A First-Hand Account of the Super Bowl XLII Experience

This afternoon, I attended my first Super Bowl. It was, as you probably all know, played in Glendale, Arizona, and was a contest between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. The Giants won 17-14 in what may go down as the biggest Super Bowl upset in league history.

I was glad to see the Giants win, as I usually pull for the underdog, but I'm not a fan of either team and didn't put too much thought into which team I wanted to win or lose. More than anything I just wanted to enjoy the experience of attending the biggest sporting event in the continent.

As I write this, it's only been a few hours since I returned back at the hotel from the stadium. It very well could be that the post-event high hasn't worn off yet, but attending the Super Bowl proved to be the most amazing and absolutely unforgettable afternoon I've ever had.

I had never been to a Super Bowl before. In fact, I had only been to two football games in my entire life, and they were both pre-season games, so the atmosphere in Glendale was something I had never come close to experiencing in my entire life.

I went to the game with a group of friends, and the day began with us struggling to find parking at the stadium. Luckily we drove together, packed into the same SUV, and were able to find an open spot at a carpool-only lot. It wasn't cheap, but is anything cheap at any sporting event, and especially a Super Bowl?

We got to the stadium a few hours early, and walked around checking out the tailgating. There weren't as many people out as I had imagined, but the ones who were out were pumped-and not just due to consumption of alcohol. The mood was electric, and I felt butterflies in my stomach just walking toward the stadium.