Having the Super Bowl in the New York area this year has brought all types of praise and criticism. Some view the city as a bubble inhabited by snobbish pride and a trendy hierarchy. Others see New York as a high energy environment packed with different people from all roads of life.
As a native New Yorker, born in the Bronx and who once upon a time gave myself the moniker “the Prince of the City” – I call it home.
I was given the opportunity to attend an All Sports United event “Giving Like a Champion” which was being held on the Avenue of the Americas. I knew with all the Super Bowl hype in addition to the daily business that is the city of Manhattan that it would be in my best interest to head down early. The city’s efforts to keep things moving as if it was a “week like every other” was surprising and I found myself with about two hours to kill so I ventured down Super Bowl Boulevard.
It was amazing to see how New York City has really embraced the honor of being the home to the Super Bowl celebration. Everyone on the streets (including myself) seemed to be snapping pictures of billboards, and empty stages, while others were hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar face.
There seemed to be a lot more Seahawks supporters than Broncos supporters down on Super Bowl Blvd, and fans of all types came to represent their teams during the festivities. Of course Jets and Giants jackets and jerseys could be seen throughout the streets but I even saw Buccaneers, 49ers and Bears fans mixed in the bunch. The city is known to be a melting pot of culture and even on some kind of general scale it was proved by the various NFL fandom which roamed the streets.
I tore myself away from Super Bowl Boulevard and headed to the Avenue of The Americas for the All Sports United event. The work that All Sports United puts in is perfectly worded on their website : A platform for athletes, sports personalities, businesses and individuals to engage in philanthropic endeavors while improving the efficiency of a greater community.
The event was put together to help network between similar groups and pick the brains of one another. I spoke to Scott Manthorne of All Sports United who said he just likes to work with equally motivated people and is really proud of how they have spread their brand nationally in a positive way.
It’s always a great thing when former athletes or those in sports media find ways to give back to communities or help to raise awareness for important causes and groups like All Sports United help as a spring board in either getting the wheels in motion or helping to promote the cause.
I spoke with Jason Rosado of GivKwik, which is a group focused on trying to make it easier for folks to discover good causes and help make it easier for people in promoting their cause whether it is in linking with corporate sponsorships or finding new donors. Jason, who like me grew up in the Bronx, was telling me about the current excitement around GivKwik because they are set to promote their “Most Charitable Athlete of the Year” 
campaign.
I had an engaging conversation with Carmin Romanelli who is the vice president of Getty Images. He told me about his path of working in photography and photo editing which included working for Time Life and Sports Illustrated.
His love of photography and sports has led him to a very successful career and continued success with Getty Images. He gave me the advice to always be open to everything. You never know who you’ll meet, what doors can be opened and ultimately what you can learn about yourself.
In the end it was quite an experience combining the hustle and buzz of the city while strolling down Super Bowl Boulevard and exchanging words with highly motivated people during the All Sports United event.
But in between my walk from Times Square and Ave of the Americas – While cutting in between side streets I had the luck to bump into and shake hands with rock icon Steven Tyler. It was unreal. It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget – and those are the kind of moments New York City can present to you at any given time. The opportunity for a spontaneous moment that will last a lifetime – that’s what it’s all about in the city that never sleeps.
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