MovieChat Forums > The Sum of All Fears (2002) Discussion > Why Target the Super Bowl?

Why Target the Super Bowl?

posted 9 years ago by ben-h-tallman
9 replies | jump to latest

One thing that always bothered me about the book/film is that the terrorists targeted the Super Bowl in an attempt to trigger a nuclear war between the US and Russia (still the Soviet Union in the novel).

Why target the Super Bowl? I remember the scene in the book when the Native American who is helping them takes them to the game at the stadium during the season, but still, it made no sense as an attempt to trigger WWIII.

Why target Baltimore (or Denver in the book). Wouldn't having the plot of a bomb over NY or DC had been more likely to spark the war? Think about it, had it been DC, much of the leadership, perhaps even POTUS would've been gone. Whoever was left would've been certain it was Russia when coupled with the tanks in Berlin and the Akula attacking the US Ohio class sub in the Pacific.

That's a plot hole that Clancy left that I just never understood. He couldn't have been saying he didn't want to remove the entire US senior leadership from the world he created in the novels as he ended up doing just that in the following novel when the Japanese 747 crashes into the joint session of Congress.

[–] CGSailor 9 years ago

That's a plot hole that Clancy left that I just never understood.

It's NOT a plot hole. You just never understood.

It wasn't just some Superbowl being targeted.
The President of the United States was supposed to be there, along with several high cabinet members like the Secretary of Defense etc...

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] Blubonnet_Spearman 9 years ago

Because the terrorists had good taste in sport.

[–] the_la_baker 8 years ago

Football is the most boring sport there is. Worse than soccer. At least they are moving around most of the time in soccer. Football is 90% standing around doing nothing.
Sad thing is, if they actually played the game instead of standing around, and bombarding viewers with commercials, it would be one of the best sports. Too bad the NFL is a farce. It has such potential.

[–] Fiery_Boycs 8 years ago

Who was it who described American football as representing the worst of American culture: committee meetings punctuated by acts of violence?

108 193 23 8114 246* 47.73 22 42

[–] phantom_pixie 9 years ago

For two reasons:
1. The president was there. So taking him out, along with more staff would be a devastating blow since you'd have to set up an emergency government in a short time, that have never practiced any of the drills as shown in the beginning of the movie. A novis would most likely think irrationally and attack.
2. You take the life of thousands of civilians, woman and children. That would cause a deep impact on social acceptance of going to war, and also push a government to retaliate on Russia.

It's not a plot hole, it's the perfect way to have people play into your hands.

X ~We are the people our parents warned us about

[–] irehawk 9 years ago

There is a target revealed at the Super Bowl: The current US president was attending that Super Bowl site.

Of course, Jack send an urgent message to the CIA, who was with the current US president there, to bring the current US president out of the stadium quick, before the bomb explodes.

The current US president made it out of the stadium, but got hurt partly by the explosion, and survived.

[–] raf-33 8 years ago

Why fly aircraft in to the world trade center instead of the Capitol building or the white house? Some things are symbolic, just because you don't understand something doesn't make it a plothole!

Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived. -Isaac Asimov

[–] dominicd 8 years ago

One thing that always bothered me about the book/film is that the terrorists targeted the Super Bowl in an attempt to trigger a nuclear war between the US and Russia (still the Soviet Union in the novel)

Yes, and of course is reminiscent of Black Sunday (1977?). The movie didn't bother me as much as the redeux of a plot done before, but the twist as to how the neo Fascist came to acquire the element to create the bomb was what I found entertaining. Not to mention when the two were on their way & caught at the deserted lab ... I think "Jack Ryan" was slightly out of character... being a former US Marine and all.

[–] duckofprey (1535) 6 years ago

Was the Super Bowl the target in the book? (Because it clearly was NOT the Super Bowl in the film)