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Quick Hits: More Super Bowl Memories

JOHN OSBORN
President and CEO, BBDO, New York

This year BBDO produced Super Bowl ads for  Snickers and Mountain Dew Kickstart.

I remember one of the first things I worked on when I came to BBDO in 1991 was a Ray Charles Super Bowl commercial for Diet Pepsi. “You got the right one, baby.” This was in the days without a lot of technology, so whenever we changed the script, which we did more than a few times, I was the guy racing across town delivering new Braille copies.


FRANK SUPOVITZ
Former senior vice president of events at the NFL

Some people say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. My definition of insanity is setting up a rock concert in 8 minutes [for the halftime show], entertaining people for 12, and then taking it all apart in 7 minutes without a trace of damage to the field. There is no risk manager in the universe who would think that’s a good idea.


DICK POPE
Chairman and CEO of licensed hard-goods company WinCraft

His first Super Bowl was XIV at the Rose Bowl in 1980 and he has since been to all but two.

The Super Bowl ring tradition was started by Vince Lombardi in Green Bay when the Packers won the first world championship against the Chiefs. I sold four of the first five Super Bowl rings when I was working for Jostens. The first two were to Vince Lombardi in Green Bay. I also sold Jack Steadman and Hank Stram in Kansas City the Super Bowl IV ring and Don Klosterman in Baltimore the Super Bowl V ring.


Imagine Johnny Unitas fetching you a soda.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
RAY DIDINGER
Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia

The longtime sportswriter and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame has covered 28 Super Bowls. He reflects on the first he covered, Super Bowl V in Miami.

What I recall about that is how small it was compared to now. It just wasn’t the mega media event it is now. To interview players, you’d go to the their hotel, go in the lobby and look at the bulletin board where they had a list of the players and their room numbers. Then you went up to his room and talked to him.

I remember going up to [Johnny] Unitas’ room. He’d bought some sodas already and when we showed up to interview him, he went down the hall with his ice bucket and got us some ice. This is on the Wednesday before the game. Can you imagine that happening now?


SAL FERRULO
Executive vice president of operations, Centerplate

He has attended 14 Super Bowls, and reflects on Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the first Super Bowl he was responsible for.

It started raining that day at around 4 in the morning, and just kept pouring all day long. That year, the Colts beat the Bears, and Peyton Manning won the MVP. The minute we brought the champagne out on the field to celebrate the award, the rain finally stopped. After the game, I took our senior executives and CEO on a tour, and stopped in the cash room. It had rained so hard, for so long, that all the money was wet and we had to dry it out in order to run it through the currency counters. We were using blow dryers, warming drawers, putting it in pizza ovens. If you haven’t seen a group of corporate controllers fanning cash in a pretzel warmer at midnight, you haven’t experienced all this industry has to offer.


DENNIS LEWIN
Former ABC Sports and NFL executive, current board member of Little League Baseball

The first one I went to was Super Bowl V in Miami. I went down there with [Howard] Cosell and we sat with Colts GM Don Klosterman and [Colts and later Rams] owner Carroll Rosenbloom in the stands. Can you imagine any of the 32 owners today sitting in the stands, much less the owner of one of the teams playing in the game?

After the game was over and the Colts had won, Don asked me if I would mind helping him to the field, because he had a severe limp. So I was down there with the Colts for the celebration.


All it took was asking and Guy Fieri got to cooking at New Era store.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
CHRIS KOCH
CEO, New Era Cap

Super Bowl 50 will be his 20th Super Bowl. His favorite memory is Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.

Food Network legend Guy Fieri comes into our New Era flagship store the week of the game. The store manager asked him if he’d cook for the employees. She figured he’d say no, but asked anyway to start a conversation. Needless to say, Guy said yes and he proceeded to write out a list of food and equipment including a grill, tables, bowls, ingredients, etc., to have in the store the next day at 11 a.m. Guy showed up with a team to prep the food and they set up right outside the store on the sidewalk. When I showed up at the store, Guy put me to work as I prepped and cooked with him. The menu consisted of sausage with peppers and onions and other small plates. It ended up turning into a party with all the employees and fans gathered around.


Chuck Berry was willing to play along, but first he wanted to be paid in cash.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
DON GARBER
MLS commissioner

Garber worked 17 Super Bowls in event and sponsorship roles with the NFL, the first being 1985 at Stanford.

