NFL Experience – Super Bowl
Another job that got created for me, Broadcast and Events Manager.
A s I contemplated where to you go from the X Games, the answer seemed obvious. Why to Super Bowl, of course. I’ve never been adverse to starting low and working my way up. It usually doesn’t take long and some of the best career advice I’ve ever gotten is “nothing is beneath you”. By my second year on NFLX I was managing all the television broadcast and special events at the Experience and part of the senior management team. What looked like a step down in title was a step up and onto The Big Show. It doesn’t get much bigger than the Super Bowl.
NFL Experience, Super Bowl XXXIII – Miami, Florida
My first year on the event I managed all the mobile marketing tours, high-technology exhibits, as well as the events happening on the TV Field. It was a bit of a culture shock going from the X Games onto such a massive production. Lessons learned this first year: plan for rain and build berms around your tent edges. No cardboard directly on the ground or there will be tears in the morning.
I’ll be honest, I don’t follow football so I never had any idea what teams were playing at the Super Bowl.
NFL Experience, Super Bowl XXXIV – Altanta, Georgia
This was the most brutal of all the Super Bowl events I did. We were indoors at the Atlanta Convention Center and due to scheduling we only had 3 days to load-in an event that typically takes 10+ days to load-in. We had a crew of 100 working 24 hours a day for 3 days straight hours to pull it off. There was also a huge ice storm that hit the day we all arrived in Atlanta, so we got to our condos and had no power.
MTV began to be a larger presence at this event and because I had a background of working with them, I became their point person and Broadcast Manager. MTV did TRL Live from a stage at NFLX 2000 with NSYNC performing. Every teenage girl in Atlanta was in attendance.
NFL Experience, Super Bowl XXXV – Tampa, Florida
This was a massive site and the largest NFLX that had been done so far. MTV had become a significantly larger presence and produced the Halftime Show this year. They also produced a whole slate of live programming from our TV Field, which I managed. I also managed ESPN and NFL Films producing live shows from the NFL Experience, as well as all the radio stations.
My favorite part of these large events is having to literally build out an entire functioning city with electrical, water, and trash removal.
NFL Experience, Super Bowl XXXVI – New Orleans, Louisiana
This was the first major event in the USA after 9/11. The security was…whatever that level beyond insane is. Indescribable. I’ve never been wanded so many many times in my life. Because the event was split into an indoor and outdoor portion, I took over as Production Manager for the indoor section along with my usual duties of keeping MTV in line. I also ended up managing the broadcast of the main stage talent No Doubt for the NFL Tailgate Party in the hall next door.
Basically, if it involved television, it became my gig.
NFL Experience, Super Bowl XXXVII – San Diego, California
My last year on the NFL Experience. We were just outside of the San Diego Convention Center, in a fantastic spot right on the water. There was very little television happening so I also took on the duties of Stage Manger for the NFL Tailgate Party; performing that year was Bonnie Raitt, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Michael Buble.
