On Tuesday, I had the special opportunity of attending my first-ever Super Bowl media day. With media day, comes a lot of wacko questions, answers and outfits.
And for the first time in NFL history, media day was open to fans. The fans immediately snatched up the tickets, going for $25 each, and 7,300 attended the two teams’ media session.
Doors opened at 9 a.m. and eager fans arrived early, looking forward to what’s ahead.
Fans were pat-down and all bags were searched priorto entry. As for the media, they had to go through a metal detector also.
One inside, fans were given bags (as you see to the right) that included all kinds of goodies, but most importantly, a radio on a lanyard so that they can listen to the interview of their choice.
From the handful of fans I talked with, they were very grateful for the opportunity to go behind the curtain.
The New England Patriots had their session first, and I primary listened to Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Ron Gronkowski. Belichick was boring and uninformative, as always. Media insisted on Gronkowski clarifying his ankle situation and whether he will play or not.
It’s weird to admit this, but after listening to Tom Brady talk for an extended period, it’s hard not to like him. He does have a dry personality, but the way he answered questions, especially the wild questions, was impressive. He spoke about his relationship with Peyton Manning and how he hoped nothing more than for him to return to the field next season, with the Colts.
After an hour break, it was time to interview the Giants for 60 minutes.
New York head coach Tom Coughlin isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He quickly got irritated by the questions and hated to repeat himself.
Listening to Eli Manning was eerily similar to Peyton. They stumble and pause at similar breaks but do speak well. Eli didn’t say controversial and I found it hard not to feel for the guy who must of answered 20 questions on his big brother.
Following each session, the two teams took their memorable team photo on the field.
The day went over well, and some players even went near the stands to sign autographs for fans in attendance. You could tell it was a low-key day for the players and one the fans really appreciated.
I expect for this to now become a tradition and in future years, fans will dress up in costumes for attention. Indianapolis fit in, didn’t bother the interviews and provided extra revenue to the NFL. The concession stands and merchandise booths were swamped during my time in the concourse.
It was a very successful afternoon where fans were given exclusive access, at a reasonable price, and since most local residents won’t go to their Super Bowl, this was their chance inside the stadium.