My First of 24 Super Bowl by AASI’s Chip Chirimbes

My First Super Bowl

New York, NY- January 18, 1987

Tracey was fuming, here I was making plans to go to the Super Bowl in California and we’ve been engaged for less then three weeks, three weeks and I was leaving her in New York and taking off with my two closest buddies Lee and Rocco. When women are not happy you will know about it and it didn’t take long before I started hearing it. “You are not going without me!” “I want to go!” and “how come you didn’t ask me to go?” “I always go to games with you and the guys.” Well, honey I’ve waited 24 years for the Giants to play for the NFL Championship and I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1954 and I wanted to go to this game. This would be the New York Giants first Super Bowl and I wasn’t going to miss it. Rocco and Lee had been to the ‘game’ for the past three years and they even went to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii after having flown to the previous Super Bowl in Los Angeles. I was working with my television show and sports service and normally I really couldn’t go, but, now the TV show was finished for the season and this was different. It was the Giants in the Super Bowl and the ‘boys’ were going. Rocco and Lee had made their flight arrangements and made room reservations in Marina Del Ray, they were arriving Tuesday and everything was set. I booked my flight to arrive in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, I’m sure the guys probably had two rounds of golf in the bag already. Well, of course, all hell breaks loose at the home front. Tracey in making my life miserable and insisting that she goes to the game with me or I don’t go. “You want to go?” I said. “Where’s your $5000.” Expenses include airfare, game tickets, extra rooms, car rental and every other extra expense that you can think of and yes of course, shopping. The argument was so intense that I cancelled my flight and resigned myself to my fate. I was going to be married and my life was over.

The Call… Young Julie Rose ‘The Pro’

Wednesday the call came and Rocco and Lee said that they were having a great time and all the stuff that went with it, I loved it, for them. I’m at home in New York and my disappointment was growing the closer it got to game day. As Rocco continued, he tells of Lee’s afternoon with some broad (as he put it) that they met on Rodeo Drive. It seems that Lee neglected to pack any shirts, sweaters or sweat suits. I’m sure, but no shirts? While shopping he steps into an on-going conversation between some ‘hot’ New York female and an LA cop. He’s writing her a ticket for jaywalking and Lee is joining in on the fun. Well, I’m sure that he made it fun. Before you know it he had new shirts a new friend and they had champagne with lunch. That was the beginning of Julie Rose…a New Yorker that we all came to love and know till this very day, we all became friends and some lovers (you’d be surprised who). Julie was a party girl who had plenty of friends, Lee had plenty of money, Rocco had money and I spend money, it was a match made in heaven. Anytime any of us would go out in New York City (at least twice a week) we’d call Julie…she’d direct us to the hot spots for that night in the City and if we were buying (we always were) she’d be there with some friends. I lived in the city at this time she was great.

So here I am in New York a 32 year season ticket holder with the Giants and my buddies in Pasadena without me. Tracey is still busting my balls and she is quite good at it as I am beginning to ache all over. The next call came Thursday night and I could stand it any longer. “That’s IT! I’m going!” I picked up the phone and booked a late flight out of Kennedy Airport for Los Angeles and I was leaving the next afternoon. Fine, I made my decision and would have to live with it now! Now guess what? A blizzard hits New York and all flights are cancelled and the airports are closed to 36 hours, I can’t leave New York until late Saturday and arrive in LA around 11PM. It hardly seemed worth it, except that I arranged a meeting with the Financial News Network on Monday to secure next seasons TV show. On Monday, Rocco and Lee were flying on to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl)

When I arrived in Los Angeles Rocco had been drinking and managed to miss me at the airport as these were the days before cell phones, I took the $60 cab ride to the hotel room. Upon my arrival we headed out to the Los Angeles clubs which close at 1 AM. It really didn’t matter did it, as I was there! I had no ticket but I was there. The ‘Game Plan,’ on how to get in the game was being discussed. Face value of the Super Bowl ticket at the time was only $75.

Tickets- Game Day.

Game time was 6PM local time and Rocco (who is late for everything) wants to be at the Rose Bowl around noon. It really is the way to go because of a number of factors. First, and foremost, is being able to secure tickets. We arrive early enough to see what tickets are available and for how much. Sometimes you might find someone that has an extra ticket who doesn’t want to hassle about price. The problem here is that there are NO tickets available. New Yorkers have flooded California and gobbled up all the tickets. It wasn’t that they were too expensive it was that there just weren’t any tickets for sale. After two hours of hunting tickets we realized that tickets were not to be had. We had to go to plan “B”, every man for himself as we will try and ‘crash’ this party and sneak inside. Now, I must admit that we are old hand at sneaking in to games. It started at Madison Square Garden when the Rangers games were sold out and scalpers’ tickets were way out of line. We would find a ticket taker that was willing to take cash in place of a ticket; we would then bribe an usher, who would seat us. You could always tell who snuck into the game because when they real owners of the seat appeared the usher would move us to another section. It wasn’t unusual for us to sit in three different seats for a game, but heck, what do you want for nothing.

