Okay, I'm finally sitting down to write about the Super Bowl.  The Giants' performance, or lack of performance, was certainly a major disappointment.  Still, the experience of attending the Big Game was pretty amazing.  I was at the stadium more than two hours before the game, and I wasn't bored. 

 

There were definitely lots of New Yorkers there for the game.  And New Yorkers will talk to anyone, but especially to other Giants fans. It was like attending the game with a few hundred good friends.  If I had walked around more, it would have been like attending with a few thousand friends.  

 

My seat was on the aisle in the second row.  Many, many people were coming down to take pictures of the field before the game.  And they were all being very cooperative: taking pictures for each other, waiting their turn to take a picture in the best spot to get the Giants' name in the end zone, etc. 

 

The production effort was really something to watch.  I found the setup for the pre-game and halftime shows more interesting than the shows themselves.  Let's face it; the shows are rather silly.  One exception: Ray Charles singing "America, the Beautiful" was very touching. 

 

The stealth bomber fly over was rather silly, but it was still pretty cool.

 

The pre-game show included a bunch of dancers in bathing suits, and then dance costumes.  There were clothing racks along the sidelines, so that the girls could throw costumes on over their swimsuits.  They also had to peel off the costumes after the show to hang them back up.  The four guys from NY that were sitting in front of me particularly enjoyed this part of the show.  The dancers also had to rush off quickly during the commercial break.  Nothing like a bunch of teenage girls in bathing suits running by to excite a crowd.  

 

The stage set up for halftime was an amazing effort of people power.  They don't want to bring heavy equipment on the field, so they use lots and lots of people.  Each corner of the stage was pushed onto the field by as many people that could line up along the outside.  They were all dressed in black, so they could hide on the field until the show was over.  Some were under the stage, and some were lined up along the outside of the stage.  The ring of "groupies" around the stage ran in around them after the stage was set.  The framework for the light fixtures around the stage was brought in separately.  Each tower was attached to the corner of the stage, and then raised by a pulley with about thirty people running across the field pulling a rope. I really think it would be more interesting to the TV audience to see this aspect of the show.

 

The media coverage of the game was both fascinating and pathetic.  There were incredible numbers of people along the sidelines, and incredible numbers of TV cameras.  The still camera group was the most fun to watch.  Those people got some exercise.  They would run back and forth during commercials to get set at a better spot.  And, of course, to get the good spot, they needed to outrun the others.  It was kind of a Darwinian exercise.  

 

All that said about the shows, I wish the game had been more about football.  The stadium should be filled with fans, not famous people or corporate sponsors.  

 

Finally, I must tell you about the seat cushion souvenir.  The take-home seat cushion was sponsored by E-trade, carrying their name and the Superbowl XXXV logo.  It has a zippered pouch on the front that hangs off the seat.  Inside was a small transistor radio with Superbowl logo and earphones.  It listed the frequencies to tune in for game coverage, but all of them were heavy with static.  Only a few music stations came in clearly.  There was also a disposable camera for the half-time show.  They signaled inside the stadium when it was time for everyone to flash.  Also, there was a leather Superbowl E-trade logo money clip and card wallet.  It was a pretty neat package.