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A Steelers Fan's Journey To Her First Super Bowl!
I've just returned from one of the best weeks ever down in Tampa, Florida - capped off by my first Super Bowl ever! I've been in other cities during Super Bowl week (Houston, San Diego) covering parties for work but never have gotten to attend the actual game. However, I knew as soon as the Steelers won the AFC title, this had to be the year I would get to go to the Super Bowl. I'm from Pittsburgh. NBC, the network I work for, was carrying the game and I used to live in Tampa. I was determined.
It turned out this whole trip was meant to be too. As fate would have it my good friends who run a non-profit organization called Pros vs. G.I. Joes was having an event at the Madden Bowl (one of the Super Bowl parties) and needed an extra hand. In another twist of fate, one of my co-workers could not attend the game on Sunday. So, I was able to use their credential in order to write this very blog! My flight was taken care of through Pros vs. G.I. Joes, I found a hotel and I was off!
Tuesday, 12 AM - Arrived in Tampa amidst a sea of yellow and gold jerseys. A very good sign that Pittsburghians were going to be out in full force.
Wednesday, 9 AM - The Pros vs. G.I. Joes team took to MacDill Air Force Base. The organization pits professional athletes and celebrities against troops overseas (and here in the states) in video game contests either live or via the Internet. In order to find out which three guys would get to play Warren Sapp, who was scheduled to come to Madden Bowl and play with the troops, we had to set up a playoff game. Nine guys competed for the top three spots.
Thursday, 9 PM - We set up for Pros vs. G.I. Joes in the VIP lounge and the troops arrive. Baltimore Ravens running back Willie McGahee sits down to play. Later, I ask linebacker Ray Lewis of the Ravens to say "Hi" to some troops in Japan via our live Web cam. He obliges after shooting me some very scary looks. I have no idea of his reputation. Then my friend Dhardra and I track down Evander Holyfield and bring him over to say "Hello" to our troops. They are in heaven.
I find out that Warren Sapp is not coming so I try to get Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez to join in on the fun. He shoots me down cold. I don't like being told no! As the VIP room starts to get packed we have to close up shop. We stick around and do a little dancing right next to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens and Ray Lewis who are happily partying it up surrounded by women. I snap a photo and Ray's bodyguard shoots me an angry look and points a flashlight in my face. I try to say hello to Donovan McNabb but his bodyguard is not having it.
Friday, 9 PM - My friend and I hit the Leather and Laces party where I run into infomercial guru Tony Little. We say "Hi" and ask if he remembers working with us on his Ab Isolator infomercial in 1993. He pretends he does. We move on to the ESPN party where its serious NFL player Gridlock. I accidentally piss off Jerry Rice by asking about his wife, who I had done a story with for the show. Turns out they got divorced. Oops. No wonder he was looking cozy with some cute young chicks. We end up hanging out with the brother of Arizona Cardinals kicker Ben Graham, the first Australian to ever play in a Super Bowl. I feel a little guilty like I'm portraying my team and hanging out with the enemy, but his brother Sam and his friends were a great group so I let it slide.
Friday, 3 AM - No taxis to be found so my friend hitches us a ride with a player for the Detroit Lions and makes him give us a ride home. She's insane. We'll leave his name out.
Saturday, 3 PM - We hit the DirecTV celebrity beach bash to check out my co-worker Maria Menounos and my new actor pal Brandon Molale playing in a flag football game. Their team wins. I run into Eddie George who lived below me in college at Ohio State University. He's much bigger now than in college. He is a Heisman Trophy winner after all!
Saturday, 9 PM - Another Pros vs. G.I. Joes event thanks to my new friend Reggie who is hosting a party at the Ritz in Ybor City. Then we head over to the Hard Rock Seminole Casino for a late night party. Lots of TV celebrities in the house. I'll leave the details of this evening out though to protect the not so innocent! Paris HIlton rolls into the hotel at 5 AM. She heads up to her room. Meanwhile, I'm eating waffles in the restaurant. I'm officially out later than Paris Hilton. Now that is a first!
Sunday, 3 PM - Time to head to the game. I probably should have not stayed out 'til 6:30 AM but this is the moment I have been waiting for so I toughen up and deal with it. Walking around Raymond James Stadium the energy is just incredible. I arrive to the media tent and rendezvous with my co-workers who give me the lowdown on what will happen inside. Maria wants a cheese steak so we head up inside the stadium. I walk over and get to see the field for the first time.
Wow! I'm at the Super Bowl. I'm jealous of Maria's food and decide to go get my own. A woman asks me if I am a Cardinals fan, which shocks me until she points out I have on a red shirt. OMG! What was I thinking?! I just wanted to be warm since it was a cold day in Tampa and didn't even realize I was wearing the wrong color. I can't go on the field like this. So, I stand outside the media tent and start asking people to give me the Steelers shirt off their back. Huge shout out to Darlene from Mars, Pennsylvania who gave me her super cute Steelers shirt! You are a lifesaver.
Sunday, 5 PM - We head out to the field. I'm in serious awe. I cannot believe I am standing on the field where the Super Bowl will be taking place in 90 minutes. We all snap some photos and then I leave everyone and head over to the Steelers side. Moments later the team comes out for practice. Heinz Ward, Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger are all standing five steps away from me. I am close to tears as I spin around and check out the stands. I'm surprised to see an equal amount of Cardinals fans because all week long in the city all I saw was black and gold!
Ben walks around to each of his teammates and either hugs or high-fives them. I'm overcome with emotion watching this. I used to sit up in the nosebleed seats at Three Rivers stadium and now I'm standing on the field at the Super Bowl next to the quarterback. I have the coolest job in the world! The Steelers leave the field to go get ready for the big moment. Since Access is trying to get an interview with Jennifer Hudson we stake out one of the tunnels. My tunnel happened to be the Steelers tunnel. What luck. I get to watch as the entire team takes the field again before kickoff. Hudson sings the National Anthem and then the media is ushered off the field. I happen to be on the Cardinals side and as I walk by their bench in my Steelers gear I have to apologize to some angry football players.
Sunday, 6:45 PM - My co-workers head back to the media tent. I head up to the 100 level and attach myself to another camera crew so I can catch some of the game. As I am chatting with a female police officer, an employee who is selling cotton candy comes over to explain that a guy just stole one of his cotton candy sticks. Security and the officer escort the man out. So, this man spent probably $2,000 dollars on a ticket to the Super bowl and gets kicked out for stealing a $6 sugary treat! It's perfect timing though as I head back to the media tent just as the Access crew is heading back out to the stadium for Halftime.
We are allowed on the field at the 2:00 warning. I work my way up to the 20-yard line and snap some photos. Just then as it looks like the Cardinals are about to score James Harrison intercepts and goes running down the field right past me as I'm screaming in delight. Apparently, as a journalist I'm maybe not supposed to be doing this. Oh well. No one says anything at the time.
We head out on the field for Bruce Springsteen. It's about this time that my feet hurt and since Bruce is cool but not someone I would die to see (unlike Bon Jovi!) I decide to try and go find myself a seat. As I'm walking around it dawns on me that I know exactly where I can get a seat - the Cotton Candy man! I head back over to where he was escorted out and ask his friends if I can grab his now empty seat. I watch the nail biting final two quarters of the game with my new friends Michael and Tommy, although Tommy caught site of Paris Hilton and went chasing after her. The Steelers win caps off an incredible, exhilarating week!
Big thanks to everyone I met, partied with, flirted with, chatted with and everything in between!
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