We launched the Super Bowl Tailgate Party, which really was the precursor for all the big Super Bowl entertainment events. I booked Chuck Berry for one of the early ones. He showed up at Stanford in his own Airstream trailer rig and would not go on until we paid him in cash that I delivered to him in a licensed N.Y. Giants bag.

Another of my favorite stories involved Garth Brooks, when he was selling more music than anyone. After he did the national anthem, I had to take him to his seats with his family. He comes up to me, whips off his cowboy hat, signs it for me and then asks me to introduce him to Michael Jackson. So we walk under the stadium and he reaches out his hand and says, “I’m Garth.” Michael Jackson says, “I’m Michael.” But it was clear Michael had no idea who he was, even though he had just sung the national anthem.


CARMEN POLICY
Former president and CEO, San Francisco 49ers

Policy experienced five Super Bowls from 1981 through 1994 and the 49ers won them all.

The most memorable moment that I experienced was in the locker room immediately after Super Bowl XXIX when Steve Young held the Lombardi Trophy high in the air and he yelled at the top of his voice to everyone in the room, “We won this championship and no one, no one, can ever take that away from us!” It was stunning and actually profound.

However, from that moment of ecstasy I soon fell into a state of stark reality and a form of depression. As I walked about the players to personally congratulate them, I heard responses being given to media interviewers that related to our soon-to-be free agents. Their responses were measured but definitely tied to the concept that they must do what is necessary to take care of themselves and their families and they may be leaving the Niners. The ever-competitive nature of the NFL took over the room before the first showers were taken.

Winning is glorious, especially when you win it all. However, the joy remains in the moment and then the addiction to continued success overcomes all other emotions and thoughts. It was on to the next season and all the challenges that would bring. This recollection is not a lament but rather a tribute to the greatness of professional football and the NFL.


BOB PASCAL
Chief marketing officer, Centerplate

Pascal has been to eight Super Bowls and worked five of them.

In Indianapolis, we launched this special all-local, certified, farm-to-fan chili with Live Aid and John Mellencamp. I was trying to get some press shots leading up to the game, and found myself escorted out of Lucas Oil Stadium because the security officer couldn’t believe I was taking photos of our chili portable cart and not Madonna’s final run-through of her half-time show.


SEAN McMANUS
Chairman, CBS Sports

This has been the sixth Super Bowl I have been lucky enough to oversee for CBS, and each one holds a special memory for me. When Super Bowl XXV kicked off in Tampa, it was the culmination of a company-wide effort and the final affirmation that the NFL was truly back on CBS after we had lost it in 1994. There was an amazing feeling of satisfaction having the biggest television spectacle in the world once again on our network. We’ve been fortunate enough to have Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees win Super Bowls on CBS, had an opening kickoff returned for a touchdown and even had to deal with the infamous blackout. There is nothing comparable to the Super Bowl in terms of what it does for both CBS Sports and for the CBS Corp. Super Bowl 50 has taken everything to a whole new level, and to present it on CBS is both an honor and an awesome responsibility.


FRANK VUONO
Partner at 16 W Marketing; former head of NFL consumer products

Vuono has been to 31 Super Bowls.

Before the Tampa 1991 Super Bowl, I had just joined a golf club and met a guy, Anthony Baldino. He turned out to be really good friends with Whitney (Houston’s) dad, from Nutley, N.J. Well, Whitney wanted to perform at halftime of the Super Bowl. It was already booked when I asked (the NFL’s) Jim Steeg, but he asks me would she want to sing the national anthem. That’s one of the most famous renditions of the Star Spangled Banner ever sung. So, it’s fun to have been a little part of that.


MICHAEL LYNCH
Head of North American consulting at Repucom; former sponsorship chief at Visa

This will be Lynch’s 20th Super Bowl.

The first one always stands out, because there’s no one who isn’t blown away by the experience. Over the years, I’ve invited people like senior execs from the IOC and FIFA and watched their reactions as they saw it for the first time, how over the top it is.

The fact it has become the Academy Awards for TV advertising also adds a whole ’nother element. Different competition, but just as fierce. For many folks, that’s the primary consideration, although the contest for who has the best party has gotten fierce also.

The games kind of all blend together, but sharing that experience with business partners, friends and family is what lasts. And that experience just keeps getting better and better. It’s still the place to be if you are in this business.

