the wardrobe malfunction” and led to CBS facing $550,000 in FCC fines. The fines were later thrown out, but the incident shined a light on a crucial aspect of event insurance. A lot of times, fines are not insurable, Ridgers says. I’m not saying that they can’t be insurable, I’m saying they’re not necessarily insurable. Because [being fined] means you are guilty of a violation of something you know you shouldn’t have done in the first place. The cost of defending fines, however, is insurable, Ridgers saysthrough if the accused party is found guilty, they may be required to pay the insurance company back. Beyond wardrobe malfunctions Indoor pyrotechnics, crews assembling stages and platforms quickly and on the spot, artists performing on stage, backup dancers . . . with or without wardrobe malfunctions, executing a spectacle like the Super Bowl halftime show is a liability nightmare. According to Ridgers, its not the NFL or the city or the venue that typically insures the halftime show. Its the artist. I’ve worked with people doing the halftime shows, he says, and most of the time they will set up a separate corporation or company just to do that show, then start attaching things to that. So if they bring in a secondary artist or somebody, they will become a part of that corporation or will be brought on as a subcontractor. Security, he says, is usually the venues responsibility. So the artist is responsible for insuring the showthe setups, the pyrotechnics, the dancers, the crew, and the varying liability that comes with it. The artist either hires a company that’s done it before or they have to create a company to protect what’s happening during the halftime show, he says. According to Ridgers, insuring the 12-to-15-minute halftime show alone can cost more than $100,000. Protecting Taylor, hosting Trump Taylor Swift wont be the only A-list celebrity attending Super Bowl LIX. (And it wont even be her first time.) Strange as it may seem, Donald Trump will be the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Super Bowl in the games 58-year history. Just because we know publicly that Taylor Swift is going to be there doesn’t change anything, Ridgers says. “There would be plenty of other artists nd important people showing up. Now . . . the president? That can increase my exposure. This is where, Ridgers says, he needs more information than the Secret Service is typically willing to give. Where the president will be, for how long, and what hell be doing are all critical factors in calculating the risk associated with his attendance. As you can imagine, those details are often sparse. Let’s say they come out and say the president is going to take the stage in the middle of the field, Ridgers says. “Now, it becomes a political rally rather than just a football event. That could change the premiums. It could change the terms and conditions. And it could change whether I insure the show or not. Defense wins championships The burden of insuring Super Bowl LIX is as massive as the event itself and the liability that goes with it. Rather than a single policy, Super Bowl insurance operates as a complex portfolio starting with a base policy and layering on additional coverage. While premiums and general coverage amounts are not publicly disclosed, we can use our imaginations. The city of Las Vegas spent $60 million to host last years Super Bowl. The New York/New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee was responsible for Super Bowl XLVIII. Played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it was the most expensive ever at $70 million. Factor in the myriad of liabilities across the board, and the potential payout and the premiums stack up pretty quickly. “The [Super Bowl] itself can sometimes cost into the seven figures to insure, Ridgers says, electing not to share any further details. Essentially, when hosting an event like the Super Bowl, the opportunities for things to go wrong are almost infinite, so the event has to be insured as such. When discussing the responsibility of putting on Super Bowl LIX, Ridgers compared it to that of owning a tiger. There’s really not a lot of defense if I’ve got a tiger and the tiger bites your head off, he says. I can say, My tiger’s been nice and kind for the last 10 years! It doesn’t matter. It’s considered a weapon immediately.