The Stadium gates opened at 3PM and the game was still over three hours away but we thought that this would be the best time to make our move. The most confusion is likely to happen when the first open the gates, the rush of people trying to get in early a flux of excitement and energy always causes distractions. Things have changed at Super Bowls over the years but at this time the ticket takers were USC students who were just working for the game. We gave the student tickets taker $50 each and the three of us walked straight through the turnstile toward a concession stand. The first thing to do is to blend in somewhere as you can never really be sure who might have been watching. We split up without ever speaking. I’m alone but I’m inside and I’m freakin’ out. Super Bowl XXI and I am a part of it now. Yea, well not quite yet!

The aisles in the Rose Bowl had ticket checkers in front as you entered to make sure you were entering the proper section because if once inside you would have to leave and re-enter a different aisle if you are in the wrong section. However, there was also a ticket checker on the inside of the aisle as you emerge inside the stadium. How was I to get by two ticket checkers to get to the seats? Ah…I’ve got it. I went to a concession stand and bought two beers, two soda’s four hotdogs, and popcorn and had everything piled on top of each other. This way when I entered the aisle I would say that my wife is with the kids and has my ticket…they let me through. Where Rocco and Lee are at this point I have no idea.

It’s still three hours before kickoff and I (we) still have to avoid anyone in authority as they may ask to see our ticket. If we are in a restricted area we can be removes or if ushers are just for checking tickets to make sure people are were they are supposed to be.

FIRST ENTERING THE ROSE BOWL

As I climb up the steps to a seat (without a ticket) I realize that I am one of the first people in the Rose Bowl and I see just how truly massive the Rose Bowl is. Over 103 thousand fans will be entering this place until it’s full, it will take almost three hours for this to happen. The beauty of the playing field is crisp and clean, the beautiful colors of the playing surface are a spectacular site before anyone has played on it. Now, I had to just sit and wait. I’m sitting on the top row to avoid being kicked out of my seat as the actual ticket holder would claim their seat, I would just sit on the aisle and made up a seat number if asked. “Row 56, Seat 1A,” of course there is no seat 1A.

WATCHING IT FILL

THE NEW YORK GIANTS ENTER…

I’ve been to a lot of NFL games and never before have I seen what happened on this Super Bowl Sunday. The Giants claimed their territory at the onset they marked every yard on the entire field. The Denver Broncos were already on the field going through a casual warm-up as it was at least an hour before game time. Then it happen a small appearance of a few of the New York Giants under the tunnel behind the goal post. The small crowd takes notice and a light murmur starts among the Giants fans. Let by Jim Bert the New York Football Giants (I get chills recalling it) enter the playing area and they did in a way I am sure had am impact on the Denver Broncos and the game itself. The Giants ran in single file to the field but not on it. They ran on the sideline around the entire field and virtually circled the field and the Broncos as well. After circling the outer parts of the field they filed into perfect line and start their calisthenics. It was awesome and intinating. I later spoke with Leonard Marshall at a later Super Bowl about their preparations for the Giant Super Bowl entrance.

FINDING THE ‘BOYS’

Now, this may be my first Super Bowl live, it’s not the first time that I’ve been in a stadium separated from those I came with to the game. As a matter of fact when I was six years old and was attending my first major league baseball game at the Polo Grounds in New York, I ran after Willie Mays from my seat behind home plate. I never reached Willie who ran up the club house steps 483 feet deep in the largest center field in baseball. When I realized that Mays was gone I turned around and now there were at least 10,000 people on the field. In the 1950 after major league baseball games fans were allowed to leave by walking across the field to exit tunnels. Nothing like that happens anymore. I found my way back to second base where an usher guided me to the area of by original seat. When my father finally found me he gave me the spanking of my life right at second base. He was not a happy camper. I remember him saying, “What was I going to say to your mother.”

This is different, there are over 103,000 people here and I am trying to find two guys. Well, I’ll wait until the game starts and everyone is settled into their seats. I am currently sitting at the top row against the back wall in seat without a number. It hits me! Lee and Rocco will only be safe if the are in the same spot. The Rose Bowl is symmetrical meaning that they must be in similar place. I took my binoculars and proceeded to scan the top row aisles across the stadium. I know what Lee and Rocco are wearing but I don’t know where either of them is located. I can’t believe it! There they are exactly kitty-corner across the field in the exact place I am sitting on the aisle, a safe seat. I can see them but I can’t talk to them as this is before cell phones, I will make my track threw the crowd to get to them. If I had a ticket I would simply walk back out side the Rose Bowl and enter the aisle that they are on and walk up. There is one major problem. I have no ticket therefore I will cross the stadium by walking down occupied rows and saying excuse me or I beg your pardon 3,000 times. It took me until the first half two-minute warning to reach my partners. My first Super Bowl and we a together, ticket-less but we are there. I immediately tried to buy a ticket stub from someone, anyone. I got one for $20 bucks. I now felt secure and was watching the Giants take over with my buddies.

THE GAME

I could give you a play by play of what I remember but the most memorable parts of this game was the Giants going for it on a fourth down and two yards to go with a fake punt in their first possession of the second half Phil Simms winning the MVP by going 23 of 26, Phil McConey getting his touchdown late in the fourth quarter and the Giants defense allowing the Broncos only one first down in the second half until Denver’s meaningless final drive of the game.