Super Bowl Fans Brave The Elements As Rain Falls In Miami

Rain Does Little To Dampen Demand For Super Bowl Tickets

The 74,512 “soggy football fans” at Dolphin Stadium last night for Super Bowl XLI, the first Super Bowl to be played in the rain, “were undeterred and mostly uncomplaining,” according to Morris, So & Gollan of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. One souvenir shop vendor said he sold 400 ponchos in 45 minutes. Despite the rain, game tickets were selling for “about $2,000 apiece outside the stadium,” while prices “peaked around $9,000 a pair on Internet vending sites” leading up to the game (SUN-SENTINEL, 2/5). USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt notes the rain “chased some ticketholders away at halftime, forced many to watch the game in concourses on TV and generally made things miserable for those who spent big money on seats” (USA TODAY, 2/5). The Dolphins are in the middle of a $250M renovation of their stadium, and Bears fan Don Schroud said, “Tell [Dolphins Owner Wayne Huizenga] he should spend another $100[M] and put on a roof” (SUN-SENTINEL, 2/5).

CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC: In DC, Ryan O’Halloran writes it took “two hours to reach the stadium from Miami Beach. Police were too busy escorting fan buses and SUVs undoubtedly bearing important people to help with the real traffic. Fans just gave up about two miles from the stadium, leaving their buses and cabs and walking on the freeway to the stadium” (WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/5).