Published: 01/31/2008
Throwing a Super party; Glendale braces for fans' arrival
By JJ HugginsStaff Writer
Editor's note: Sportswriters Bill Burt and Hector Longo, reporter J.J. Huggins and photographer Paul Bilodeau are in Glendale, Ariz., to cover the Patriots' buildup to Super Bowl XLII and the doings of local fans who have made the trip.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - They wear bulletproof vests, walk in groups and preach a simple message.
"Go out and have fun, but do it responsibly," Glendale police Officer Matt Barnett said yesterday, as his department beefed up street patrols in anticipation of the tens of thousands of fans who will descend on this desert city for the Super Bowl.
As fans trickled in yesterday and last night - the majority are expected to arrive today and tomorrow - the police presence became more visible, with officers hired from nearby towns bolstering the local force.
There were also plenty of signs that Glendale was planning on throwing a monster party leading up to Sunday's game between the Patriots and Giants.
Restaurants and bars are stocking up on beer, liquor and food. Bar owners talk of plans to have two Budweiser trucks parked nearby to keep the flow of beer steady.
"I ordered 64 cases of liquor today, which is insane because we're housing it in the manager's office and on top of coolers and stuff," said Shaun Potter, bar manager of Fox Sports Grill, which is across the street from the University of Phoenix Stadium where the game will be played.
Fox Sports Grill is advertising a game-day offer for $450 that includes all the food you can eat - including a prime rib dinner - and beer you can drink - complete with 45 big-screen TVs for watching the game. There will even be swimsuit models mingling with the crowd. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards is hosting the pregame, gametime and after party.
People who don't want to shell out the $450 for the all-day eating and drinking festivities can pay $160 to go only to the after party from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Potter said.
The bar will sit 500 people between their indoor and outdoor seating on game day. It's expected to be filled to capacity.
So how does someone prepare to run a bar across the street from the biggest sporting event in America? They order beer.
"We ordered probably about 60 kegs for the next two days," Potter said yesterday.
Other bars in the area of Glendale's Sports and Entertainment complex are either charging small cover charges or no cover charges. The staff at all of the establishments expects a wall-to-wall crowd Sunday.
