STADIUM FULL OF RED
62,417 amped up football fans descended on Miami, leading to downright insane traffic, celebrity sightings and $12 beer.
MIAMI GARDENS — Ampedup football fans descended on Miami for the nation’s biggest sporting event of the year — though one man was spotted taking what some were calling a $7,000 nap from his stadium seat.
The Super Bowl had plenty of celebrities and star-studded performances from Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
Oh yeah, and the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs won by 11 points, sending 49ers fans to the exits with 1:12 still left in the game.
The stadium seats were full of red for both teams, but Chiefs Nation, many in feather headdresses, seemed to be the louder bunch. During Demi Lovato’s rendition of the national anthem, they remixed the lyrics “home of the brave” and sang “home of the CHIEFS!”
The Super Bowl drew a crowd of 62,417 fans, giving it the secondlowest attendance in the game’s history behind only Super Bowl 1. That game attracted 61,946 fans and was not a sellout. Sunday’s game did sell out, but didn’t come close to the 74,059 who attended the game the last time it was played at the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium in Miami Gardens.
During a ceremony celebrating NFL greats, fans cheered for nearly every name mentioned. The only person booed by the entire stadium was Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots.
Before and after the game, fans endured gridlock of gargantuan proportions caused by a combination of our typical traffic logjams, tourist season and the big game.
Law enforcement officials were out in force Sunday, patrolling any and all highways leading to Hard Rock Stadium.
Fans started heading to the stadium as early as 1 p.m., more than five hours before kickoff.
By 4:30 p.m., traffic to the stadium was growing thick and Florida’s Turnpike was at a standstill near the stadium exit.
After a wet weekend, the afternoon weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky. Even after nightfall, the rain clouds stayed away.
Before the game, thousands of Chiefs and Niners fans swarmed the tailgating sections set up near the entrances to the stadium.
While they partied, several stages hosted dance-off contests or musicians performing popsong covers and salsa hits. One stage was pulsing with 154 students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High marching band.
“They’re living the dream,” said Steve Rivero, their band director.
Over at a glass box put up by wine sponsor Babe, fans clutched at the air frantically for 15-second spurts. Their prize: Real money mixed in with fake money.
The final winner walked away with a grand total of $2.
Beer was not cheap.
A can of Bud Light Fans was priced at $12. A can of Stella, $18. A daiquiri, $20.
Then there was the equally pricey food. Tacos for $15. Cheesesteaks, pizza and Cuban sandwiches were an extra buck, for $16.
One man saw the prices, muttered “$16 for a chicken sandwich?” and walked away.
Fans ordering an Impossible Burger with chips at the Grill stand had to fork over $20. How about that half-pound premium angus cheeseburger with chips? That’ll be $16. Prefer chicken tenders and sea salt fries? $14, please.
At Marketplace Burger, an 18-inch Key West hot dog topped with candied key limes, coleslaw and peppers cost $28. But here’s the deal: It feeds two.
Celebrity sightings were a dime a dozen.
Rap stars Jay-Z and G-Eazy strolled the grounds along with NFL legends Dan Marino and Michael Vick. Pitbull — Mr. 305 — and his dance crew performed a set for fans gathered outside the stadium, opening with “Don’t Stop the Party.”
Also spotted were Beyonce, Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Hart, David Beckham, Paul McCartney, Jeff Bezos, Marc Anthony, MC Hammer, Liev Schreiber, Meek Mill and Pat Riley.
Before the game began, a short tribute was paid to the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the other seven people who were killed a week ago when their helicopter crashed into a hillside near Calabasas, Calif. During the tribute, fans could be heard yelling “We love you, Kobe!” throughout the stadium.
For those driving to the stadium without a parking pass, members of the Miami Garden community near the stadium posted signs on their lawns advertising parking for the game. One homeowner was charging $100.
To get to the game, Uber and Lyft prices remained moderate, running those coming from Brickell, Miami Beach or Wynwood about $35 to $45 a ride to the game.
After the game, ride-share prices surged to more than $100 to get to Fort Lauderdale or Miami Beach.
Not everyone was on their best behavior during Super Bowl week.
Officers made 425 arrests from Thursday through Saturday in cities near the stadium. As of 11 p.m., agencies had not yet released how many arrests were made on Super Bowl Sunday.
On Saturday, officers made 38 arrests in Miami, nine in Miami Beach, 27 in Miami-Dade and three in Miami Gardens for a grand total of 129, said Juan Diasgranados, spokesman for the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Department.
On Friday, officers made 31 arrests in Miami, 13 in Miami Beach, 64 in Miami-Dade and three in Miami Gardens for a grand total of 145.
And on Thursday, officers made 19 arrests in Miami, 14 in Miami Beach, 48 in Miami-Dade and six in Miami Gardens for a grand total of 151.