Long hours, little food, and little sleep.
But who's complaining.
Eyewitness News is in Miami Beach watching fans live history at the Saints first Super Bowl.
We've been here half a week, and already done two weeks worth of work. Everybody is tired, but energized.
Miami is so different from New Orleans. At nearly 300 years old, N.O. is one of America's oldest cities. Miami is 110.
This is a young, vibrant metropolis, and with two million people it is more than twice the size of our metro area.
Downtown is an impressive collection of high-rise buildings, many are architectural wonders. An elevated railway moves people from the outskirts, and in small cars on a downtown loop.
Traffic jams catch everyone by surprise. They block expressways and surface roads. It takes a LOT longer to get anywhere than we are used to. We wonder how Miami residents can stand just sitting there for such long periods.
Photographer Brian Lukas and I give Rob Nelson a ride to the hotel and he laughs as we argue with the GPS. It has the voice of an angry upper class woman, and keeps directing us to any possible toll road, no matter how far away. When we don't follow instructions, the machine angrily tells us it is recalculating. We have a name for, but I can't repeat it.
There are so many of us here the hotel parking lot looks like the Eyewitness News Miami Bureau. It is a collection of cars with the WWL logo.
But everybody is so busy we could probably use more hands.
Our base of operations is a lovely park that overlooks Biscayne Bay. There is a specially built desk. Lights are all over for late newscasts, even cleverly hidden behind palm trees. Our huge satellite truck is parked just off camera, the dish pointed skyward.
There is a motor home that has become a mobile newsroom, and two trucks filled with electric equipment.
We are just outside the Intercontinental hotel, where the Saints are staying.
The hotel has become a place for Saints fans to visit, and many stop by to see our operation and chat.
Most are like the Melancons, who tell me they only slept an hour after the long drive to Miami, then headed out to see the sights, Saints first. They are instantly recognizable as Saints fans, wearing black and gold shirts, amd the big smiles of those who are there for a history making event.
Saints fans here are finding wesring team colors carries an extra advantage: they get a lot of attention. The Saints have lots of fans in Miami these days, the town is taken with the team, its supporters, and their first Super Bowl story.
NFL merchandise dealer Jon Brovald says Saints souvenirs are outselling Colts stuff 3-1. Lande Hoffman wore his Saints shirt to a chili cookoff, and was given free bowls, and beer, while his friend was ignored.
Saints fans find us wherever we are. On South Beach, we hear delighted cries of 'Go Saints,' 'Hey, it's Channel 4,' even 'Hi Bill.' They come up to shake hands, take pictures, and shake their heads at the wonder of being here.
At our hotel, I hear 'Who Dat,' and turn to meet Crandell Jones. He's been in Houston since Katrina, and uses the Super Bowl to organize a reunion. They meet us for a story that is poignant and joyous. They are so happy to be together, and the Saints success has restored their pride in New Orleans and what the city can be.
Everyone is looking at us as the best now, they say proudly. This morning Carl Jones says they are hearing from all their friends back home, and that they can't believe CNN picked up their story, and broadcast it worldwide.
CBS News replayed our story on the Saints fans we found at the National Hurricane Center. This week everyone seems to be enjoying the Saints and their fans.
We are working day and night, often up at 5 Miami time, out by 7, and sometimes doing our last interview at 10 pm.
We see the sights, but don't sight see. We have to remain very focused so we can get the stories edited, and on the air.
Thursday we had two hours in Key West, because the round trip drive is over six. So we rush to a series of locations as fast as possible. Brian shoots video as I take stills and e-mail them to the station and family.
But at least we do get to see things. Bradley Handwerger of sports says he has only been to the hotel and broadcast base, too busy to go anywhere else. Website writer Chad Bower complains he's only had fast food. I tell him welcome to life on the road. News trips are seldom glamorous, just hard work. The fun is sharing fascinating events, places, and people with the audience.
I take CBS newsman Bob Schieffer's advice. He said political campaigns taught him that when you find a chair, sit in it, if there is food, eat it, a bathroom, use it, because you don't know how long until the next one.
We eat big breakfasts to last as long sas possible. Francis, the waiter at the quick service restaurant next to the hotel, knows us now, and what we eat. We are way under the daily meal budget set for this trip. We had a calm sit down dinner once, on Ocean Drive as we waited for or next appointment. My linguini was very tasty, but the shrimp in it were tiny, frozen, and turned to mush.
I don't know many New Orleans chefs who serve frozen shrimp, but it was well seasoned.
But we get so lucky at times. Thursday we ran into the biggest Saints fan in Key West.
Thursday we met the Saints #1 fan in Key West. Gator Salazar says he used to wrestle alligators in Laplace until one bit him just before Katrina, and then he lost his Metairie home after the. He walks down Duval Street in his Brees shirt, carrying a Saints flag and yelling slogans. He tells us he found a lot of Saints fans in Key West. Sunday we run into Lisa Hollister, a former SaintSation now working at swank beachfront restaurant Nikki Beach.
The one thing really upsetting the crew is our hotel. Let me put it this way, it is a mile past the prison. We check in late and Brian finds a long black hair stuck to the shower wall. I find lint balls on the carpet. I complain the next morning, and ask for enough coffee condiments to make two cups, and am told enough for one is the rule. When I return to find not even the trash cleaned up, I have an Action Reporter moment with the manager. I am tired and disgusted. That brings the supervisor and assistants running. Others complain they have to bend down to wash their hair in the barely above a trickle shower. It's true, and the temperature fluctuates.
Saints fans who are guests are also complaining. I hear we are paying premium rates because it is Super Bowl week. A hotel by the same chain in Orlando as we drove down cost one third, and was ten times cleaner.
We have so many rooms we are sharing. I am teased about snoring. My wife worries Brian will hate me by Sunday.
The big controversy, announcements by local officials that tailgating and open alcohol containers are banned. We find alcohol ban at the top of a long list of prohibitions at South Beach. So we are stunned when a woman sunbather takes her top off, baring her breasts. A waitress tells us topless and thongs are fine for women, but not a beer.
Merchants worry Saints fans will feel unwelcome, and stay home. They say the cops are tolerant. We note the cops need to say that if it is true.
Brian and I had no idea what we would find when we decided to check out the nightlife on South Beach. Rob Nelson, who is young,single, and known to enjoy an entertaining evening, said not to miss Mango's Tropical Cafe. We find Ocean Drive a sea of people on a Tuesday night.
The art deco buildings are garishly lit,palm trees wrapped in lights. There is a long line of restaurants. Each has roadside tables, a display of fabulous food, and hostesses stopping you with out thrust menus. It seems each block has nightclubs. Your footsteps begin to match the beat of the compelling music.
At Oceans 10 drinks are served in quart sized martini glasses with flaming sparklers clipped to the side. It seems one could last all night, maybe two.
But when we arrive at Mango's, Brian's mouth falls open. The two story bar is packed, lit byhordes of mini Christmas lights, and the music roars out and grabs you in the gut.
But he sees the professional dancers
He sees the men in bright tropical attire dancing with gorgeous women wearing body hugging outfits in glow in the dark colors. Some are in thongs.
He asks if we can actually show this on tv, and I remind him how much worse Bourbon Street is on Mardi Gras Day.
Reassured, he becomes a video maniac, moving in for close ups, getting in with the band, down on his knees to catch the dancers under the lights. He wears a big smile, and I am sure it was only the satisfaction of a photographer getting the shots he wanted.
Uh-Huh.