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Tj Power is the lead neuroscientist at the DOSE Lab and cofounder of Neurify, a trailblazing organization in the mental health sector. He is also a renowned international speaker, having captivated audiences worldwide and worked with major corporations and health services. Whats the big idea? Human brain chemistry is at odds with modern lifestyles. The activities and habits that naturally boost dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins have been largely replaced by routines that leave us feeling depleted. Uplift mood, tune focus, boost energy, and deepen relationships by fostering optimum conditions for your bodys favorite neurotransmitters. Below, Tj shares five key insights from his new book, The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain and Body by Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. Listen to the audio versionread by Tj himselfin the Next Big Idea App. 1. Dopamine that requires effort is better Dopamine is your brains motivational fuel. When elevating your dopamine levels, focus on the idea of earning dopamine and not just getting instant, quick hits. In our hunter-gatherer past, dopamine rewarded us for effort. It made activities like hunting for food or building shelter feel good so that we wanted to keep doing these things. Today, dopamine is getting hijacked by quick hits like social media, sugary snacks, and online shopping. These easy dopamine fixes cause brief neurochemical spikes that then crash out and make us feel quite low. To optimize dopamine naturally, start your day with action. Instead of going on your phone first thing in the morning, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, splash some water on your face, or even get a little bit of sunlight. This kind of action naturally starts generating dopamine in your brain. Throughout your day, really connect with goal-oriented tasks. Maybe thats tackling a challenging project at work or cleaning your home. We all know that feeling, for example, when you need to change and wash your bedding. Its an annoying task that isnt particularly fun. You wake up one morning and think, yeah, I should probably change and wash my bedding today. And then a few days later, youre like, oh yeah, I need to. You go through the hell of unbuttoning the duvet, getting the sheet off, jamming it in the washing machine so it all fits in one load, getting it out, drying it, and putting it all back on the bed. Eventually, you find yourself getting into your freshly washed bed, and you think about how nice it feels to be under clean covers. No one regrets washing their bedding. Thats dopamine. Dopamine rewards you for an effortful task that is beneficial to you as a human being. Try to limit quick dopamine behaviors. Replace endless scrolling with something like reading, writing, solving a problem, or connecting with a human. If we can reduce quick dopamine and increase slow dopamine, then our brain will operate much better. 2. Build connection through the love hormone Oxytocin is a connection chemical that strengthens relationships and develops trust. In the past, oxytocin was essential to survival because it drove cooperation within tight-knit social communities. Today, digital habits and individualistic lifestyles weaken oxytocin pathways, leaving us feeling isolated and lonely. To elevate oxytocin, consider a few of these actions: Physical touch. Hugging someone for five seconds is a scientifically proven way to raise oxytocin. Deepen social moments. When socializing with people you love, remove distractions. Get that phone as far away as possible. Eye contact is a priority. Listen actively and ask interesting questions. Altruism. Pro-social behaviorlike acts of kindness, helping a friend, writing someone a thank you, or smiling at someone and asking how their days goingincreases oxytocin. 3. Have a dose of natures antidepressant Serotonin is the bodys mood booster. Spending time outdoors in the sunlight and consuming unprocessed foods supports serotonin production. Unfortunately, our modern indoor lifestyles and processed diets deplete this chemical, leading to mood swings and fatigue. To boost serotonin levels, spend more time outdoors. On a sunny day, you might only need five minutes outside to achieve a nice increase in this chemical. On cloudy days, youll require 10 to 15 minutes. Often, we only go outside when its sunny, neglecting the cloudy days when we really should be getting out there. A simple rule I like to follow is the principle of seeing sunlight before checking social media every single morning. As someone whos addicted to my phone, going on social media first thing in the morning primes my brain for that dopamine loop, causing me to stay on my phone all day. Observing sunlight before social media is an essential routine in my life that helps maintain my serotonin levels. The second part of this is prioritizing gut health to increase serotonin. Ninety percent of this chemical is made in your gut. Anytime you eat fibrous, rich, nutrient-dense foods, your body uses them to generate serotonin. The third part is a practice called underthinking. When overthinking, our brains and thoughts go rapidly and often in a negative direction. Its important that we know how to calm down our bodies in those moments. If we settle our hearts and reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone), our thoughts will also calm. We often do this with a physiological sigh. This is where you take a double inhalation through the nose, followed by a big exhalation from the mouth. Repeating this three to five timesdouble in, one out, double in, one outbuilds serotonin and slows overthinking. 4. Use endorphins to alleviate pain Endorphins are your brains natural painkillers. Theyre activated by physical activity, hot environments, and laughing regularly. For our ancestors, endorphins were critical for enduring the physical demands and stressors of surviving in the wild. To activate them in your life, you need to make sure you move daily. Exercise triggers this chemical. Take a 10-minute walk. Try walking faster or up a hill, or turn it into a little jog or sprint. Any moment of physical activation is great. To activate them in your life, you need to make sure you move daily. Next, I suggest experimenting with heat therapy, like a warm bath or sauna. You may have experienced this before getting in a bath: suddenly, you feel a bit more relaxed, neurobiologically speaking. Thats because endorphins are released into your brain, calming you down. Finally, we really need laughter. Our research at the DOSE Lab shows that humans in our modern world are not laughing enough. We ask people, on a scale from one to 10, how frequently they laugh. Using data from 50,000 people, we got an average answer of only 5.1. If your personal answer to that question is a low number, you need to prioritize happy social moments or funny movies and TV shows. Things that get you laughing are essential for this chemical. 