There was a record number of media credentials distributed for Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, er, North Texas. That means that whatever happens this week can potentially be reported more than 5,000 times.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature’s PR people didn’t get the memo that her “A Game” was required for this gig. It snowed, sleeted and froze and people found it difficult, if not impossible, to travel the city and its suburbs. Reporters wrote, spoke and tweeted about icy roads, dangerous driving conditions and the desire just to hole up in their hotels to stay warm instead of venture to restaurants that for months, planned for an influx of visitors.
To add insult, seven fans were injured when ice fell from Cowboys Stadium.
“Taxis didn’t operate at full force because of the weather; there were lots of long waits for transportation,” NFL Network and FOX Sports analyst, Charles Davis said.
I watched productions from location, among them, Dan and his Dannettes who shivered through the week while doing the Dan Patrick radio show and its TV simulcast in ice and snow. In a couple of cases, flurries through through the set.
“Basically, most of Dallas is paralyzed. Roads are impassable,” Mike Freeman, a national columnist for CBSSports.com, said.
I tried to contact the Ms. Nature and her publicist for comment, but she didn’t return my calls or emails. (Looking out my own window, she was likely admiring her work from atop of a four-foot frozen snow drift.)
Does Ms. Nature not care about her image? Does she think she can dump inches of snow and ice on a community and a most heralded event and resurrect herself with clear conditions on Game Day? Does she think she can inflict inches of cold precipitation and leave the otherwise absent sun out of the team photo?
If I was her, I wouldn’t so much as wander into a piano bar for fear TMZ may show her enjoying a night out after putting the Dallas and its surrounding business community in a position of lesser hospitality than for what they’re known. I’d also reschedule the chilly stuff to make sure the sun was included.
This is supposed to be the National Football League’s showcase week. What has Mother Nature been thinking? Not only would sun, clear roads and dependable electricity have made a difference in attitude, it would have resulted in many more dollars being spent in the area … and made Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, that much more proud. What must he think now about conditions that he cannot control? This is HIS city, and he undoubtedly counted on Ms. Nature to help him make a Super impression.
“Dallas turned into Radio Row-to-room service only for most of us that were working,” television and radio host, Tim Brando said. “I was just happy to have power.”
On a positive side, the weather should have little effect on Green Bay and Pittsburgh fans who traveled to North Texas and are accustomed to tailgating and watching games in the most miserable conditions. That’s if they got there. Reports are that many flights going to DFW have been delayed– again.
Mother Nature: time for new representation.