Sugar Bowl 2012 – Behind the Scenes

A few random notes, pics and takes in the aftermath of a solid trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.    A few quick hitters:

>> Hospitality.  File under you probably don’t care, but I’ll say it.  The media was treated first class by the Sugar Bowl folks.  Beyond being ridiculously courteous, they provided excellent communication, was quick with the transcription of the press conferences, offered good food/coffee/drinks, workspace, logistics, etc.

They offered a couple of nice gifts as well—a Sugar Bowl jacket and luggage tags.  It was very cool to be a part of it all. 

They also arranged for a 30 foot Po Boy (above).

>> Dome View.  The press box in the Dome is all the way at the top, here’s a fairly accurate look at the view from up top:

They did have video monitors rolling everywhere, along with a screen of live stat updates.  The ESPN feed appeared to be about 6-7 seconds behind the live-action.

>> Fans.  I was surprised by the number of Virginia Tech fans that showed up for the game.  I thought Wolverine fans would overwhelm the joint but that didn’t happen.   There was still more Maize and Blue out there but to me, it was only a slight majority. 

One thing I noticed wandering around town—Michigan definitely had more students just in general, just a younger fan base in New Orleans.  The average Tech fan seemed to be a 60-ish-year-old man.

One fan in town was Ricky Leach:

If this photo is crystal clear to you, you are probably on Bourbon Street right now.   (Polaroid seems appropriate, maybe I’ll give it to Moe’s).

>> Headlines.  The Times-Picayune from Wednesday morning:

>> Locker Room.  A few folks asked about being in the locker room postgame.  Definitely a unique experience, the players seemed unfazed by having the media around and you truly got a chance to talk to these guys in a relaxed setting.   Chatting with Molk was memorable—the guy was beaten & battered but giddy at the same time and gave some great lines.

Many of the guys were clowning around, singing and joking as you’d expect.  I spotted one younger player getting his Sugar Bowl hat signed by the seniors.

>> I Can Confirm…that indeed Gibbon’s final kick never touched the Super Dome turf and I didn’t have to fight off Holly Rowe to make the grab.

>> When it Works.  Here’s Fowler coming off the backside of the podium laughing basically because that whole scene with Hemingway and the Michigan alum from All-State was so perfect.   (And you know those podium presentations are typically horrific):

>> Vintage Michigan Since ‘74.  What?  You didn’t think legendary equipment manager Jon Falk would don the Pour Some Sugar on Me T?  Think again—here he is thanking and shaking hands with a police officer after the game as the confetti pours down:

>> Museum Addition.  This will look good in Schembechler Hall.  Don’t forget they have visiting hours now for the public, so make sure you stop by to give it a look:

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