Super Bowl 50 countdown begins with a surreal kickoff event

SAN JOSE - There was a day when the media asked the questions and the athletes answered. But the Super Bowl isn't really a game anymore. It's an outsized entertainment event, and it has a run-up to match.

Monday at SAP Center, a man approached a riser where Denver Broncos sack specialist DeMarcus Ware sat boxed in like Paul Lynde on the old “Hollywood Squares” set and asked the pass-rushing linebacker, “Do you have a question for the magic football?'

The guy making the query was dressed like a disco superhero in a shiny gold suit, complete with cape, gloves and bandit mask. He was holding a football, though its mystic properties were unclear. Welcome to Super Bowl Opening Night Fueled by Gatorade, the football freak show that officially launched the countdown to Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium.

You may have some questions at this point.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MEDIA DAY?

In a bygone era of dual-purpose stadiums and workhorse running backs, everyone on each Super Bowl team would sit at a round table with a name placard and a microphone and answer questions ad infinitum. They called it Media Day.

The event had grown and evolved and amplified over the years, though. And this year, for the first time, the NFL called it Super Bowl Opening Night. It was staged at a 17,500-capacity hockey-and-concert arena, and it was fairly surreal.

WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE?

Sort of like a cross between a professional wrestling match and an evangelical revival meeting. A rock 'n' roll cover band played before the event, and between the Broncos' and Carolina Panthers' interview sessions. Players' mug shots and bios appeared on the jumbo screen, and fans could watch close-ups of their lips moving during Q&As.

The Broncos went first. Ten of the most prominent players and head coach Gary Kubiak were introduced individually, and they walked along a second-tier catwalk as the crowd cheered. The rest of the team was introduced en masse. Some players taped the scene themselves on their phones. An hour and 40 minutes later, the Panthers did the same thing.

Then the heroes descended to the arena floor. The A-listers sat in their booths and the rest of the athletes mingled in the mass of media.

WAIT, THERE WERE FANS?

Yes, thousands of people paid $27.50 each to watch some of their favorite players being interviewed by a crush of reporters. They cheered when the teams were welcomed into the arena, and again when they left.

Three young fans named Michael, JC and Laura, all of whom live in Silicon Valley, sat in the front row and loved every minute of it. To be fair, they didn't pay for their seats. They won free tickets through 1iota, a company that casts audiences.

“It exceeds my expectation,” said Laura, who was decked out in 49ers gear. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

WERE THERE ANY, UH, ANTICS?

The golden superhero was not alone in dressing for excess. There was a clown (insert anti-media sentiment here) and a person inside a giant inflated football and a guy dressed like a Denver Broncos leprechaun and a dude inside a form-fitting orange baggie. There were also many lovely ladies dressed to the nines. That included Miss Universe - the one who got to keep the scepter, not the one who had it for only a few seconds.

A reporter and cameraman from Televisa, the Mexican media empire, played music from a boombox and tried to get players to rap or dance to it. A couple of guys from TV Azteca - lots of Spanish was spoken at Opening Night - walked around with hand puppets.

“The thinking behind the suit was that we try to bring kind of little bit from Austria every year to the Media Day,” said Phillip Hajszan, who was representing Puls 4, the station that will broadcast Super Bowl 50 in Austria. In the past, Hajszan has worn lederhosen and dressed as the Terminator to honor expatriate Arnold Schwarzenegger. This year he wore a full snowsuit and carried around a pair of skis.

WHAT ABOUT REAL JOURNALISM?

There were plenty of questions about containing Cam Newton and how to neutralize Denver's wicked pass rush. Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman stood with a small group of reporters for some time, addressing the team's future and how the roster was built. Peyton Manning deflected a few HGH questions.

Mostly, though, the queries were trite, even goofy. “How would you escape from Alcatraz,” someone asked Carolina offensive tackle Ryan Kalil. “Same way as Eastwood,” he answered.

Other questions betrayed a lack of familiarity with the subject matter. One person asked Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib how this Super Bowl run has differed from the team's 2014 campaign. (He wasn't with Denver then.) Another asked defensive tackle Antonio Smith whether this was his first time to the Bay Area. (He played for the Raiders in 2014.)

SO, PLAYERS HATED IT, RIGHT?

No, they actually seemed OK with it. Most athletes hate to talk about their feelings or about controversial topics that might land them in the headlines. They're generally OK with listing their favorite TV shows or demonstrating how to dab.

All in all, NFL players seem to understand that the Super Bowl is like marriage. You have to cozy up to a lot of oddballs before you finally get that ring.

You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Skinny_Post.