There's no doubt about "the amount of passion this city has for hosting the event," an ESPN executive said at a jammed Campus Martius rally supporting Detroit's bid to host the Summer X Games, Josh Katzenstein reports in The Detroit News.
"It's just so impressive," said Deane Swanson, ESPN's senior director of content strategy for the X Games.
Earlier, he and 14 colleagues saw sites for skateboarding, car races, BMX dirt biking and other competitions. ""We saw some great venues, some really good options for the X Games," The New quotes Swanson as saying.
Tuesday night's downtown party drew nearly 15,000 people, boid co-organizer Kevin Krease told Katzenstein.
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Tuesday, 9 p.m.:
The Movement electronic music festival is over, but downtown Detroit is still booming.
Crowds are milling about Campus Martius Park to promote Detroit's bid for the X Games.
Detroit is among four finalists to host the 2014-16 summer X Games hosted by ESPN, which feature competitive skateboarding, inline skating, motocross, BMX biking, and more. Chicago, Austin, and Charlotte are also still in the running.
ESPN reps are in town, so local X Games bid organizers Kevin Krease and Garret Koehler are looking to make an impression. They recruited food trucks, alcoholic drink vendors, and DJs. Naturally, skateboarders, BMX bikers, and graffiti artists are showing off as well.
What's it like over there? ESPN said in a release that "Detroit has been the most vociferous in its desire to host the games, at least on social media," so let the #XG2D crowd tell you.
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