SUPER BOWL LLI - The Experience Of A Lifetime
The purpose of the documentation of my personal experience at Super Bowl LII is to serve as a reminder for myself, and to share it with my friends and family, much like the Philadelphia Eagles shared it with me. I hammered this out as soon as I could, so please forgive any errors or typos you may encounter.
Very few people have a chance to go to a Super Bowl, let alone see their hometown team win the Lombardi Trophy. I would've never had the chance had it not been for my life-long good friend Jenn who works for the Eagles in digital asset management.
I can't thank her enough for bringing me to Minneapolis as a guest of the team. What the Eagles prepared for their "Friends & Family" was extremely generous, well orchestrated, world class hospitality.
Very few people have a chance to go to a Super Bowl, let alone see their hometown team win the Lombardi Trophy. I would've never had the chance had it not been for my life-long good friend Jenn who works for the Eagles in digital asset management.
I can't thank her enough for bringing me to Minneapolis as a guest of the team. What the Eagles prepared for their "Friends & Family" was extremely generous, well orchestrated, world class hospitality.
Friday, February 2nd - The Welcome Party
We arrived at NovaCare at 5 AM for an 8 AM charter flight to Minneapolis. Then we got settled in at the Crown Plaza where many of the Friends & Family (and the cheerleaders) were staying. We just relaxed at the hotel until the bus picked us up to head to the Welcome Party at Hard Rock Cafe in the Mall of America.
Walking in to the party flanked by the Eagles famous drum line, the vibe was jubilant. We were treated to complimentary food, drinks, and full private access to Nickelodeon Universe theme park. I went on 2 or 3 roller coasters, bumper cars, and a zip line that went across the entire park.
Many of the players (Malcolm Jenkins for example) were there with their kids just hanging out and having fun on the rides. Coach Peterson was there as well. I spotted Brian Dawkins shooting hoops at the long shot basketball carnival game. Carson Wentz was playing air hockey with his girlfriend. It was the perfect environment for everyone to relax and have some fun.
Around 9 PM CEO and Chairman Jeffrey Lurie addressed the crowd. He was immediately followed by a performance from MIGOS, a rap trio from Georgia comprised of Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff. Not surprisingly, Legarrette Blount got up on stage and did his thing for a few songs. His spirit was a consistent theme of this journey.
Walking in to the party flanked by the Eagles famous drum line, the vibe was jubilant. We were treated to complimentary food, drinks, and full private access to Nickelodeon Universe theme park. I went on 2 or 3 roller coasters, bumper cars, and a zip line that went across the entire park.
Many of the players (Malcolm Jenkins for example) were there with their kids just hanging out and having fun on the rides. Coach Peterson was there as well. I spotted Brian Dawkins shooting hoops at the long shot basketball carnival game. Carson Wentz was playing air hockey with his girlfriend. It was the perfect environment for everyone to relax and have some fun.
Around 9 PM CEO and Chairman Jeffrey Lurie addressed the crowd. He was immediately followed by a performance from MIGOS, a rap trio from Georgia comprised of Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff. Not surprisingly, Legarrette Blount got up on stage and did his thing for a few songs. His spirit was a consistent theme of this journey.
Saturday, February 3rd - Saint Paul Winter Carnival & Super Bowl Live
We decided to adventure to the Saint Paul Winter Carnival which has been in existence since 1886. It featured ice sculptures, ice skating, and a giant ice block palace. Here was yet another example of BOLD NORTH, Minnesota's campaign to celebrate and embrace their frigid existence. It would probably take me a few weeks to get completely acclimated to all the snow and single digits, but overall it was fun and we had some good beer and food at Great Waters Brewing Company.
From there we went back to downtown Minneapolis for Super Bowl Live on Nicollet Mall, a ten-day free festival and concert series. This area was totally mobbed and a bit hard to navigate, but there were hundreds of volunteers everywhere and they were extremely nice and helpful. Let me just say "Minnesota Nice" is definitely alive and well.
We finally made it to the stage area just in time to catch a short set from Minneapolis punk rock royal, Bob Mould (see video HERE). It was hard to to get close to the stage, but Bob sounded great and the crowd was receptive.
