Taylor Swift. Yes, I made it within a few meters of her. And then… But no, I have to start over. I have to admit: Until about a year ago, she was largely unknown to me, or rather, I didn’t care. Yes, I really enjoyed listening to her song “You Belong with Me” a few years ago. But then I lost sight and ears of her. Until a few months ago when she met this football star: Travis Kelce.
Assignment: Taylor Swift autographs
I am a big football fan, although not of the team of your loved one, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and is playing in the football league finals against the San Francisco 49ers at the stadium in Las Vegas that evening. But whatever. This is supposed to be about Taylor. My host sister, who I visited before the Super Bowl, lives in Wyoming, in the country, far from Taylor. But she and her daughter are big Swift fans. So they gave me two comic book biographies of Taylor and a black pen. I’m supposed to sign autographs on the books for her. At the Super Bowl. By Taylor. “Okay,” I said. “I can do that easily.”
An older gentleman in a gray T-shirt is quite relaxed. He watches over an escalator below the VIP stands at the Super Bowl stadium. A colleague and I – we are traveling together – show him our press accreditations and he waves us through. Cool, that was easy, so it’s not a completely closed area after all. Just under two hours until the game. Taylor Swift, we knew, was already in the stadium at this point. The American media announced this immediately.
The stars cavort in the VIP area
So we both take the escalator up and are already in the VIP zone. First impression: A chic but not overwhelmingly luxurious area. A bar in the middle, here too the hard-to-drink Bud Light beer (in a can) costs $18.99, just like the not so well-known people downstairs. There are a few people around the bar, one or two of whom I think: OK, he could be important or at least pretty famous. The problem: Unfortunately, I’m not an expert on celebrities. But I recognize the football stars who hang out up here straight away.
Former defensive star Julius Peppers, for example, comes along. He wears a light beige suit, the symbol of his membership in the Hall of Fame. And yes, Shaquille O’Neal is coming out of the VIP suite number 2016. A huge man, former basketball megastar. He hugs a very old woman in a wheelchair and quickly disappears behind the black door of his box.
But where is Taylor now? Just ask? Sure, why not. So I go to a woman who has a lot of accreditations around her neck. She looks like she might know. “Which box is Taylor Swift in?” She points to one, number E2020. I ask, “Is she in there?” She nods. And now I see it too: It’s the only box with four security guards standing guard in front of it. Okay, I think, let’s see, maybe it’ll come out.
Suddenly a Broncos legend speaks to me
We first order a beer and a cocktail (price: 21.99 euros) and sit down at one of the white bar tables. Behind us sits Christian McCaffrey’s family. He is a running back for the San Francisco 49ers and is currently preparing for his appearance in the final down on the field. His family, father Ed and two of his other sons, drink bottled mineral water and stuff their mouths with giant prawns and rice from a dreary box like the ones you get at any fast food restaurant. And this is supposed to be the VIP area, I think.
We walk down the hallway again. Suddenly an older gentleman speaks to me. “Hey, cool sweater,” he says to me. I’m wearing one of my favorite teams, the Denver Broncos. I recognize him, it’s Broncos legend Randy Gradishar, who was elected to the Sports Hall of Fame a few days ago. I congratulate him. He thanks.
That reminds me of the real reason I’m here, Taylor. But while someone occasionally comes out of the other boxes or at least someone goes in, the door of the E2020 box always remains closed.
We give up – Taylor is unreachable
A woman stands just a few meters away with a cardboard sign in her hand. She advertises participation in a game of chance. For every $200 bet you supposedly get $400 back. For the VIPs up here, that’s not even change. That’s probably why she’s pretty much alone. We make room for a push cart with a mountain of huge shrimp on it. Are these for Taylor? No, unfortunately not. Phew, the autograph won’t work.
We go around again and only see a few men with sunglasses and women with very short skirts. Must be well known. Or at least know someone who knows someone who is almost known. We go down the stairs into the world of normal people. The game is about to start. Maybe I’ll see Taylor Swift on one of the giant screens later, I think.