Cheesehead tradition may be no gouda
Experts want no holes in Super Bowl security
01/12/02
By Michael Perlstein
Staff writer/The Times-Picayune
Fighter jets to protect the Superdome? Check. Bomb sniffing dogs? Check. Undercover agents? Check.
Cheeseheads? Um, not sure yet.
Most of the security measures for Super Bowl XXXVI have been drawn up, but federal officials haven't decided whether they will allow one of the most recognizable -- and goofiest -- symbols of fan enthusiasm should the playoff-bound Green Bay Packers make it to the big game.
In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, federal law enforcement officials are leaving nothing to chance for the country's annual showcase of football hype and hysteria. That hand-wringing may leave Packer backers without the oversized wedges of yellow foam rubber that, when worn as a hat, transform their owners into cheeseheads.
"We're going to have to think about that one a little bit. We have to make sure that we have the proper screening in place to take care of that kind of fan paraphernalia," said Michael James, the local Secret Service chief coordinating security for the Feb. 3 game.
In November, the game was designated as a National Special Security Event by the White House, providing the event with an army of officers from the likes of the Secret Service, FBI, National Guard and the Department of Defense. At the intensive planning sessions, everything from the deployment of SWAT teams to anthrax safeguards have been covered and covered again.
Cheeseheads, however, are still on the table, James said, along with other gargantuan props such as jumbo "We're No. 1" foam fingers.
At the 1997 Super Bowl in New Orleans, in which the Packers beat the New England Patriots, hunks of fake Wisconsin cheddar filled the Dome. Today, with terrorists willing to blow themselves up using plastic explosives that can fit inside a shoe, officials are pondering the risks with a straight face.
"If by chance Green Bay should get into the Super Bowl, they may have to cheer for their team without that famous piece of headgear," said Marlon Defillo, assistant superintendent in charge of policy and planning for the New Orleans Police Department. "They may just have to pretend."
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