Super Bowl XL significant to Canada

Canadians get into the Super Bowl more than you might think. And this year’s Super Bowl has special significance in Canada.

There are 3 NFL teams that have a shared Canadian experience: Seattle, Detroit, and Buffalo. Two of them factor into Super Bowl XL: Detroit (host city) and Seattle (NFC champs).

This will be the closest Super Bowl ever to the Canadian border. Ford Field is literally about 3 km (2 miles) from the border.

For those trivia buffs who remember Super Bowl XVI in 1982, that game was in Pontiac, about 50 km (30 miles) northwest of Detroit.

Seattle’s first appearance ever in the Super Bowl is a boon to all the Seahawks fans, especially those in British Columbia. The only thing that would have been sweeter was if B.C. would have won the Grey Cup at home.

For all the jokes that Detroit suffers through, Windsor gets its share, too. Even I joke about the "Windsor ballet." But Windsor is more than just strip clubs and Cuban cigar shops. Most of it is blue-collar, a traditional home to auto plants.

The Super Bowl airs Sunday at 6 p.m. EST on ABC in the U.S. and Global in Canada.