Well-connected or lucky, fans put it all on the line in Arizona

February 03, 2008|Keith O'Brien, Globe Staff

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Jerry Shanahan, a 53-year-old auto body shop owner, showed the officer a cloudy, faxed ticket confirmation. The officer was unimpressed. Shanahan then stated his case and even begged a little. And finally, the officer caved.

He agreed to escort the Shanahans inside to the will call window. But he ordered them to stay with him. And when Derek Shanahan attempted to take a picture, the officer snapped.

"No! No! No!" he said.

It was cocktail hour inside the hotel. Friends and family members of the Patriots mingled over drinks. These people had connections. They knew people or knew people who knew people.

But no one may have been happier at that moment than Jerry Shanahan, who was told at the will call window, yes, they had his tickets. Yes, he was going to the game.

"We're there, bud," he said, high-fiving his son.

Even the police officer seemed happy for them. On the way out, he only escorted them to the front door and even broke down and said Derek could take a picture if he wanted.

"Wow," Jerry Shanahan kept saying.

But there was more work to do. They had just four tickets, but there were five of them. They still needed to find one more ticket to the game.

Keith O'Brien can be reached at kobrien@globe.com.

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