Leadership / 11.24.20
As Tampa's Super Bowl Nears, Party Buzz Is Muted
Access Staff
Tampa Bay Times (11/23/20) Cridlin, Jay
Festivities for Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, Florida, are shaping up to be subdued affairs due to COVID-19 restrictions, with fans stuck behind a fence while retired and current players play a celebrity flag football game for charity at Clearwater Beach's Pier 60. "Our thought was, even if we couldn't have the regular meet-and-greets that we would have, even if we couldn't have the regular seating as close to the players as possible, that's fine," said Celebrity Sweat CEO Lisa Levine. "They would still be able to enjoy the excitement." Meanwhile, major sponsors like Anheuser-Busch and AT&T say they will not host their usual A-list Super Bowl events in Tampa, while local venues that normally would have events locked in still have vacant days on the calendar. Tampa Bay Sports Commission Executive Director Rob Higgins says in a normal season more venues might have contracts to host Super Bowl events in place by mid-November. "Most event organizers are naturally taking a very measured approach to determine what events will be safely possible to be hosted in three months, considering the current circumstances," he explains. Some venues are practicing extra caution, especially amid the possibility that the pandemic will still be raging in February.
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Tags: Sports , News , COVID-19 , Coronavirus