From a deal-making standpoint, the Super Bowl and in particular the NFL Tailgate is a who’s who of the industry.


BOB ST. LAWRENCE
Eastern regional executive chef, Spectra Food Services & Hospitality

I came across the most unique Banquet Event Order (BEO) in my career at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans.

This was the first Super Bowl after 9/11, so security was of course higher than ever. In the kitchen we received a BEO titled “Sniper BEO’s.” We thought it was a mistake or a joke, but it turns out it was for boxed lunches that were to be delivered to the roof of the Superdome prior to the game for the snipers to enjoy!


ED GOREN
Former Fox Sports media group vice chairman

Goren has attended 30 Super Bowls and worked 13 of them.

John Madden said it best when he pointed out that the Super Bowl started as a game, then it became a weekend, and now it’s a weeklong celebration of football. Everything about the game is super. Especially the television numbers.

Ad rates for the game are hitting $4,500,000. Name one other TV show where some tune in just to see the commercials. $4,500,000 might be a bargain when you realize that the last six Super Bowls are the six most-watched shows in the history of television. When Fox aired its first Super Bowl in 1997, we had to decide how long we should make the pregame show. I had a simple answer. Check with sales. If they can sell it, we’ll produce it. That pregame ran 3.5 hours. Today, the pregame show is longer than the game!


DAVID BAKER
President, Pro Football Hall of Fame; former AFL commissioner

Baker has been to more than 25 Super Bowls.

My favorite Super Bowl is XXXIV and my AFL man, Kurt Warner, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Such a spectacular story and it could not have happened to a better man. He was just like Joe Hardy out of “Damn Yankees.” Now it has come full circle, because he is up for induction into the Hall of Fame for the second time. Last year, when I told Kurt he hadn’t made it during his first year of eligibility, he really was more concerned about whether his buddy Orlando Pace had gotten in. That’s just like Kurt.


DEBBIE WARDROP


General manager of The Resort at Port Ludlow; former director of special events and corporate services for the NFL; former CEO of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee

Wardrop has attended 10 Super Bowls.

Have you ever considered how many security meals were served in New Orleans in 2002, the year that nearly everything changed in an instant? That was one of the many logistics that took on a new and significant meaning after 9/11. (More than 10,000 for the record, plus the dogs.)

The reality of THE “game” is that everything surrounding those few hours is a reflection of the world at that time in history. Corporate Hospitality Village (our small part of the day — typically a six-week build out of 20 acres of land, private tents, headline entertainment, local food and beverage, and several hundred temporary employees for the week) was a mirror into the way people were feeling, how their business life was thriving (or not) and how they could be a part of something that is, for most, a “once in a lifetime” event. We never forgot this as we planned the small details that created the environment and the experience.


MIKE FROST
Regional vice president, Spectra Venue Management and Food Services & Hospitality

At a Super Bowl in San Diego about 15 years ago, I was on the upper concourse checking concession stands and making notes of needs when I laid my clipboard down to move a portable cart. At that time, a helicopter flew in to dry the field. For anyone that’s ever been that close to a helicopter, you know how strong the wind is. By the time the helicopter left, all of the notes I had just taken had blown over the wall of the stadium and were gone.


MITCHELL MODELL
CEO of Modell’s Sporting Goods

Modell has been to 20 Super Bowls.

The most exciting one for me was Super Bowl XXV. My seats weren’t that great, so at first, I couldn’t tell whether the fans were screaming because (Bills kicker Scott) Norwood made it or missed it. Finally I made out the Giants jumping up and down and I knew the Giants had won. Those five seconds when I didn’t know were like five hours.

Personally, probably the most exciting thing was having both my sons on the field after Super Bowl XLVIII. That was their first Super Bowl and to see their smiles as the confetti was falling, was just special.


PETER SULLIVAN
General manager, regional vice president, University of Phoenix Stadium

Sullivan helped coordinate the two Super Bowls the stadium has hosted (2008 and 2015) and has been to eight others.

Looking back at my experiences with the “great game,” my first recollection was Super Bowl II, but having grown up on Long Island (and yes a Jets fan), the thrill of Super Bowl III will always be with me — no one gave them a chance and I believe they were either a 13- or 16-point underdog going into the game. I can still see Namath running off the field waving his No. 1 finger in the air…. Juxtaposing that memory to the recent Super Bowl here in Glendale, well there’s no comparison in terms of the size and scope of what the whole event and production have become to the stadiums which house them, to the cities that host them — and what they have to guarantee in terms of responsibilities to the NFL.


