Let me first say that while I put "underreported" in the title of this entry, I'm not saying it's wrongly underreported in this case. I'm not really sure what to think about this.

We've heard about increased security before every major sporting event over the past few years. And as most of us have already heard, this year has been no exception.

(excerpt via Detroit News)

The FBI and Detroit Police will open one of the largest security operations in U.S. history, guarding against any threats to Super Bowl XL and aided by more than 50 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Including private security guards, there will be upward of 10,000 security personnel on duty in Detroit for the Super Bowl, rivaling the security for any other one-day event in U.S. history and on a scale with a presidential inauguration, the FBI says, capping 18 months of intensive preparations. It would be a larger force than any previous Super Bowl.

Okay, that is a shockingly large force, and an interesting story. But setting aside that "10,000" number, the story is still pretty much the same as we've heard for every Super Bowl or World Series since 9/11. But then I get an email from Prophecy News Watch, an interesting newsletter that often points me towards stories I wouldn't have otherwise heard. Check it out, it's not as "religious" as you're thinking. (Check out online archive of today's email.)

So I'm skimming that email and see a World Net Daily headline: Super Bowl Sunday terror chatter high, which sounded interesting enough to give a quick read, so I did. But while I consider myself part of the America that still remembers 9/11 and realizes this is a different world, I'm also sort of all "terror warninged" out. We also don't have any government officials talking about this (yet anyway) so I think I look at it as more of just needing a story. Seriously, in the past few years, how many times have we heard "increased chatter" and things like that? Also, when do they ever try to attack something that has a massive security presence?

Anyway, the WND article makes some interesting points, but again I'm just numb to all these "patterns" that don't really seem to play out. But make what you will of it:

(read entire article here)

WASHINGTON – There is a high likelihood of a major terrorist attack next Sunday, say international terror analysts and intelligence sources.

The warning is made on the basis of several factors, according to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin:

* There is increased "chatter" in the terrorist world about a major new attack in the West – a sign often leading to an impending strike;

* The date Feb. 5 has been specifically referenced in some of this chatter;

* The date is significant to Osama bin Laden;

* Much of the western world will be watching television that day;

* The release of al-Qaida videotapes seems to provide clues about the dates of future attacks and, in this scenario, Feb. 5 becomes the most likely near-term terror strike date.

Terror attacks seem to follow the release of al-Qaida videos by about 30 days. Some intelligence analysts are noting the significance of the release of videos recently by both Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Anyway, like I said, I'm part of the group that has a post 9/11 mentallity (a group that sadly seems to shrink by the day), but I'm just not sure this is anything different than we always hear. I mean are these guys going to attack an event with such an overwhelming security presence? Or would they attack somewhere else in the country while everyone is focused there? Obviously the security force is always needed, at the very least as a deterant, but I think the FBI should be looking at the rest of the country too, if these "high chatter" reports are of any real concern.