SoFi field prep takes shape despite a short turnaround
INGLEWOOD » Ed Mangan's 40 years of experience was made noticeable by the tranquil responses he delivered on Tuesday morning, as 20 people behind him painted the Super Bowl LVI logos on the field and dozens more in front of him cleaned the sticky floors and seats at SoFi Stadium.
Mangan is the person in charge of making sure the field is prepared in time for the big game between the Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 13, but he has a shorter turnaround than usual this year because the Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers on the same field two days prior for the NFC championship game.
For Mangan, the NFL's field director, this was just the latest setback in the 33 Super Bowls he's operated.
Mangan was calm when reporters repeatedly asked him about preparing an artificial turf field in less than two weeks that will need to be safe for players and able to withstand an extravagant halftime show featuring musical acts Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar.
“It's a logistic adrenaline match, but we'll get it done,” Mangan said.
While the finished product of the field is scheduled to be ready for Feb. 13, Mangan and his crew need to be close to completion by Friday because rehearsals for entertainment and media begin Saturday.
“Rehearsals start and everybody needs a piece of this field and there's only one,” Mangan said. “Between media, and TV, and pregame, halftime shows, postgame shows, awards ceremony. Everybody has to come out here and get a little piece of it to make sure their program is as good as everyone else's.”
Not many obstacles can match the stress that Mangan felt in 2007 when a Miami rainstorm interfered with Prince's halftime show for Super Bowl XLI.
“It poured rain for the entire game (between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears) and we were on natural grass,” Mangan recalled. “So the worry all game long was will we be able to have a good game? Will we be able to have a halftime show, the entertainment, the complete package and everything come off without a hitch? The talent was great, and the show was great, and rain didn't bother (Prince). He went out there and did his thing.”
Mangan expects everything to work out fine at SoFi Stadium, despite the colorless end zones and the half-painted midfield logos as of Tuesday morning.
Mangan and his team have the option of working 24-hour periods if needed because SoFi Stadium is technically considered an outdoor venue with the sides of the structure being open. But extreme measures won't be needed to meet the tight Super Bowl LVI deadlines. Mangan said his crew is working 12- to 15-hour days.
“Every year is something different whether you're inside or outside for the type of stadium you're in, the type of turf that you're on,” Mangan said. “Everything changes, but you try to prepare and have a plan for it. You know when the game is, so you know there's a time frame. You have to put that plan together and make sure you're ready for kickoff.”
Initially, Mangan and his team planned to start field preparations on Jan. 24 before results dictated that the Rams and San Francisco 49ers would play at SoFi Stadium to decide the NFC title the following weekend.
“We have had crews here since early January, but we had to adjust what schedules are,” said Katie Keenan, the NFL's senior director of events. “Built some things in the parking lot and brought them inside. Just really adjusting how things work.”
Keenan confirmed that the Rams will use their usual locker room, despite being designated as the “road” team in their home venue. The Bengals will use the Chargers' locker room, according to Keenan.
Keenan said she attended every Rams and Chargers home game this season to prepare for the Super Bowl.
“Watching and learning how the building comes alive,” Keenan said. “More opportunities to see how it works (with two home teams). How we can tweak things. `Let's take this and maybe not that.'”
Mangan's crew prepared two grass fields at two different locations for the NFC and AFC teams to practice on, but only one site will be needed because the Rams decided to remain at their team headquarters in Thousand Oaks.
The Bengals will use the practice fields at UCLA. The NFC representative was going to practice at El Camino College in Torrance.
The Rams and Bengals won't practice on SoFi Stadium's artificial turf until the day before the Super Bowl, according to Mangan.
The Super Bowl field still needs work, but they made visible progress after Mangan and Keenan spoke to reporters.
The LVI logos were filled in with the L.A. sunset colors and the NFL's shield logo sparkled at the 50yard line by Tuesday afternoon. One task was completed with so much more to do before kickoff.
“I'd like to have everything, not final, final, but pretty close by Friday,” a calm Mangan said.