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 The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, who clash on Sunday for
the National Football League championship, kicked off Super Bowl
week taking turns diving into the anything-goes media mosh pit to
face questions both serious and utterly bizarre.
Originally designed as a mid-day opportunity for reporters to fill
their notebooks, Media Day has morphed into an prime-time, money
making spectacle.
Cross-dressers and orange leprechauns stand shoulder-to-shoulder
with Hall of Fame broadcasters and bestselling authors shouting out
questions watched by thousands of fans who paid $27 to take in the
spectacle.
At a time when journalism jobs are being lost, some were finding
work on the floor of the SAP Center as puppets, clowns and an
Austria ski racer - complete with skis, helmet and race suit -
moonlighting as sports reporters.
"It’s the 50th Super Bowl, so I thought I would show Americans our
favorite sport," said Phillip Hajszan, holding skis in one hand and
a microphone in other. "It’s about bringing Austria to the Super
Bowl.
"Other years I have come as Mozart, Arnold Schwarzenegger and once I
wore lederhosen."
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, taking part in his fourth Media
Day, looked out on hundreds of reporters and faced the predictable
questions about his playing future and another from a Mexican puppet
about his favorite food and answered both with equal amounts of good
nature.
The NFL Network gave the evening the full prime time treatment.
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There were glitzy introductions, plenty of thumping music and
thousands of media members with Japan, Britain, Mexico, Germany,
Austria, Slovenia and other countries represented, all happily
playing the part of extras, providing the necessary backdrop to the
NFL showcase.
The NFL has made no noticeable effort to clamp down on the
irreverent vibe and seems content for one day at least to let
non-traditional media have a piece of the Super Bowl pie.
For Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, whose alter ego is Superman,
the Super Bowl Media Night hoopla was to be expected.
"The media frenzy is probably bigger than I expected but yet it's
the Super Bowl, the most impactful game in all of sports as you can
see," said Newton.
(Editing by Larry Fine)
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