www.shelbystar.com/sports/updates_36670___article.html/ -
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Published on: 2/1/2009
Last Visited: 2/1/2009
Go vicariously through Matt Beam.
He will be calling The Star and sending updates throughout the weekend.
Watch for them on shelbystar.com.
Update No. 1 (Saturday, 4:30 p.m.): VIP at the Celeb Beach Football, 5 p.m. reservation at Berns Streakhouse.
Nice weather!
...
Though Matt Beam is making a jump from Lincoln County to Cleveland County to take over as Burns High's head football coach, he's taking an even longer trip this weekend - to Tampa, Fla.
Beam will be around the 30- to 35-yard line, 19 rows from the field, watching the Arizona Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon.
It will be Beam's fifth trip to the Super Bowl.
"We kind of like the Super Bowl experience," he said Friday, and explained that he likes to collect autographs as well.
That's why he arrives early before the game.
Beam, his wife, father-in-law and brother-in-law should be at Raymond James Stadium sometime around 11 a.m. before the 6:25 p.m. kickoff.
"There have been times when we were in the first 100 in the gate," said Beam.
"We like to get there early."
As a coach, he also likes to see the teams warm up.
"It's one of my favorite times," he said.
The Beams' tickets' face value is $800, although based on his past experiences, scalpers at the gate will be asking much more.
Although Beam is a Carolina Panthers fan, he'll be pulling for the Cards and their quarterback Kurt Warner on Sunday.