Super Blog part II

I’m not much of a morning person. I’m certainly not much of a 3:00 in the morning person. Yet, there I was Monday morning up at 3:00 preparing for the journey ahead. I was at Logan by 4am and arrived in Minneapolis by 8:30am, central. After checking into the hotel, I headed right over the Mall of America, not really knowing what to expect.

Up on the third floor, in a 12, 000 square foot unoccupied space, the New England Patriots have constructed a fan experience unlike no other – the Not Done Network. The public is welcome to come in and take part in games, refreshments and LIVE broadcasting taking place bothin the two constructed sets here and in the designated media centers around the mall.

When I arrived, they were just about to go live for the first time with sendoff rally coverage. I was fortunate enough to get a quick tour of the production truck before I was to report back up to the set.

I have to admit, it’s a little different than what we do. The scale is just much bigger. The first time I picked up the headset to manage the stage for the Patriots Football Weekly Show, I was greeted by a screaming producer who expected those of us on the floor to provide information and perform duties we just weren’t aware we were supposed to perform. Day 1 problems, I guess. The crew is made up of mostly local Minnesotans, brought in to help out on this huge production and they’ve been really nice. They’re also really good at what they do, with some pretty impressive equipment.

As I type this, I’m backstage awaiting my next assignment. I was able to help out in the field earlier today at the Patriots player access interviews and press conference. Stay tuned for some really cool pics in my next post!