SUPER BOWL COLOR GUARD FLAP RILES UP FANS

We’ve received nearly 50 e-mails over the past 12 hours regarding a contention that the Color Guard won’t be permitted to stay and watch the Super Bowl after doing their duty during the National Anthem. The specific allegation is that Super Bowl XLIII will mark a change from past procedures utilized by the NFL. And plenty of fans are upset about it. While the members of the Color Guard (and all of the other extras who are involved in the various on-field events) won’t retreat to their seats in the stands like the members of the home team’s band at a college football game, this is standard practice, and it doesn’t represent a change of any kind. “The members of the Color Guard have always been our guests at a Super Bowl party in a compound on the stadium grounds where they watch the game on big-screen TVs and enjoy food and beverage,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us via e-mail. “That is how we have done it every year.” That’s an important point, in our view. Because the outrage is being stoked by the contention that something has changed, presumably due to the economy. Well, nothing has changed. Per the league, this is the way it has always been done. “The military provides an intra-service Color Guard as part of our pre-game tribute to the military that also includes the military fly-over of the stadium,” Aiello said. “Then we arrange a place for the Color Guard to watch the game along with other pre-game and halftime show participants (more than 2,000 people).” Aiello added that the league has heard no complaints or concerns from the military, and that the league will contact the military liaison for the Color Guard to discuss the situation, if there are any concerns about it. For now, however, the league office seems to be surprised by the contention that it isn’t adequately supporting the military. “Our longstanding support of the military is a proud NFL tradition,” Aiello said, “including numerous NFL players and coaches traveling overseas with the USO to visit troops. Last summer, Commissioner Goodell, Drew Brees, and Osi Umenyiora went on a USO trip to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen.” Ideally, everyone who has some involvement in the Super Bowl production would be able to enjoy the game from the stands. But with, as Aiello pointed out, 2,000 extras and tickets having face values of $800 and $1,000, the lost revenue would fall somewhere between $1.6 million and $2 million. There probably are exceptions. The person who sings the National Anthem undoubtedly gets to sit in a private box for the game. And Bruce Springsteen likely won’t be leaving after he puts on a mini-version of his legendary three-plus-hour live show. But the line has to be drawn somewhere. It’s the biggest football game of the year, and plenty of people are paying plenty of good money to attend it. And if the folks who have received the rare opportunity to present the Colors during the National Anthem prior to a Super Bowl don’t want to do it if they can’t then assume a seat in the front row at the 50, we’ve got a feeling that there are more than a few members of our armed forces who realize that this specific assignment is far more valuable than a chance to attend the game itself as one of 66,000 spectators.