Super Bowl XLVII
This past weekend New Orleans was electrified. With the Super Bowl in town the city was full of Ravens Fans, 49er Fans, football fans, locals (EVERYONE was downtown). There were people everywhere. One of the coolest places I saw was the Jax Brewery parking lot where ESPN had rented the entire parking lot for two weeks (for $1M according to one of the ESPN security people) and setup stages all over.
Above: ESPN Stage
Above: Main ESPN Stage
On Friday my wife and I went downtown first to the NFL Experience then to Woldenberg Park (“Super Bowl Boulevard”) and then around town.
NFL Experience
At the Convention Center downtown the NFL setup the “NFL Experience” where fans can get a feel of what NFL is all about. There were passing games, kicking games, catching games, running games… all sorts of games. There were celebrities around, NFL Players, autograph signings, Hall of Fame exhibit, officiating exhibit, even the Lombardi trophy was on display.
Above: Miss Alabama – Katherine Webb, also QB AJ McCarron's Girlfriend
Above: Katherine Webb & Alabama QB AJ McCarron
Above: Ravens WR & Super Bowl XLVII Champ Torrey Smith
Above: Fun kicking field goals
Above: Fun kicking field goals
Above: NFL Hall of Fame Exhibit
On the far end of the Convention Center was an indoor football field setup in conjunction with “Play 60” – the youth health and fitness campaign where some of the local schools played flag football with NFL players.
Above: NFL Play 60
Above: Saints WR Lance Moore durring the Play 60 Flag footbal game
Above: Play 60 Flag footbal field
Above: Play 60
Woldenberg Park
After we left the NFL Experience we headed over to Woldenberg Park right on the river where they had music, food, tents, and most importantly the Super Bowl roman numerals. The cool thing about the roman numerals is that instead of setting them up on land like usual, there were built on a barge, just a few minutes up river then moved the Thursday before to Woldenberg Park on the river in a huge celebration (including fireworks, music, and videos and photos being projected onto the numerals).
Above: Super Bowl Numbers
Verizon had this huge tent setup where you could sign up and get a bunch of free stuff and at the end you could try your luck with their gigantic claw machine – with autographed prints and mini helmets.
Above: THE CLAW!!
Around town
We left to eat some dinner and walk around the downtown then toured the French Quarter night life – which turned into a very late night.
Above: The Bud Light Hotel
Above: Super Bowl Art
Above: Some sightly creepy sculpture that was at the resturant we eat at
Above: Pat O's – Hurricanes!
Above: Pat O's
Above: Singer at the Bourbon Orleans
It seemed the whole city really shined bright for the whole world to see right up until half the Dome went dark – Oops! But hopefully everything else about the weeklong party and celebration will be enough to bring the big game back for the Super Bowl in 2018 – the City of New Orleans’ Tricentennial.
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