Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Live blog from Jeff’s 17th annual Super Bowl Party — post-blackout, there is a lot of drama as Ravens pull it out, 34-31

Jeff Molitz super party

John Katsilometes

Second-half action — seems like there are more Ravens jerseys out now than at kickoff.

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Todd and Matt from Recycled Percussion, caught at the buffet.

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Claire Sinclair waits for the teams to take a break from playing so that she can watch the Beyonce show.

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The Kats Report Bureau from Jeff's 17th annual Super Bowl Party. Ready to roll, baby.

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Dayna Roselli and Paul Shortino rock it out.

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Paul Shortino, or if you will, Duke Fame, makes himself known.

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The New York Italian Ice King stand, an annual attraction the kids seem to enjoy.

As Brent Musburger would say, "We are coming to you LIVE from a home in Las Vegas, Nevada ..." This is a transmission, the first of many over the next several hours, from an event I call The Greatest Party Ever. I call it that because it might well be The Greatest Party Ever, and it is formally known as Jeff's 17th annual Super Bowl Party. A year ago, I was sitting on a sofa at the party, and across from me seated in a stairwell was Carrot Top himself (aka Scott Thompson). Seated nearby was comic Geechy Guy.

At that point, I texted Carrot Top with, "This is the Greatest Party Ever." And he nodded in agreement.

We are expecting maybe 200 revelers at this event. Folding chairs are set up in the back. We have big screens on in the front room and living room. Someone just called out, "I need a pan for the tater tots!" So it's time to have some tater tots, right?

Oh, and I can tell you the line at Stations Casinos -- Green Valley Ranch, specifically -- at 1 p.m. was 49ers minus-4.5; total 48.5. I like the favorite and the over, but I am a died-red Niner fan, and I'm not betting anything. I'm uptight enough as it is.

We'll check back periodically -- I see Rob Sherwood near the fried food, and we must ketchup. Er, catch up.

Updated at 3:30 p.m.: A professional Internet poker player who has recently switched careers is talking to me now. He doesn't want his name in the column. I asked if he finds it more difficult to play online or against real people. He says that he's not sure because he never plays against real people.

Names to note: "The Mentalist" Gerry McCambridge, Todd Griffin and Matt Bowman of Recycled Percussion (settling into the Linq Showroom), members of the Vegas band Avalon Landing (releasing a CD this year).

Updated at 3:45: Just as Bally's hypnotist Anthony Cools shows up, the Ravens go up 7-0 on a Flacco-to-Bouldin TD pass.

Most popular commercial in the early going is the Doritos-goat ad. Super Bowl commercials have, historically, become less entertaining as the game unfolds.

Updated at 3:55: Dayna Roselli, star of screen and tweet, is here. Our first "Jersey Boys" sighting: Deven May. Meantime, David Akers SPLITS the uprights to cut the lead to 7-3. Game is feeling "over" to me.

Updated at 4:20:Paul Shortino is never not happy, and he is here, making quick work of a hot dog. Talking with Roselli. Looks like LaMichael James fumbled there. Oh, and Claire Sinclair of "Pin Up" at the Stratosphere is wearing Raven purple, but she has no rooting interest. Purple is her favorite color. Also, Wranglers President Billy Johnson has made it over, though he is less than 100 percent because of a cold. Sinclair is going to drop the puck at a Wranglers game soon, and that is not a euphemism.

Updated at 4:25: Jeff asks, "Did you get an Oreo yet?" No, but I am getting nervous about this game. Ravens up 14-3, cashing in on the James fumble. Here's something that I'd not known or maybe forgotten: May opened "Notre Dame de Paris" at Paris Las Vegas, playing the role of Gringoire. Now he's playing Tommy DeVito in the same theater. Circles within circles, friends.

Updated at 4:30: Nothing sells milk like The Rock in pajama bottoms.

Updated at 4:33: Aaaaaand Kaepernick looked like a QB making his 10th NFL start right there. First Super Bowl interception in 49ers history.

Updated at 4:35: A fake? Really? When you can go up 17-3 at the half? That was stupid on a stick, folks. Could be huge.

Updated at 4:50: Members of one of the great Vegas rock bands, Sin City Sinners, have turned up. Speaking of shredding, Flacco-to-Jones for 55 yards, and it is looking very bleak in NinerTown as we enter halftime. Beyonce can't start lip-syncing soon enough.

