An Event So Big It Took Two States To Host: Super Bowl XLVIII

As you all (hopefully) know, Super Bowl XLVIII was this past week, and both New York and New Jersey helped to host the event.  As a Fordham student, I had the lucky opportunity to volunteer for the Super Bowl!! The volunteering process was a long one that started back in early September at the Fordham club fair.  The next step was to make an account where I claimed to be a MetLife Stadium expert in hopes of working the actual game! However, I was not so lucky.  Probably for the best though, as I can’t tell you where the bathroom is from the exit. 

My ID with "MetLife Stadium Expertise" highlighted

Fast Forward through International Speak Like A Pirate Day, Leif Erikson Day, and the rest of a semester to Tuesday Jan 28^th, the start of Super Bowl Week and the day before my first shift on Super Bowl Boulevard!  To get mentally prepared for my first day on the job, I made a flipagram of me putting on every single article of clothing (since a major bonus of volunteering was the large quantity of free clothing!!) View it here and make sure to turn the volume up!

I was volunteering with my friend, Andrew Esoldi, and before our shift, we had a team meeting in Bryant Park to go over the guidelines and our exact locations. This was the moment I had been waiting for since my stadium expertise trick failed.  I may not have been at the stadium, but I definitely had the second best location: 41st and Broadway! Right in between the Toboggan Run and the NFL Network stage!!     

Our team meeting in Bryant Park   

The Toboggan Run at night

Backside of the Toboggan Run

Volunteering on the Boulevard was very exciting! We were able to see all of the dedicated fans from different teams.  There were all types of ways they showed their commitment to their favorite gridiron team.  I learned that a simple jersey was fools' play to these aficionados, so to pay a tribute I made a mental list of my top three favorite fans:

#1) Seahawks super fan with one blue eyebrow, one green eyebrow, and blue and green hair spiked higher than one would imagine possible. He's probably the original “12^th man.”

#2) Broncos devotee with a thick orange beard.  He was decked out in Denver apparel and continuously yelled “Omaha, Omaha!!” Occasionally “Hurry, Hurry,” but I wasn't sure if he was showing Peyton some support or just yelling at the slow crowds in front of him.

#3) Annoyed Jets fan who was (probably) angry that he bought a Sanchez jersey. To solve this conundrum, he simply used tape to cross out Sanchez.  It’s like a whole new jersey now!

Favorite Fan #3

Along with enjoying all of the fans and the atmosphere, I also think we did a pretty good job of volunteering (if I do say so myself!) Probably around 99.9% of the questions were about these badges to get into certain events and where to get the Toboggan Run tickets, but we totally aced them! Although, we may have sent one or two fans in the wrong direction at first.  Third time's a charm though, right?

With my sister after my first shift

Super Bowl Boulevard street sign

The Super Bowl Roman Numerals

With my roommate, Pat, and neighbor, Gianna

Even though the game may not have been memorable, in the end this will definitely be our most memorable Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLVIII: the first cold weather Super Bowl, an event so big it took two states to host!