A Tale of Two Cities

Written By Liz Edwards

Part 1: Super Bowl LIV

I think in these early writings, I’ve made it pretty clear that I don’t fancy myself a blogger. If not, let me say it again. I’m not a blogger. But like many self-proclaimed anti-bloggers, I like to have a good time. And when my work life pairs well with the things I’m interested in within my social life, ah, well, that’s a good time, my friend. 

Enter Super Bowl LIV and the 69th NBA All-Star Game. I experienced both events for the first time and my perception was that everything that surrounds these events are hours of press and parties that have very little to do with the actual games.

Let’s start with Super Bowl LIV. The week before is radio row and it was on South Beach. I sat in a room of media outlets awaiting athletes to pay them each a visit. Being perched on radio row, brings prestige for the outlet and gives a chance for these athletes and their sponsors to promote products. When I say athletes, they can be famous, washed up or unknown, but one thing they have in common, are that none of them are playing in the week ending game. As the week progresses, the names get bigger. More athletes and entertainers make their rounds to the podcasts, to speak on behalf of shoes, charities, shaving products, and soda companies. The access wasn’t exclusive, as we all, pretty much got the same faces to come by our set. But this was my first year, so I stayed at my station for 12 hours a day, and had about one hour to roam the floor and explore the Super Bowl Live experience happening a floor below. It was busy. It was a lot, but not overwhelming. The whole thing just felt like another day at the office.

With a mega event in one of the most notorious party cities in U.S., naturally, the nightlife was sure to be amped. But I was working, so partaking was sparse. The SB committee hosted a media party at Miami Port. The band was lively, the drinks flowed. It was nice. Our company hosted our own dinner which was great seeing our team mingle. However, there was one event I was looking forward to, and that was the Lizzo concert. They treated the media well there, and I got to see one of my fave artists. Aside from the monsoon that transpired after, and the venue forcing us to evacuate and leaving us to wade in water to get to our rides, the evening was lovely and the stage was set for the big game.

Game day couldn’t come soon enough. Logistically speaking, traveling was a nightmare. Everything for SB week had been on South Beach and now Super Bowl LIV was in Miami Gardens. Not exactly close. I think I spent most of the day on Sunday just sitting in traffic, trying to get to Hard Rock Stadium. Car services inched around slowly, forcing riders to bail at the Turnpike exit and walk the rest of the way. Everything felt like a hike around Hard Rock, but once in my seat, poised to see the show begin, the stress of it all faded away. I was in the auxiliary media seats, 300s section which was a great spot for me to observe. I people watched. I did a double take to see which team the fan was with, as the jerseys were nearly indistinguishable. There was a sea of Red, Gold and White in the stands, cheering to prove who wanted the win more. From history, it was evident Kansas City needed it more. Their defeat over San Francisco showed as much. One of my co-workers asked me if the cheering was louder than I expected. I didn’t know what to expect, but it felt true. 

Part 2: 69th NBA All-Star

One week later, after a delayed landing in Chicago, I was instantly longing for Florida’s weather. It was about 12 degrees when I got to the Windy City and the city was already vibrant. Different from the Super Bowl, this is a week full of festivities packed into about 4 days. So you kind of have to act fast, and that’s what we did. I dropped my bags at the hotel and went to a kick-off event hosted by Martell. It was very chill, and a great foray into the weekend.

Over the next few days, I traveled quite a bit in between the United Center, Wintrust Arena, and the Sheraton Grand for sports coverage. Within that triangle, I managed to escape to a live taping of Showtime’s All the Smoke Podcast, and discover a few new restaurants. It was a great dance in Chicago and I exhausted Uber— hop in a Black SUV with all the equipment and go to work; hop in an UberX to go devour delicacies. I had become a pro with this routine, so by the time Sunday night came for the All-Star GameI felt like a woman of the city, knowing these ins and outs of Chicago. It was an illusion. I was a tourist. That was more realized, as I sat in the press box and watched the opening video for the basketball game. Chicago legends like Michael Jordan, Candace Parker, Buddy Guy, and President Barack Obama spoke for 5 minutes about the streets that shaped them. The CHI was well-represented.

After that video, Jennifer Hudson gave a moving tribute to Kobe and Gigi Bryant; Common followed it with a beautiful spoken word performance. As I was texting my brother, to compare what he saw on screen to what I was experiencing live, I thought there’s absolutely no way he can feel the chills I’m feeling. It was such a privilege to be in the room for such a historical moment. That’s the beauty of my job. I get to be mere feet away from greatness.

Once the performances concluded, I was glued in for the whole game. I probably laughed, cheered and grimaced a little more than press should’ve, but I was a fan that night. It was a completely different feeling than the Super Bowl. I had a week to allow that excitement dissipate, but with all these emotions and moments thrust upon me in the short span of about 72 hours, it took me awhile to let it all seep in. Even now, all I can think is “wow, what a weekend.”

Liz Edwards
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