It is Sunday afternoon. I begin this week-long correspondence with you, dear reader, from a tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport, where we will soon take an hour-long flight to San Francisco, the home site (site-ish) of Super Bowl 50.
I'd be honored if you consider me your humble tour guide as we make our way across the Golden Gate Bridge (APPROPRIATE REGIONAL REFERENCE) to Super Bowl 50 at The Big Bell Bottom. Oh wait, Chris Berman is literally the only person in the world who calls the 49ers' home The Big Bell Bottom? OK, Levi's Stadium.
This will be the fifth Super Bowl I've covered for NFL.com. Hashtag blessed. Last year, we debuted my daily web log under the moniker, Super Bowl XLIXperience. I found that title to be witty, ambitious and generally perfect, though it was widely reviled by colleagues, bosses and the general reading public.
This year, I don't have any Roman numerals to serve as my muse (bummer), so I've landed on View From The 50. C'mon ...that's not bad!
So what is View From The 50? You'll get stream-of-consciousness updates from Super Bowl Opening Night (the erstwhile Media Day), radio row, various parties (including festivities thrown by NFL insiders, Madden, Playboy and Rolling Stone), the Super Bowl Halftime Show press conference, and Super Bowl Village in downtown San Francisco. If I survive all that -- I get sick and die almost every year -- I'll report on Super Bowl Sunday itself, providing a Nikes-on-the-ground viewpoint on what it's like to cover The Big Game.
Which reminds me, I also plan to keep a running list of all the different variations local businesses employ because they cannot legally use "Super Bowl". That's always fun. Me? I can write it as much as I like with no fear of retribution. SUPER BOWL. SUPER BOWL. SUPER BOWL. SUPER BOWL. SUPER BOWL. Feels good. Oh, I'll also let you know about any celebrity sightings, CreedBombings, bar excursions and arrests.
OK, we're about to take off. This plane sounds like it has propellers -- I thought we were past that stage, Aviation. The couple in front of me is showing hideous levels of PDA. I mean, they are really going at it. It's like a Nicholas Sparks novel in row 26.
Guess they're in love. Just like you're in love with football. Like me! Let's have a fun week together without making everyone uncomfortable.
Seriously though, this plane has propellers. Did Rog sign off on this? This may be the first and last correspondence. Have Will Smith play me in a movie about my flight.
Make sure to watch Super Bowl Opening Night live Monday on NFL Network at 8 p.m. ET.
