This Sunday at 1:00 p.m. I’m settling myself on the couch for about 10 hours straight. With a cooler of drinks, 20 bags of chips and the Pizza Hut number programmed into my phone, I’ll be ready for Super Bowl XLVI (that’s 46 for all you Roman numeral-challenged folk). My wife is under strict orders not to bother me during this time. As a sports writer, I am working, after all. (Can you say “dream job?”)
As long as I’ve been doing this, I found someone with a more impressive record – Mr. Al Dante. Al is 57 and he has been to every Super Bowl since the first one in 1967. Here is my interview with him.
GM: Hello, Al.
Al: Hello, Grunty. Is that your real name?
GM: I’ll ask the questions here, Al. Why don’t you tell us about that first Super Bowl?
Al: Well, let’s see… that was January 15, 1967 -- I was 12 years old. We were living in California back then so my dad took me to L.A. for the game: Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs. Packers killed the Chiefs, 35-10, and I was hooked. We went to the 2nd Super Bowl the following year where the Packers won again. I ended up with a boy crush on Bart Starr after that. Put posters of him all over my room.
GM: TMI, Al. TMI… And so you found a way to attend the Super Bowl every year?
Al: Yep. In my early 20s I saved every penny for Bowl tickets. I sold my baseball card collection; I sold my brother’s baseball card collection. During college, I lived on bread and water to save money on food. Those were the Steel Curtain years when Pittsburgh ruled the game.
GM: Any favorite memories from then?
Al: I’ll never forget that amazing catch by Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X. A 64-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes. Terry Bradshaw was knocked out cold. Did you know that Swann himself had been recovering from a concussion and was a doubtful starter? Then he played his best game and got MVP.
GM: Yes, I’m pretty sure I knew that, Al.
Al: Those are the moments I love, Grunty!
GM: Do you go alone to the games or with friends?
Al: It changes every year. Through most of the 70s and 80s, I went with a friend or my brother. Then in 1987, I surprised my wife by taking her to the Super Bowl for our honeymoon. She surprised me by divorcing me shortly after.
GM: Shocker, Al.
Al: Learned my lesson there. I made sure my second wife was a football fan. It was even her idea to name our kids Elway and Montana.
GM: So, all those games… You must have some exciting moments to share.
Al: At Super Bowl XXIII, I got to meet that dog, Spuds MacKenzie, who did the Bud Light commercials. I had never met anyone famous before that – even had my picture taken with him! Spuds was very down-to-earth for a celebrity. He obviously didn’t let the fame go to his head.
GM: It’s a dog, Al. Actually, Spuds turned out to be a girl dog. Her real name was Honey Tree Evil Eye.
Al: Don’t crap on my memories, Grunty.
GM: Sorry…
Al: Now in 1995 [Super Bowl XXIX], I finally got on camera. Went shirtless and painted myself red and gold for the 49ers. Have to admit that I drank a bit too much that game. Camera got me doing some things I’m not proud of. One of my friends taped the game, and he taunts me with it to this day.
GM: Maybe you could share something with a little more class —
Al: One of the funniest moments was in 2004 (Super Bowl XXXVII) with the streaker. Never seen anything like it before – the streaker was on the field doing his little dance until he was just leveled by a Patriots linebacker. The police hogtied him and carried him away. My buddies and I laughed about that one for years.
GM: Making the Super Bowl a priority must wreak some havoc in your life. Do you have any regrets?
Al: Just one – that I wasn’t smart enough to patent an idea I had.
GM: Really? What idea was that?
Al: That whole “I’m going to Disney World” campaign with the winning quarterback. The NFL started it with Super Bowl XXI when Phil Simms won. But I had that idea back in 1984 after my first trip to Disney. I mentioned it to some friends of mine and then a few years later, there’s the commercial. The NFL stole my idea.
GM: O-kay…
Al: Still, I didn’t let it ruin my attendance streak. And I’m looking forward to this week’s Super Bowl – my forty-sixth! My daughter Montana is coming to the game with me – can’t tell you how proud I am of that girl. She plays wide receiver on a women’s community football team.
GM: Wonderful. Who are you rooting for this year?
Al: Well, probably the Giants – I feel sorry for that Manning kid -- but my real focus will be figuring out a way to meet Madonna. I hope I don’t have to resort to streaking —
GM: Well, that’s all the time we have today, Al. Thanks so much for joining us. Hope you and anyone reading this will enjoy Sunday’s game.
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