Super Bowl LII On The Ground Observations
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With Super Bowl LII in the books, iFolloSports.com put together some observations, in light of our on the ground coverage in Minnesota, leading up to Sunday’s Eagles victory.
- Though the Minnesota temps were cold, fans continually noted that they were heated up by the warmth and hospitality of the people of the Twin Cities.
- Media HQ at Mall of America, particularly Radio Row, the Food Court, restaurants and even the men’s room were the best places to encounter athletes and celebrities.
Reasons why people took in Super Bowl lead up activities.
- To see athletes
- To star-gaze
- To attend parties and events, but not the game itself.
BEST SEATS OR NO SEATS
- Some came with tickets to the big game.
- Some came without a ticket, with the intent of simply soaking in the scene.
- Some came hoping to buy tickets on the secondary market, no matter the cost.
SIGHTED BADGES
- Media
- 1-Day pass
- Stadium Access
- Team Logos
- Family Hotel
- VIP Guest Badge
- Event Staff
HEIGHTENED SECURITY
- Super Bowl LII had the biggest deployment of Federal Resources ever, about 1,700.
- Minnesota National Guard was activated.
- 60 Law Enforcement agencies from around the state.
- Bomb Sniffing Dogs
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Barricades in streets and Humvees protecting pedestrians in downtown Minneapolis.
- Barricaded entrances to buildings
- Helicopters continually flying over downtown Minneapolis.
- 10,000 volunteers trained to spot suspicious activity.
- Armed Guards
- Unarmed Security
- Cameras everywhere
- Secured perimeter around US Bank Stadium
- Concrete Barriers
- Security Screening
- Motion Detectors
- Metal Detectors
- Mobile Commend Centers
- Deployment of anti human trafficking experts
- Counterfeit merchandize protections
- Sleeping rooms at downtown hotels inspected daily
