If there’s anything I learned about the Super Bowl’s Media Day, it’s to be aggressive.’ Among roughly a thousand members of the international press, a shy reporter seeking that perfect soundbite from Ben Roethlisberger or Kurt Warner just couldn’t survive.
When looking from the stands, below I saw a frenzy of cameras, cables and oversized backpacks being hauled from one player to another.
Microphones, tape recorders and reporters surrounded me, awkwardly shouting at Mike Tomlin and all the big names to get their question answered.
Microphones were thrust to people’s mouths. A Telemundo reporter dressed in drag.’ Two people started tangoing on the field below me.’ Steelers players began singing and dancing in the stands.
I saw celebrities such as Maria Menounos from ‘Extra’ and actor Jerry O’Connell doing a VH1 production .
Sports broadcasters such as Chris Collinsworth, Chris Berman, and Deon Sanders were also among the flood of media big shots.
Reporters came from all over.’ I passed local reporters from Tampa and others from Mexico, Australia and London.’ But everyone was here for the same reason, to get the best interview.
Hundreds of crews swarmed around players who fielded questions from the field, on podiums and in the stands.
I felt like I was back in a crowded high school hallway, bumping shoulders with people just to move two feet.’
Being a young journalist, my eyes were opened that day when I was asked to intern for Hawaii Five-O Sports Media, a production company based in Honolulu.
I was also writing an article for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin about the rival between high school teammates Chris Kemoeatu of the Steelers and Aaron Francisco of the Cardinals.
As I entered the Media Center at the Tampa Convention Center, I was faced with a slew of card tables where radio jocks did their morning shows, screaming ‘It’s Super Bowl Time!’ and ‘Good Morning Pittsburgh!’
By 8:45 a.m. I was on the bus headed for Raymond James Stadium.’
Crews filled the aisles with their bags filled with cameras and mile-long cable.
Having no previous sports reporting experience, I felt an increasing surge of adrenaline as the bus pulled up to the stadium.
Upon arriving, I went through security tighter than JFK airport with an orange Homeland Security threat level.’ First, I was frisked and forced to clear my pockets.’ Stage two, as I like to call it, required me to put my backpack on a white line.’ It couldn’t be in between the lines, but absolutely be on the white line.’
After proceeding through the metal detector and clearing my pockets yet again, I watched as a dog sniffed at my bag, while all the media watched and backed behind a fence, just waiting to grab their bag and get to the actual stadium.
As the day went on, and after I interviewed the Steelers’ Chris Kemoeatu, Mike Tomlin, Scott Paxson and Jeremy Parquet and Aaron Francisco of the Cardinals, the humidity shot up and the sweat started pouring down the faces of reporters, who were mostly dressed in their crisp black and brown suits.
As each hour of interviewing happened, the jumbotron counted down our time left.’ When time was up, a mass of security guards in red shirts pushed us up the stadium steps and out the door.’ They shouted ‘please move up the stairs now.” No excuses.
Overall, the experience of interviewing NFL stars on camera was worthwhile.’ I experience an adrenaline rush of NFL superstars and determined reporters.
Despite writing one of he thousand reporters at the event, I will always have my own story of being thrown into the world of journalism.
Ellery McCardle can be reached at minaret.news@gmail.com.
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