5. Get happy from DOSE Happiness isnt just a fleetig emotion. Its deeply rooted in brain chemistry. You can transform your mental and emotional state by understanding and intentionally boosting dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. Start with small changes to your daily lifestyle: phone habits, food choices, and time spent outside. Over time, youll notice significant shifts in your motivation, mood, relationships, and happiness. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
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If you tune into the Puppy Bowl on Sunday, you’ll likely see a key person’s influence even if you don’t actually see her. Victoria Schade is a dog trainer and novelist who’s the shows lead puppy trainer and wrangler. She’s the one making sure the shelter pups have a conflict-free contest and that they’re captured at their most adorableall from off-camera. It is Schade who gets the puppies to look up during the The Star-Spangled Banner or run through a tunnel to get to the field for the starting lineups. Shes on the lookout for possible conflicts or nervous dogs. My responsibilities include ensuring puppy happiness and safety during gameplay, she says. So if theres any moment where a puppy looks like theyre overwhelmed or they just need a break, Ill step out and give them a little break on the sideline. Schade has been working with the doggies on the Animal Planet show for 19 years and is believed to be the longest serving member of the Puppy Bowl crew. She also works the kitten halftime show and calls filming both her favorite week of the year. I think she is one of the most dedicated, hardest working people out there in the business, says Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner, now in his 14th year. She doesnt ever seem to run out of energy. She never says no to a request and theres always brightness and sunshine from her with every step. Schade has coached hundreds of dogs over the years but never adopted one from the showuntil now. She took home Boris, known on the show as Mr. Pickles, from Dallas Dog rescue. I saw star quality. So this was the year, she says. Treats and funny noises Early on, Schade was responsible for recruiting and selecting the puppies, a task now that leans on animal rescue groups and shelters throughout the country. These days, she’s the lead trainer. If youre seeing the puppy looking up at the camera, Im typically right there with the treat, she says. Its a lot of treats and funny noises. And that does the trick. This year, Schade is stepping out from the sidelines and joining Schachner on camera for an hour-long pre-game kickoff show, which features a doggie combine and a draft. Other show highlights include segments with Dan Smyers, from superstar country duo Dan + Shay, and Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi. Schade has developed some very special animal-related skills over the years, including anticipating when one of the players needs to relieve itself. One of my Puppy Bowl skills is reading butts. So I know when a puppy is going to go to the bathroom and Ill typically say like, Watch out in the 20-yard-line, were going to have a deposit and everyones ready to go with that cleanup. The Puppy Bowl made its debut as counter-programming to the Super Bowl in 2005. Dogs score touchdowns on a gridiron carpet when they cross the goal lineany goal linewith a toy in their mouth. The show is really just an excuse to spend time watching adorable, clumsy pups play with chew toys, wag their tails furiously and lick the camera. A deeper reason is to encourage animal adoption. According to the ASPCA, approximately 390,000 shelter dogs are euthanized each year and 2 million shelter dogs are adopted. Most of the puppies are usually adopted by airtime, since the show was filmed in the fall. But the point is to show that animals just like the ones on the show can be found at any shelter at any time. This year’s three-hour television event will feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 statesand one from Nicaragua, a Chihuahua-German shepherd. There will be 11 special-needs dogs. Thats the most amount weve ever had,” says Schachner. “Look out for Jolene, who is a pitbull mix thats in a wheelchair. Look out for a three-legged Boston terrier from New York City. And my personal favorite, is Sprinkle, who is a blind and deaf Aussie. So its just incredible to watch them play. The inaugural Puppy Bowl was watched by nearly 6 million viewers. Last year, 12.6 million viewers tuned in. In comparison, this years Golden Globes attracted 9.3 million. Practical advice for raising puppies Schade, whose first book was Bonding With Your Dog, and who then pivoted to writing pet-oriented novels, like Life on the Leash and Dog Friendly, is a wealth of information about our four-legged friends. She advises dog owners to learn to read the body language of their pet, to try to understand what they’re trying to say. Like tail-wagginghow tight? And where is the tail positioned? Schade is a big advocate for positive reinforcement and science-based training, not the so-called alpha dog approach, which uses intimidation or force. Theres no need to be the alpha, which has been debunked anyway. You are your dog’s ally. Youre their friend. Youre their No. 1. And its a relationship based in compassion and understanding. That means load up on treats. She advocates keeping them in your pocket and consistently using them as rewards for good behavior, especially when potty training. I cannot stress it enough: When you think youre treating enough, treat more because, especially during puppyhood, it is such a critical learning period and every interaction is a chance to teach something. By Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
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