Eventually the cold forced us back inside for a night of Mexican food and Margaritas.
From there we went back to downtown Minneapolis for Super Bowl Live on Nicollet Mall, a ten-day free festival and concert series. This area was totally mobbed and a bit hard to navigate, but there were hundreds of volunteers everywhere and they were extremely nice and helpful. Let me just say "Minnesota Nice" is definitely alive and well.
We finally made it to the stage area just in time to catch a short set from Minneapolis punk rock royal, Bob Mould (see video HERE). It was hard to to get close to the stage, but Bob sounded great and the crowd was receptive.
Eventually the cold forced us back inside for a night of Mexican food and Margaritas.
Sunday, February 4th - Pregame Festivities
After breakfast, we headed to the Eagles Tailgate At 52 Live At the Armory. This huge event at the Minneapolis Armory had free food and adult beverages, plus performances from Sheila E and Kelly Clarkson. I locked down a sweet spot on the second level with a seating just next to / above the stage which provided a unique view of the musicians.
Now "Minnesota Nice" is one thing, but people in Vikings jerseys do not necessarily participate. In fact, I was given a verbal lashing (in the bathroom of all places) about how Eagles fans are an embarrassment to the entire NFL.He said his buddy got a bottle thrown at him at the NFC Championship game. I told him I was there and saw nothing of the sort. He probably got his idea from the opinion article in City Pages (a Twin Cities alt-weekly) published just as folks from Philly were arriving... Fucking coward.
Moving on, Sheila E. was straight up awesome! Even at 60, her energy and drum prowess could rival folks a third her age. Kelly Clarkson sounded fine for the one song we heard before heading to the stadium.
Now "Minnesota Nice" is one thing, but people in Vikings jerseys do not necessarily participate. In fact, I was given a verbal lashing (in the bathroom of all places) about how Eagles fans are an embarrassment to the entire NFL.He said his buddy got a bottle thrown at him at the NFC Championship game. I told him I was there and saw nothing of the sort. He probably got his idea from the opinion article in City Pages (a Twin Cities alt-weekly) published just as folks from Philly were arriving... Fucking coward.
Moving on, Sheila E. was straight up awesome! Even at 60, her energy and drum prowess could rival folks a third her age. Kelly Clarkson sounded fine for the one song we heard before heading to the stadium.
Super Bowl LII
I'm gonna let my pictures do most of the talking in this section, but I do have a few observations to note. First off, all the Vikings fans were rooting for the Patriots, and there was a lot of them of course. If they weren't there, Eagles fans would have outnumbered Patriots fans by 5 to 1. I just watched the broadcast so I heard the Eagles fans more than the Pats. My section was damn near all Eagles fans as evidenced in this video where the refs are announcing whether or not the Ertz touchdown was a catch or not...
In the photos below you'll notice I had seat #9... It was one of many superstitions that were in play on this fine afternoon.
The halftime show looked cool from my perspective (as you'll see in the photos) but the sound was awful. We figured it was set up for broadcast, but when I watched the re-broadcast, it still wasn't very good. Not one of my favorite Super Bowl halftime performances... I'll just leave it at that.
What more can be said about the ending of the game? It was the most nail-bitingest Super Bowl ever! Then of course there's the confetti, Lombardi trophy, Foles MVP... The list goes on.
Super Bowl LII - Philadelphia Eagles After Party
The after party was unlike any party I've ever been to. Free champagne at every turn, excellent food, great service. The decor was high class and so was the staff. Everything was really top notch.
The players arrived shortly after Cardi B's set finished. Some were roped off and others were amongst the party people getting down and having fun. It was rad to see everyone together celebrating. Even Coach Peterson was getting down with the Lombardi trophy on stage with the team. (warning: strong language)
Fletcher Cox and Legarrette Blount get busy with Lombardi. (warning: strong language)
Eventually, Jeffrey Lurie and the newly elected Hall-Of-Famer and former super Eagle Brian Dawkins take the mic.
And that's all folks... What a wonderful adventure it was! I am truly thankful for these opportunities.