On Sunday, Madrid’s iconic Bernabeu swapped one football for another as Spain welcomed the NFL to its home turf for the first time in history. And I was lucky enough to be a part of it as assistant to the Media team.
Over the last few weeks, the stadium underwent a dramatic transformation including pitch modifications, updated locker rooms and even some eye-catching Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders branding on the stadium walls. All of this to provide what can only be described as an all-American experience and give Spaniards a taste of gameday across the pond.
With the match due to start at 15:30, my day started at T-6 hours as I arrived to an already overwhelming scene of hyperactivity outside the stadium. Thousands of us were gathered to receive our accreditations and make our way through security. Once we were inside, we headed straight up to the Press Workroom to meet the team comprised of Alba Saiz Carvajal, Claire Parnell, Victor Garcia, Ross Inglis, Sergio Condés Morales, Skylar Burg, and Sam Drexler.
We came into the day pretty much blind as to what to expect or what we would be doing so our initial briefing was both comforting and terrifying as the weight of what an important and complicated day it would be was made clear to us. However, I was definitely starting to feel excited about the day ahead.
Once our roles were assigned, we set off on a tour of the freshly metamorphosed stadium. With red carpets laid out and walls covered in elaborate team decals, the stadium walkways felt like a different world compared to what I am used to seeing during Real Madrid matches. But it wasn’t until we reached the pitch that it dawned on me quite how different a NFL gameday would be.
The star-spangled banner was stretched across the near-side pitch, an entire brass band was rehearsing in full swing, a uniformed army parade was on standby, and the screens were lit up in stars and stripes; far from their familiar Real Madrid blue and white. The whole scene was one of American patriotism which, to be honest, is a rather foreign environment for me, but impressive, nonetheless.
On to the actual day’s work. I, along with two other students, was tasked with assisting Ross handing out vests and armbands to the photographers with pitch access. We got into the swing of things – checking names, noting down vest numbers, collecting signatures – pretty quickly, and soon several hours had passed. While perhaps not the most scintillating of roles, it was very interesting to observe the flow of things on a match day as big as this. In particular, we enjoyed noting the timings of the photographers’ arrivals; it’s safe to say a few of them were pushing it a bit timewise!
At 15:30 the match began and I transitioned into my second role. I headed down to the Photographer Workroom to be on hand during the first quarter. Luckily there were no disasters, and I was able to pass the time calmly watching several photographers live-editing their pre-match photos and catching some of the action from the game on the TV.
After the first 15 minute quarter ended (38 minutes later), I was released from my duty. From that point on, I was free to enjoy the rest of the match! I headed up to the Press Box and settled in; having seen how long a single quarter lasts I could tell I would need to get comfortable.
I’m not sure if I could honestly say I particularly enjoyed the sport, but I certainly enjoyed the experience. I fear the appeal of American Football is slightly lost on me with its constant stoppage, ad breaks and hyper-publicity but, as a rugby fan, that is perhaps not surprising. I am used to seeing sport work at a very different pace and, while the NFL may not be my sport of choice, I can understand why it appeals to its particular audience, and I certainly learnt a great deal from watching not only the game itself but its presence within the stadium. That being said, I did love the half-time show. Daddy Yankee and Bizarrap electrified the stadium and, even though they only played one song each, they certainly raised the roof!
Once the match came to a close after a golden touchdown from the Miami Dolphins in overtime, I took on my final role helping to compile the stat packs. These are literal stacks of paper containing all the statistics from the match that are made into booklets and distributed amongst coaches and media. Having dispensed enough paper to flatten a forest, finally my work was done.
After 10 long but thoroughly enjoyable hours, we had a final thank you briefing with the team who were kind enough to hand out some rather fetching NFL polo shirts and commemorative pins for our effort. Having taken a group picture on the edge of the pitch below the then empty stands, we bid our farewells and headed home, smiling but definitely shattered.
It is always a privilege and a pleasure to have opportunities such as this and to be able to experience not only a new side to the sports industry, but also new sports themselves. I am immensely grateful to the team for allowing me to be involved in such a special day and for all of the insight I gained from it. I sincerely hope this is the first of many such days.
