One Super Bowl Was Enough For Me

I cherished the experience

It seems to be on every football fan’s bucket list, and my son, Steve, and I checked it off in February 2005 when we went to Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, FL, for the game where the Patriots beat the Eagles 24-21. It was their third championship in four years.

The game was memorable:

· Patriots’ receiver and MVP Deion Branch recorded 11 catches for 133 yards

· Mike Vrabel scored on a Brady pass and proceeded to mock the Eagles fans with a Dirty Bird dance

· Vrabel’s parents may have been sitting in front of us

· Paul McCartney appeared at halftime.

· There were 100,000 fans, the most I have ever seen

· Each fan was given a transistor radio to hear the broadcast

· Ticket prices were in the $350 to $500 range for us, a pittance compared to what I saw for this year’s game. And our seats were close.

This was interesting. Although it did not affect us, there was a hotel shortage, so the city arranged for five cruise ships to be docked on the Jacksonville River to serve as floating hotels, accommodating over 3,000 guests.

For the Super Bowl in Jacksonville

The day before the Super Bowl is almost as spectacular. I remember going to a large field where all kinds of stuff were going on, from souvenir sales to skill games of football, basketball, and carnival rides, and drinking kiosks, and lots of drinking, lots, especially by the young crowd.

Souvenirs? You want souvenirs? The building was as big as a football field.

The buyers were lined up at one of the twenty or so cash-out aisles laden with armloads of shirts, caps, towels, flags... You name it. I had to witness staggering sales figures. Or so it seemed.

In fact, I read recently that total consumer spending on Super Bowl-related retail (which includes food, apparel, and decorations) would reach $20.2 billion in 2026.

The most popular souvenirs purchased in the weeks leading up to the game include team jerseys, hoodies, T-shirts, official caps and hats, and special-edition gear like scarves, jackets, and blankets.

What did I buy? Well, something I didn’t need: a Patriots blanket. But I have a souvenir. And we had our lanyards with our tickets.

Some things about attending THE GAME were not so good. First off, it was cold for this old-timer, even though it was not for the young lady with the bikini or the young lad with a hairy eagle painted on his bare chest. It looked to me like the eagle was shivering.

Some intoxicated fans were aggressive, especially for us Pats fans sitting in the Philly section. A few thousand hearty beers will make a football fan aggressive.

On game day, a major water pipe broke in the stadium, causing some bathrooms to overflow. Of course, one of them was in our section. It was a long walk for relief.

The concessions ran out of food midway through the second half. Chicken fingers just didn’t do it for me. Neither did my friend’s joke, “Cmon, the fingers are the best part of the chicken.”

Transportation was a bear when we left the stadium. Poor crowd flow. We waited for the shuttle buses to pick us up. It took over an hour to get to the car.

As we walked along, several people offered to buy our lanyards and tickets. For a future investment, I guess.

Once we arrived at our cars, we had to drive to Orlando, hours away, only to spend the remainder of the evening and early morning crouched in the airport.

Yes, Yes, I know . . . it was our choice, a bad one for sure.

The big game was not a letdown. It was a great professional football game, and our team won. And we were traveling with our dear friends who invited us. And today I still appreciate the invitation and consider myself lucky for the experience.

The in-person experience is second to none.

But oh my, I’m done. One Super Bowl is enough. I’ll be home sitting back in my easy chair for this one. Again.

© 2026