Major Changes Put in Place at Super Bowl XLVIII
The Super Bowl, held in Secaucus, NJ, on February 2, 2014, saw major changes from years past. Superbowl transportation and security were two major areas where patrons needed to adhere to new rules. Most notably, Organizers banned one of America’s—and football’s—most cherished traditions from this year’s game. MetLife stadium did not allow tailgating before or after the Super Bowl.
Tailgating is a tradition where patrons arrive to a stadium early to have a pre-game party of sorts outdoors. Popular tailgating activities are basically eating and drinking. Patrons set up tables of food, open up kegs of beer, and eat and drink for the hours preceding the big game. Tailgating has long been a major part of the football game going experience for most Americans. However, this year the game committee CEO Al Kelly put an end to tailgating.
Kelly explained, “You will be allowed to have food in your car and have drink in your car, and provided you’re in the boundaries of a single parking space, you’ll be able to eat or drink right next to your car. However, you’re not going to be able to take out a lounge chair, you’re not going to be able to take out a grill, and you’re not going to be able to take up more than one parking space. And it’ll all be watched very carefully.”
The tailgating switch was only one of the major changes in this year’s Superbowl. Super bowl transportation was different this time. There were fewer than 13,000 parking spots available for fans. The stadium can hold over 80,000 people at full capacity. Organizers strongly encouraged fans to take public transportation to the game. For many, public transport was the only option. In the past, those who spent thousands on Super Bowl tickets often arrived in a black limousine. This year, that wasn’t an option. At this year’s Super Bowl, security allowed no car near the stadium unless everyone inside had a ticket. They prohibited drivers from dropping anyone off.
Fans were also not permitted to walk on foot. Fans had fewer than 13,000 parking spots available. The stadium holds over 80,000 people at full capacity. Organizers strongly encouraged fans to use public transportation to get to the game. For many, public transport was the only option. In the past, those who spent thousands on Super Bowl tickets often arrived in black limousines, but this year, that option was off the table. Once fans were at the stadium, they had to go through multiple checkpoints in order to actually get in.
With so many security measures to abide by, it’s no wonder that tailgating was not going to be the big event it usually is this year. However, is tailgating gone for good, or was this a temporary measure for just one game? Longtime fans of the tradition have high hopes that it hasn’t vanished forever. For those who love cooking sausage, hotdogs, and hamburgers and sharing a beer (or two, or three, or four) with fellow fans before the game, the tailgating can sometimes even be more fun than the game itself.