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'There's so much going on' It's party time in week leading to Super Bowl
Posted: Sunday January 24, 1999 06:17 PM
MIAMI (AP) -- The image is frightening: sports writers stoked on free beer dancing to the music of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. It could happen only at the Super Bowl. The Daddies will perform Tuesday at one of countless parties leading to Sunday's game. Some 150,000 people are coming to town, and most hotels require a four-night minimum stay, which means plenty of time to kill before kickoff. The result is a weeklong exercise in excess. No one's complaining. "There's so much going on," said Alex Munoz, executive director of the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee. "You can go to a Super Bowl, not go to the game and still have a great time." Since Pro Player Stadium's capacity is 75,000, many visitors obviously are making the trip for reasons other than attending the Denver-Atlanta game. "You don't want to go through life drunk, fat and stupid," said Jeff DeForrest, a local radio talk-show host. "But if you do, Super Bowl week is the way to do it." DeForrest has survived a dozen Super Bowls, but this one might be his toughest test yet. For starters, there's not one media party, but two. They're sanctioned by the host committee, as are a cook-off for charity with top chefs from NFL cities showcasing regional cuisine, and a three-day beach party held by the NFL Players Association. The bash on the beach is expected to attract many former and current players. "Not all of these guys get tickets to the game, and there are a lot of them in town," Munoz said. "They'll go there and hang out and watch the game." There are also concerts and VIP gatherings, as well as countless parties not considered official events. "I heard rumors that Michael Jordan is throwing a party," Munoz said, "and Deion Sanders is having one." The biggest bash is the only one hosted by the league -- the annual commissioner's party. Invitations are free but limited, and one broker is selling them for $850 apiece. Some 5,000 of commissioner Paul Tagliabue's closest friends -- the media, employees of NFL teams and other guests -- will attend the soiree Friday at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The event requires 154,000 square feet of floor space, the equivalent of eight football fields. "We put an equal emphasis on three elements: decor, food and entertainment," said Sue Robichek, who is planning her fourth commissioner's party. "This year it's an undersea adventure to exotic shores. We'll have three stages of simultaneous entertainment plus smaller stages with live music." The media party featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy also includes ice skating in a downtown Miami park. Munoz declined to reveal how he'll produce an ice rink in 80-degree weather. On Sunday, the action moves to Pro Player Stadium. Companies such as Coca-Cola, General Electric and Toyota will hold parties before and after the game in a corporate village that includes 20 tents. "Each one has a different theme, from Key West to Palm Beach, to depict the area," said Barton G. (no relation to saxophone player Kenny G.). His event production company is in charge. "We're bringing boats and 20-foot palm trees into the tents, and we'll have a pool with synchronized swimmers in one of them," G. said. "I'm trying to figure out how to heat the water so they don't freeze." G. also plans a menagerie of subtropical animals. "We'll have flamingos, iguanas and alligators," he said. "The biggest alligator is a five-footer, and then there are babies people will be able to hold." That's tough to top, but one other event will try. "The biggest party is Sunday at 6:18 p.m.," Robichek said. That's when the game kicks off.
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