87-year-old scores tickets to Super Bowl from Verizon keeping attendance streak unbroken
A Super Bowl is a major event for any football fan, and attending one is a dream come true for many. However, superfan Don Crisman has been lucky enough to attend every single Super Bowl so far.
Unfortunately, getting tickets for Super Bowl LVIII seemed almost impossible, which threatened to break Crisman’s 57-year streak. Verizon heard about the 87-year-old’s incredible story and stepped in to ensure he wouldn't miss the game and delivered Super Bowl LVIII tickets to Crisman's house in Maine.
“Oh my god. You are kidding me,” said Crisman upon being surprised by Verizon with a pair of tickets at his front door. “Thank you all for helping me out. This is insane.”
Joe Russo, the Vice President and President of Global Networks and Technology at Verizon, hand-delivered the Super Bowl tickets on behalf of Verizon. Russo also honored Crimsan by making him a member of the Verizon Test Force which is comprised of 3000 engineers who are responsible for testing the network.
“Verizon is known for having the best and most reliable, highest performing and secure networks across this nation," Russo said. "America relies on us. Don relies on us as a customer. The NFL relies on us. To have Don, someone who reliably attended every single Super Bowl, to be representative of the Verizon Test Force is such an honor.”
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Crisman's 'Never miss a Super Bowl' journey
Crisman's first championship game was Super Bowl I, which was technically called the First World Champion game between the American Football League and National Football League that featured the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs in 1967. Since then, Crisman has been hooked on seeing the biggest game of the year in person.
Some years, it was easy for Crisman to get tickets for the big game and enjoy it with his loved ones. However, in other years, it was difficult to get them. This is not the first time Crisman's Super Bowl streak has been put in jeopardy. Despite facing close calls, he's always managed to get the tickets and it always worked out in the end.
"There are two close misses," Crisman said, referring to almost missing Super Bowl II and Super Bowl XXXII. For Super Bowl II that featured the Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers in 1968, he recalls a icing issue on the plane and had to take a train from South Carolina to Miami but made it just three hours before kick-off.
Despite a close call, Crisman's remarkable Super Bowl streak continues as he heads to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, in less than a month.
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