Super bowl!

A few weeks ago, my boss casually mentioned in passing that I would be the one going to the Super Bowl "if we decide to send someone."

"What?" I said. "Did you just say Super Bowl?"

It was for real, and I didn't even have to beg to go! I found out last Thursday that I would be going to the big game! I knew it would be a long day, but it's probably the last Super Bowl I'll be able to go to for quite a while considering that newspapers are cutting back more and more.

Anyway....I drove over to Fort Lauderdale Sunday morning to the convention center to catch the media bus to the stadium. When I got there I still had no idea where my credential would allow me to go. I knew I wouldn't be on the field and would have and upper photo pass. When I met the reporter I was very pleased to discover I had at seat on the front row in the endzone!

On the way to the game, the media busses had a police escort all the way to the stadium. No stopping for stoplights, and the cops blocked the exits on the highways so we could pass with no traffic. I felt like a VIP.

To make a long story short. It was a long day but a great experience. I was wedged in with a row of other photographers, but it was a great place to shoot the game. I'm short, so it was nice to be able to see over people's heads and not be knocked around by photographers who are much larger than me. I spent half the game shooting and the other half sending photos to the paper.

I did go up to the top of the stadium at the 50-yard line to get an overall shot, too.

By the way, it looks like I'm wearing a sack because I had to wear the color-coded photographer's vest they gave us.

Here are my galleries from the game:

Super Bowl fans and faces. (I saw Rob Lowe!)

First half action

Halftime and second half

After the game I stayed with my old friend Pete Stella and met his amazing girlfriend Rossana. He found a good one! It was really good to catch up with Pete and see his dog, Minky, too.