SAN FRANCISCO - An ironman contingent of fans, photographers and sports writers were honored by the NFL on Friday ahead of Super Bowl 50 as members of an exclusive club - people who have attended every one of the title games.
From its humble beginnings in 1967 under the unwieldy label of NFL-AFL World Championship in Los Angeles, to its status as a quasi U.S. national holiday and money-making machine, these 16 have gone to 15 different locales over five decades of football.
Eight fans from around the country, three photographers, including famed Sports Illustrated snapper Walter Iooss, Jr. and reporters Jerry Izenberg, Jerry Green and Dave Klein were honored along with Norma Hunt, wife of late Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, and groundskeeper George Toma.
They have all been to Miami and New Orleans 10 times apiece for the games and Los Angeles seven times. They have also seen chillier times in Detroit, Minneapolis and Indianapolis over the past half century.
Harvey Rothenberg was at the Media Center on Friday with his four cronies that comprise the "Super Bowl 5" gang, replete with varsity jackets adorned with their logo and a football helmet pictured on the back.
"Around Super Bowl III, we got our first blazers as the Super Bowl 5 and decided to try and keep the tradition going," Rothenberg told Reuters after receiving a plaque given to each member of the longevity club by Hall of Fame linebacker Dave Robinson, who played in the first Super Bowl for the Packers.
Real estate developer Rothenberg and his buddies had gone to the Doral Country Club in Miami to golf in the week ahead of that New York Jets-Baltimore Colts clash and used a hotel shuttle bus to the game, sharing the ride with the likes of Sargent Shriver and Arthur Ashe, the tennis pro at the resort.
"That's when we decided to do it every year. 'Let's do it!' he said. "Who knew it was going to last all these years."
Fun loving Hahn takes one-shot lead in Phoenix
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona - James Hahn, renowned for his "Gangnam Style" moves at the TPC Scottsdale in 2013, used a fast start and solid finish to edge one shot clear after Friday's second round of the Phoenix Open at the same venue.
The 34-year-old, who was born in South Korea but educated in the United States and now lives close to the Scottsdale layout, fired a flawless 65 to post a 10-under halfway total of 132 in front of an announced record Friday attendance of more than 160,000 fans.
Bidding for his second PGA Tour victory, Hahn birdied three of his first six holes and three of the last eight to end a sunny day in the Arizona desert one ahead of American world number four Rickie Fowler (68) and New Zealand's Danny Lee (66).
Japanese Hideki Matsuyama (70) and Irishman Shane Lowry (70), joint leaders with Fowler after the weather-delayed opening round, were a further two shots back in a tie for fourth with American Harris English (67).
Enjoyment was the watchword for Hahn, who claimed his first PGA Tour title in a three-way playoff for last year's Northern Trust Open, as he totalled only 25 putts in breezy conditions to take over at the top.
"Fun, I'm having fun out there," a smiling Hahn told reporters. "I'm making a lot of putts, hitting a lot of fairways, giving myself many opportunities to make birdie.
"And I'm sleeping in my own bed this week. I live about 10 minutes away from here. I'm looking forward to a good weekend."
McEvoy sets scorching pace, Magnussen promises improvement
SYDNEY - Australia's Cameron McEvoy sent out a message to his Olympic rivals with a scorching personal best to beat former world champion James Magnussen into second place in the 100 metres freestyle at the Perth Aquatic Super Series.
The 21-year-old swam 47.56 seconds on Friday night to become the third fastest man in the blue riband event since textile suits were banned in 2010 and establish himself as a contender for Olympic glory in Rio de Janeiro later this year.
Only Magnussen, who clocked his personal best of 47.10 in early 2012, and American Nathan Adrian, who swam 47.52 to win gold at the Olympics that year, have gone faster without a suit.
Brazil's Cesar Cielo still holds the world record for the event with the 46.91 in a textile suit in Rome in 2009.
"Everyone in the world has already stepped up and I had to step up in my own way, I fully expect everyone to be reading the results tonight and it will fire them up to get back in the water," McEvoy told reporters.
"To come out and swim a best time when I'm not fully tapered at all, that's exciting. On a personal note, it is kind of cool to be amongst names like James Magnussen and Nathan Adrian on the rankings too."
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
