ESPN Broadcast Center

Last night we decided to check out the Super Bowl goings on in Scottsdale. ESPN built their Broadcast Center at the Scottsdale Waterfront which is right next to the Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Some of my longer training runs brought me right by there and I recall all the construction going on. They were busy making sure that the Waterfront was ready for the big event.

We parked at the Fashion Square garage near Nordstrom. The tent for the big 944 event was right across the street where Wyclef Jean, Paul Oakenfold, Velvet Revolver, and Paris Hilton will be on Thursday. We walked across South Bridge and saw Channel 12 news broadcasting from the third floor. Tram Mai and her co-anchor waved at us.



The ESPN Broadcast Center was an impressive tent with cameras, lights, and plasma TVs everywhere, even the mini football field that ESPN uses to demonstrate plays. They weren't filming at the time, but earlier that day Terrell Owens was there.



We sat on the patio at a nearby restaurant for drinks. Brian took Trenton to look at the broadcast center when Emmitt Smith walks by him to access the ESPN entrance ramp. I was bummed that I forgot his camera at home, so we had to settle for camera phone pictures. In the picture above, Emmitt is wearing the white dress shirt and yellow tie. He stood with the broadcasters on the "football field" rehearsing as the cameraman tried out different angles.. It was another hour before they would actually start shooting, and he didn't come out to the sidelines and sign autographs either. He did give as a wave, but we didn't want to wait around too long, so we left.

At Brady's House

Tomorrow, the Patriots will be arriving in Phoenix for Super Bowl Week. They'll be staying just a couple miles down the street from me at The Westin Kierland Resort. We actually went by the hotel yesterday. We sat in the lobby for a bit. There were several seating areas with couches and small wooden tables directly in front of the seats."If I engraved 'Go Pats!' in the wood, do you think the team will see it?", I asked my husband. He assured me that the Westin would probably not appreciate me defacing their lobby furniture.

Around sunset we went behind the resort to relax by the firepit overlooking the golf course and lake. As I looked up at the guest rooms above, I wondered which of these windows Tom will be looking out of next week.

It was 5 o'clock and the sun was getting ready to set when a lone bagpiper in full on Scottish regalia walks out to the 18th green and begins playing. The instrument is mesmerizing and the juxtaposition of the Scottish Highlands with the High Desert was surreal. Nice touch, Kierland.

The Patriots Take the Cake

My buddy from Billerica, MA had a party for the Patriots v. Chargers game. This is it, who's going to the Super Bowl?? To prove my Kismet theory for the perfect storm of Tom Brady, me and the Counting Crows all in Phoenix, AZ at the same time, the Patriots HAD to win. I was nervous.

Earlier that Sunday I was working on my dessert that I was bringing to the party. My daughter wanted to play on her Nintendo DS, but the battery was low. She came into the kitchen and asked "Mom, have you seen the charger for this?!" I snapped at her "You are NOT allowed to say Charger in this house! Not today!"

She jumped at first then laughed, "Mom!"



But they did it! The Patriots won. I was able to enjoy the dessert I made especially for this occasion, Cheesecake squares with the Patriots logo.

After the game, Tara left to join her Green Bay friends to watch the second game. She pulled out her Cheese Bra that she will be sporting at the other party. She wore this on Opening Day and was tailgating in Green Bay when some guy walks by and bites a big chunk off the right cheese-boob and runs off. You can't really see it in the picture, but it was a sizeable chunk.