Times Square tailgate

New York City lets it all hang out before season opener

Models sport NFL apparel during Thursday's concert. AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Forget parking lot barbecues.

The NFL kicked off its season Thursday with what it called the "world's largest tailgate party," a concert in Times Square featuring Bon Jovi, Eve, Alicia Keys, 'N Sync's Joey Fatone and Enrique Iglesias.

The event, including an NFL fashion show, preceded the league's prime-time attraction: a rare Thursday night opener featuring the New York Giants against the San Francisco 49ers at Giants Stadium.

Dozens of city blocks were closed, traffic was rerouted and about 5,700 police officers were deployed. Backpacks and duffel bags weren't allowed in the area.

Times Square is usually only shut down to traffic on New Year's Eve, when about a million people jam the area to watch the ball drop. The NFL estimated attendance at 500,000.

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John Collins, the NFL's senior vice president of marketing and entertainment, said the league wanted to kick off this season in a way that would show the resiliency of New York, where it is based, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"They really wanted to show the country, and the world, that New York City is back," he said.

The TV screens in Times Square were all dedicated to the event, showing the crowd, famous NFL plays and other promotional videos. Gov. George Pataki greeted the crowd before the concert began.

With the anniversary of the attacks approaching, Collins said, the event also would honor the victims and heroes of that day.

During the celebration, images of football players greeting New York City police officers and firefighters were shown. Later, members of the New York Fire Department football team, the Bravest, which lost players in the terrorist attack, were saluted. The crowd cheered them as they stood side-by-side among former NFL greats.

But the mood was hardly somber. The crowds bounced up and down, as Eve, decked out in an altered jersey from her hometown Philadelphia Eagles, sang hits like "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" and "Gangsta Lovin'," featuring Keys. Occupants in adjacent buildings threw confetti on the crowd as Iglesias sang.

There was also a fashion show featuring NFL-inspired attire by designers such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. Some of the models were former NFL stars such as New York Giant Lawrence Taylor.

Former football greats such as Phil Simms and Deion Sanders stood high above the crowd. Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino tossed a football into the crowd.

The NFL is donating $4.5 million to the city for a yet-to-be-designated project in lower Manhattan, $500,000 for the city's Sept. 11 remembrances and $14 million in advertising time during football games to promote New York City, according to city sports commissioner Ken Podziba.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has defended the appropriateness of the bash just days before Sept. 11.

"The NFL season is when it is, and I don't know that it's inappropriate," he said. "It doesn't take away from the ceremony, of what we're going to do on 9-11."

At a City Council hearing Thursday, Councilwoman Helen Foster called the NFL event "a big opportunity to do something stupid," and she asked police Commissioner Raymond Kelly about security measures.

Kelly cited no specific threats but said, "We think about the possibility of terrorism all the time, and we take the appropriate steps to address it."

After performing in Times Square, Bon Jovi flew by helicopter to Giants Stadium and played at halftime of the Giants-49ers game.

 

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