ANDY PIERCE
President, CEO, Americas, Lagardère Sports and Entertainment

Pierce has been to 15 Super Bowls.

My composite view of what’s great about the Super Bowl is that unlike the (December) holidays, which are family-centric, the Super Bowl is the purest gathering of friends in America. That’s the NFL tie that binds. It’s a staple of the social fabric in the U.S. For the business world, it’s a gathering of the brands which support sports and a can’t-miss networking event.


JERRY ANDERSON
Senior principal, Populous

Anderson has been the NFL’s planning consultant for Super Bowls dating to 1985.

My first Super Bowl (XIX) was up at Stanford Stadium, so it’s come full circle for me personally. It’s really rewarding to come back to the Bay Area and do this, but to also think about all the things that have happened in the past 31 years to the game and what we do. It’s monumental, the changes. The other part to that story, though, is the guy that’s day to day for us, Todd Barnes, who lives in the East Bay. For Todd, it’s the first Super Bowl where he’s been able to drive to work. That’s unique for our little group. We’re mostly far from home, so that’s a nice little personal twist to the story.


CHRIS BERMAN

Photo by: ESPN

ESPN
What’s amazing to me is, the Super Bowl is an unofficial national holiday. I know it’s a Sunday and the banks are closed and there’s no mail, but people start planning their Super Bowl weekend after New Year’s. They’re either going to the game or planning who they’re going to be with. And now they’re doing it no matter what teams are in it. “What are you doing for Super Bowl?” It’s long become an American holiday. It’s pretty cool that sports and football have done that. Even the people who don’t care much about football say “There’s a Super Bowl party. OK, I’m going.” I’m honored to be a part of America’s holiday pre and post on Super Bowl Sunday. We’re in peoples’ homes or wherever they are gathered to watch the game.


Rich Eisen
NFL Network

Eisen attended one Super Bowl as a fan in 2000 and has worked every one since Super Bowl XXXVIII.

I’ve been lucky enough to be on the field in the fourth quarter for the ending of some really dramatic games. (David) Tyree’s catch. I remember a bunch of us next to the field saying to each other: “Did Tyree just catch the ball off his head?”

Favorite game: As a Giants fan, it’s gotta be one of the times they beat the Patriots — they were both special. But last year’s game came awfully close to that.


CAROLYN LESLEY
Game day facilities construction manager for the NFL

Noel Lesley Event Services Inc. has been affiliated with the past 30 Super Bowls, I personally have been involved in the last 15, and attended 29 of the 30. My first Super Bowl was in 1987 at the Rose Bowl where my mom and I forgot where we parked our car and searched for it for hours after the game.

The Super Bowl has been a significant part of my life for the past 30 years. For my late father, Noel Lesley, it was his life, and the job he was most proud of. His passion was infectious, and he became known as the “go to guy.” Everyone knows they can come to the NLES Compound and we will solve their problems, a legacy that lives on today.


MILT ARENSON
President and CEO, FMI

Arenson has been to 30 Super Bowls, first as a spectator in 1983. This year will be his 25th working the Super Bowl.

Out of 30 games, I have probably seen less action in total than someone who went to one game and watched the whole thing.

Another memory: Bringing my father to Super Bowl XXIX, when he had pancreatic cancer. He passed away months later.


LEO KANE
Senior vice president of consumer products, NFL

This will be Kane’s 24th Super Bowl.

Integrating the game to specific areas within the host city has made it better for fans and for merchandising. You know where the crowd’s going to be within a downtown area, so we can put together a better fan and merchandise experience for them.


GARY JACOBUS
Head of business development, sports and entertainment, Aramark

Jacobus has worked or attended 15 Super Bowls, his first being Super Bowl XXVI in Minnesota.

My first Super Bowl, I remember getting grief from clients, because the weather was awful. We had a freezing rainstorm and their guests were falling all over the place as they walked from the buses to the Target Center for the Saturday night event. But they were yelling and I was not happy. Until I went into this green room for a TV show we were doing and there was Joe Namath sitting alone at a table, all by himself. I talked to him for 20 minutes. And I got a lot happier, because I was in the business about six months at that time.

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