Updated at 5: Kaepernick can't take a sack there. So, he takes a sack. Good to see Akers again. A 21-6 halftime margin, or lead if you like the onetime Cleveland Browns.

Updated at 5:15: What's great about these ridiculously long halftime shows is that the 49ers might forget how lousy they played in the first half. And I'll say this, I do not care that Beyonce lip syncs. Not from the comfort of this party.

Updated at 5:20: I wonder how this is all playing inside the stadium. But one thing is certain: Somewhere a 16-year-old kid is praying for a wardrobe malfunction ...

Updated at 5:25: The highly anticipated Destiny's Child reunion is upon us. Here's something Kelly Rowland told me last spring for a Vegas Magazine cover story: "For people to call us one of the greatest female groups of all time -- are you kidding me? It’s more than that: Beyonce and Michelle are two incredible women. They are deeper than what the public sees. Destiny’s Child, to me, was a sisterhood and a kinship that the three of us shared." And here they are, performing for something like a billion TV viewers.

Updated at 5:30: There was a time when college marching bands were the featured entertainment at Super Bowl halftime shows. Never again.

Updated at 5:40: Two theories on this weird blackout: A ploy for more commercial time, or Eddie DeBartolo has located The Switch.

Updated at 5:45: Ballpark estimate on the number of people who have come and gone: 160 to 200. Hard to say, though, and I'm too depressed to start counting ...

Updated at 5:50: This Super Blackout is sponsored by the Scorpions! Meantime, Elisa Furr, the terrific vocalist, is working the room. She has portrayed Celine Dion in "Legends in Concert" in Atlantic City and is a member of the "iCandy" cast at Saxe Theater.

Updated at 6:02: This would be a great time for glow-in-the-dark balls, and that is not a euphemism ...

Updated at 6:05: This is the most egregious Super Bowl blackout since I drank through Super Bowl XXVIII (hashtag-SheckyKats).

Updated at 6:10: Not really following the analysis here, but has anyone thought to ask Alex Smith if he has an alibi?

Updated at 6:20: We had a drive-through by violinist Jennifer Lynn of Frankie Moreno's band. She blasted through here a bit before the blackout.

Updated at 6:27: A Michael Crabtree sighting! It's 28-13, a relief to "over" betters. Plenty of time left here.

Updated at 6:30: Sack! Off-topic, I'm hearing the Scintas drew a crowd of 2,000 at M Resort Pavilion on Jan. 26. Huge for them. Nearly reduced Frankie to tears.

Updated at 6:35: Touchdown Frank Gore! PLENTY of time here. The only prop bet I nearly made, which I did not, was Gore under-83.5 yards rushing. This is the first Super Bowl that I have not bet since moving to Vegas in 1996.

Updated at 6:45: Shooting for the end zone to Ted Ginn Jr. on 3rd-and-7 is not the way to get this thing even. But Akers, in his personal Play of the Year, gets hit on the kick. I heart Akers! Re-kick is good, and we got us a five-point game and a different game since the blackout. I wonder, might the blackout be discussed, post-game?

Updated at 6:50: We're not calling an offensive face mask? On Bouldin?

Updated at 6:55: There is talk that the Jack-in-the-Box Hot Mess commercial featured Steel Panther. No verification on that.

Updated at 7: Note: In February 2010, two blizzards hit the northeast and knocked out power to those living in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. More than 200,000 people affected, about two-thirds losing power for half a day to several days.

Updated at 7:10: Kaepernick! Whoosh. What a ballgame now. Great call by John Harbaugh to blitz on the 2-point conversion. Have I said this? Plenty of game left?

Updated at 7:20: Sherwood just told me of two prop bets he's made: Either quarterback to throw 301 to 320 yards. He has Kaepernick and Flacco at 10-to-1, stands to make $200 on either.

Updated at 7:30: I am dying here. Two-minute warning. Dear God ...

Updated at 7:34: Time out! Let's cool it off here. Third-and-goal at the 5.

Updated at 7:35: Too long for Crabtree. Damn. Probably holding on Smith, but no call.

Updated at 7:45: Safety, cagey call by the Elder Harbaugh. Six valuable seconds equals at least one play into the end zone. Ginn, for some reason, tries to return the kick. Game over, and it sucks to lose one of these. Great game, though. Congrats to the Ravens.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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