Corporate fans are awed by the spectacle, but something is missing: a rooting interest
Among the sea of red-clad fans outside Hard Rock stadium are those in neutral clothing, many in suits, who could not care less about who is playing. Some are doing mental gymnastics to try to figure out who they’d prefer; others aren’t bothered by their team-less status.
“Just hoping for a lot of action, a high-scoring game,” said Chris Laidlaw, 41, from Connecticut, who said he scored a ticket from his company, Synchrony.
The corporate nature of the Big Game is hard to understate. Everything from the food stands to the fan areas has a sponsor. Branded blimps and airplanes with banners rove overhead. And many ticket-holders have their employers to thank for the access.
Dustin Taylor, 47, from Philadelphia is one of around 140 Microsoft employees who won a company contest for tickets, he said. Asked for whom he is rooting, Taylor said, “Couldn’t care less.”
The group is staying at the Kimpton Epic hotel in downtown Miami and came to Miami Gardens around 2:30 p.m. on a chartered bus. He split off from the rest of the group and walked around the outside of the stadium before going to the Super Bowl Live area that requires a special pass the company also provided.
“It’s so over the top,” Taylor said, pointing around at the sea of red fans. “Crazy the amount of money that’s being spent.”
Some are lucky enough to keep their budgets in check thanks to friends with corporate connections. Adan Stryker, 40, from Las Vegas didn’t elaborate on his friend’s hook up, but said it was good enough to get six friends in. He said his friend texted him on Tuesday with the good news and he booked his flight. The group is staying at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale beach.
At around 3 p.m. Stryker was still deciding which team to root for. “I’m a Vikings fan,” he said, as he pondered whether he prefers the team that beat his team (the 49ers, for the record, ended Minnesota’s season) to take the championship or not.
One of the most exclusive areas for fans is the Super Bowl Legends area, surrounded by 12-foot fences and off limits to anyone without a glimmering pass.
As soon as the stadium entrances opened at 2 p.m., people started to file into the guarded party zone.
Vincent Mastria, 56, entered with a friend at 2:15 p.m. He’s from Mantoloking, New Jersey, and not rooting for either team. He said he has owned a home in Jupiter for four years and decided to make this year’s Super Bowl his first because it was convenient.
“I’m just here for the experience,” he said.
Also without a team preference are Sonja Hood, 50, and Richard Hansen, 48, who made the trip from Melbourne, Australia, to celebrate their birthdays, both Sunday.
The couple bought a package for a hotel in South Beach and access to the Super Bowl Live event.
“It’s a milestone birthday and this is the biggest party in the world,” Hood said. “We’re going for red.”
Not everyone wants to party. Far, far away from the noise and the action, Carolyn Lis, 56, from San Francisco, sat at a picnic table in the shade behind the media truck area reading the novel “Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger at 4 p.m. Decked out in 49ers gear, she said she earned a Super Bowl ticket as the top seller at her finance company and is attending with seven others.
“One set is drinking their faces off,” she said. “And the other isn’t here yet.” She planned to read her book for the next hour before going inside.
This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 5:39 PM.
