Aside from the most popular of the Olympic events, the Super Bowl is probably the most difficult tickets in sports to get. One of our co-workers got that chance, though. Ray told me his whole experience, from the disappointment of missing out on a ticket close enough to taste, to the euphoria of the best Valentine's Day gift ever. Here's his firsthand account of New Jersey's first Super Bowl:

 

 


Every man’s dream is to go to the Super Bowl, and this past Sunday, I was able to cross that off my bucket list.

Earlier in the week, a friend of mine offered me a ticket to the game but I couldn’t afford it and had to turn it down.  I had this ticket right in front of me but I had to say no.  The next day, I called my friend and asked if I could buy the ticket for the half the price, but he told me he sold the ticket already.  I was disappointed, but I understood.

Friday night came, and my girlfriend and I decided to take the train up to the city to go see Super Bowl Boulevard.  While on the train, she decided to give me my Valentine’s Day gift early, a ticket to the Super Bowl!  She was the one who bought my friend’s ticket.

I was excited that I was going to the game and Saturday night I could barely sleep.  Sunday came and I was outside the stadium at 1:00pm waiting for the gate to open.  The gates opened and we were in!  After going through tight security my dream was quickly becoming a reality.  Outside the stadium, they were giving away rally towels, former players signing autographs, mini concerts, as well as many other fan activities.  When we got to our seats, there was a welcome package waiting for us.  Inside the pack were a hat, gloves, earmuffs, seat cushion, hand warmers, a radio, and several other things.

The section I was sitting in was full of Seattle fans, which, after experiencing them the entire game, I realize why they are known in Seattle as “the 12th man”.  They were loud, obnoxious (in a fun way), and dedicated.  The stadium was literally shaking because of all the Seahawk fans.  From before kickoff all the way until the clock hit 0:00, they were nonstop enthusiastic.  Peyton Manning struggled because of the Seattle defense and also the fact that he couldn’t hear because of the loud crowd.  Each score the Seahawks had, the crowd got louder and louder.

The game may not have been as exciting as people planned, but Bruno Mars’ halftime show was incredible.  The hats that were in our welcome package had LED lights on them that lit up during his performance.  During the 2 minute warning, they had us test our lights to make sure it was going to work the way they wanted them to.  Between his performance, the lights, and fireworks, this could arguably be one of the top 5 halftime show performances.

Denver finally scored a touchdown at the end of the 3rd quarter, but by that time, the game was long over.  The game ended, and the Seattle Seahawks were Super Bowl champions.  Confetti was flying, fans were going crazy, and “the 12th man” could fly back to Seattle as happy fans.

Going to the Super Bowl is something I never thought I would be able to do.  I am very grateful and appreciative for what my girlfriend did for me.  It is a game I will never forget.

- Ray Malaspina, Townsquare Media

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