Super strategies

(New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Like most sports fans, I’d love to go to the Super Bowl someday. Strangely enough, though, it’s not that high on my priority list. It’s not that it wouldn’t be super-cool (yeah, bad pun), but let’s face it — it’s something that’s just as fun to watch at home, and then I could save the gobs of money I would be spending on going to the game and use it to add about six or seven new venues to this list. And, unlike events like this and this that I would contemplate blowing my budget for, the Super Bowl happens every year.

What if my team makes it? Still an iffy proposition for me. I’d have a little more than a week to plan once I knew it was a sure thing, and then I’d have to figure out how to get there if the game was being played clear across the country from me like it is this year. Of course, maybe I’ll change my tune if my team actually does get there one of these years.

But if you are a Colts or Saints fan and you are willing to spend, it can be done. (A little aside: In the last two weeks I’ve had two people I know tell me they’re gonna dust off their Saints gear now that the team’s doing so well. Just so you know: You are not true Saints fans. You are front-runners. Thanks for listening.) Being a season-ticket holder would increase your odds of getting tickets, but not by much. The Indianapolis Star gave its take on helping fans get to the big game, and CNBC’s Darren Rovell offers a little glimmer of hope to people wanting to spend a bit less money on tickets. And there’s always all-inclusive travel packages, so that you can at least spend your truckload of money all at once.

By the way, there’s probably a good reason why the Super Bowl is held in Miami every third or fourth year, and I can attest, having seen the Orange Bowl there, that Whatchamacallit Stadium is a terrific venue to watch a football game. Plus, you don’t have to fly into Miami’s airport or stay on South Beach to get the full Florida experience. But getting to the stadium stinks because the only way you can do so is by car, and the only freeway access you have to it is via toll road. If you’re going, be forewarned that these hassles exist, but I’m sure there’ll be shuttles aplenty, and you won’t care too much once you realize you’re at the freakin’ Super Bowl! Someday, I will envy you, but not this year.