Media Day a sellout — and sold-out, too

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The drums could be heard from blocks away and were beaten by a group of young performers outside the circus, which was nothing compared to the band playing inside the SAP Center.

This was a different kind of Opening Night than the one Terrie Frankel wrote about on Broadway, but a music element still existed.

Because how in the world are you supposed to ask Cam Newton about that stifling Broncos defense without first being treated to some pop tunes?

By the way, if Newton runs as fast Sunday as he did away from the media once his team's session concluded Monday night, Denver doesn't stand a chance.

I'm not sure anything transpired from the Broncos or Carolina Panthers when discussing Super Bowl 50 that created heart-stopping expectations and, also unlike Frankel's song, no one seemed to fall in love.

Rocky the Colorado Leprechaun showed up to support his Broncos and pranced around while handing out business cards asking for people to email any pictures they had of him, so I'm assuming a guy like that stole some lucky lady's heart and plucked her up years ago.

The last time I was in this place, it was called HP Pavilion and UNLV's basketball team was losing to Cal in a 5-12 game of the NCAA Tournament — the Rebels were the 5 seed, by the way — and some kid on the Bears named Robert Thurman dunked six times against the kid (Anthony Bennett) who would later become a No. 1 overall NBA draft pick.

The last anyone heard of Thurman, he signed a contract with the Worcester Wolves of the British Basketball League, which in retrospect might have been a good career path for Bennett to follow.

What was once an event so small and personal and intimate that reporters were invited into Bart Starr's hotel room for his interview session ultimately became a spectacle unimagined in another time. Media Day for the Super Bowl moved from its usual zaniness on Tuesday morning of game week to Prime Time on Monday evening.

Or, as some refer to it, the place where female personalities of TV Azteca have their careers launched.

The biggest upset has to be the NFL waiting so long to make such a switch from day to night, given the league's aptitude for sniffing out even the smallest of available sponsorship money compares to an elephant distinguishing odor molecules of different species.

Super Bowl Opening Night Fueled by Gatorade.

Of course it was.

"The NFL," said Ray Ratto, columnist and television/radio personality for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, "would do anything to anyone for $20."

It's all expected and, well, accepted that this is how each Super Bowl week now kicks off. With the brazen and bizarre and adults dressed for Halloween. The league is hardly arguing. Thousands of tickets were put on sale for $27.50 for the chance to sit in the stands and listen on radios as players and coaches were asked questions on the arena floor.

The event sold out.

In between Rocky the Colorado Leprechaun placing $1 bills on the floor and Miss Universe being asked to rate her level of abhorrence for Steve Harvey and the predictable questions from Pick Boy from Nickelodeon, the superhero making his eighth Super Bowl week appearance who chose a black and gold mask and tights set this year, was some actual football being discussed.

Peyton Manning, as you can imagine, had half the Bay Area pushing its way towards the Denver quarterback's platform.

A main topic of discussion: his arm.

"It hasn't been the same since I injured my neck four years ago," Manning said. "It just hasn't been. I worked hard to manage it where I think I can be effective. That's where it is. It's just different."

Questions predictably arose — not from the leprechaun or Pick Boy or the Austrian television reporter dressed as a downhill skier, mind you — about Las Vegas and the reports of a domed stadium possibly one day becoming home to the Raiders. One player with a vested interest is Denver linebacker and Cimarron-Memorial alum Brandon Marshall.

"I would love to see a stadium in my hometown," said Marshall, who played his college ball at UNR. "Every player in this league wants to play in their hometown. I think the (Raiders) would work well there. I don't see why they wouldn't."

The Vegas-NFL issue will no doubt create a little steam here this week, now that the lunacy is over and the Austrian skier can return to wearing his finest business attire. There was a point Monday, however, when the poor man's Hermann Maier encountered some fellow wearing an orange body suit that also covered his face. They chose to interview each other because that's what happens at this event.

"I can't see very well, to be honest," Orange Man told Austrian Skier. "You still look great. Are you a skier?

"(The Broncos) are wearing white on Sunday, so I got it wrong with the orange. I am a Super Bowl Opening Night failure."

Fueled by Gatorade.

Never forget the most important part to the NFL.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on "Seat and Ed" on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney