Like too many Americans, I try to keep up with what's going on in our world, but I don't always watch the televised political debates, political speeches or all the news programs all the time. And, like most (too many?) Americans, I'll be glued to the tube Sunday to see the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots.
That's right. Of course the NFL would like us to believe it's World War III, even though it really is just a football game-an important one, yes, but life or death? Hardly. That said, would I go to another Super Bowl? Maybe-if you could get three or four elephants to drag me there. Otherwise, forget it.
Jennifer Swanson, spokeswoman for NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster, was quoted thusly on a website: "The Super Bowl ticket is like the Holy Grail for sports fans. I enjoy watching from home, too. But there's nothing like being there."
And she is right on! There is nothing like being there and paying through the nose to do so. Sorry, but there is no way I would pay anywhere from $1,600 to $16,000 to go fight the madding crowd when I can flop down in front of my TV, walk 15 to 20 feet to get a cool one and munch on some chicken wings that don't cost $3 each.
I was at a Super Bowl in San Diego, and scalping tickets on the grounds of the event is against the law in California. So guys were there selling paperback books for hundreds of dollars-and the price included two bookmarks!
This all hit home because Tuesday was media day at the dome stadium in Indianapolis, where the media flock to get a great quote or three from players and coaches. As a member of the media, I have covered 10 Super Bowls-i.e., been there, done that-from Miami to San Diego, from Detroit to New Orleans.
It brought back many memories, going all the way back to Super Bowl V in Miami, when the Baltimore Colts beat the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 on Jim O'Brien's 32-yard field goal in the final five seconds. I'll never forget Dallas linebacker Lee Roy Jordan throwing his helmet all the way across the field when the ball went through the uprights.
Back then, in 1971, there weren't 1,200-plus members of the media on hand, so we could go into the locker rooms. Johnny Unitas was the Colts' starting quarterback but had to leave the game with an injury. I went in and he was putting on his street shoes. I asked, "How you feeling, Johnny?" and he grinned and said, "Like a champ."
Players now are surrounded by members of the media hoping to hear something new and outrageous come out of a player's mouth. Remember defensive end Fred Dean, who was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008?
He played college ball at Louisiana Tech and accidentally shot himself in the side while cleaning his .22-caliber pistol. At one of the Super Bowls the San Francisco 49ers won while Fred was on the team, I remember 25 or 30 guys surrounding the table where he sat on media day.
They were getting nothing worth printing and apparently couldn't come up with any good questions. So just for the heck of it, I asked Dean, "Hey, Fred, have you shot yourself lately?" The other guys around the table went bananas, wanting to know what that was all about. It was hilarious!
As I have written before, it's not just the Super Bowl of football but also the Super Bowl of stupid questions. Such as, "How do you feel about playing in the Super Bowl?" Honest! I heard it. No player ever answered that he would rather be fishing or playing golf. Had he done so, then we would've had a story!
I remember a coach addressing a room full of reporters, saying the game will be won by the team that makes the fewest mistakes and makes the big play. And when we went to the next coach's press conference, some guy repeated that and asked, "What's your analysis?" I was hoping the answer would be, "I think the team that scores the most points will win."
I'm pretty sure I've heard 'em all, asking a player what he likes to eat, what's his favorite song- everything but "What's your blood type?" Including No. 1 on the dumb question list: "Is this the biggest game of your career?"
Finally, whether the Giants win or the Patriots win, I can almost guarantee that some of the players will be asked, "How does it feel to be on the NFL championship team?" and "How disappointed are you that you guys lost the Super Bowl?"
And if I hear just one of those dumb questions, I'll hit the mute button!
1/27/12 (c) 2012 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email service@rbj.net.
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