LOS ANGELES — Giles Harrison, and perhaps the Superior Court judge he once stood before, has a special appreciation for the upcoming Super Bowl.
It will be the first time in almost three decades the game is staged here in the entertainment capital of the world, an opportunity especially enticing for paparazzi photographers such as Harrison.
In 1998, he was convicted of reckless driving and sentenced to 60 days in jail after he chased Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver as they drove their 3-year-old son to preschool, according to court records and a Los Angeles Times report.
Harrison suggested the situation will be different with a galaxy of stars expected to attend Super Bowl 56 on Sunday and VIP events and parties the week leading up to the game.
“You don’t need (stakeouts) for this,’’ Harrison, 53, told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s pretty much damn near like shooting fish in a barrel.”
SoFi Stadium, which cost billions to build and will serve as the site of the Super Bowl, is rounding into form. Which is to say the celebrities are flocking to the sleek, 70,000-seat facility in Inglewood, which is in southwestern Los Angeles County.
Paris Hilton, LeBron James and the cast of “Ted Lasso” are among those who have dropped by this season to watch the Los Angeles Rams, who share SoFi Stadium with the Los Angeles Chargers. In recent weeks, celebs spotted in the crowd have included Kate Hudson, Judd Apatow and comedian Leslie Jones.
The A-listers will be out in force on the day of the Super Bowl, said Greg Links, who has helped stage VIP Super Bowl parties over the past two decades.
“I would expect it to be the most star-studded Super Bowl ever,’’ Links told USA TODAY Sports. “It seems like everything’s going full throttle.’’
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic will be an unmistakable part of Super Bowl week.
In adherence to state, county and city protocol, proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required at all NFL-sponsored events. Most of the VIP parties will be held at least partially outdoors, and some parties have been scaled back in size as a safety measure.
Sports Illustrated’s annual party, to be Saturday, was moved to the four-acre Century Park from Oprah Winfrey’s headquarters, said David Spencer, who as co-CEO of Talent Resources Sports is staging events for Sports Illustrated, Bloomberg and Neiman Marcus.
“We’re trying to limit and mitigate risk as best we can,’’ he said.
But COVID-19 risks do not appear to be dampening the excitement around the Super Bowl coming back to the Los Angeles area for the first time since 1993.
In fact, Spencer said the high demand to attend events like Sports Illustrated The Party has contributed to a 40% increase in costs compared to 2020, the last time most of the branded Super Bowl parties were held.
A sign of contraction: There will be no Playboy party.
Signs of expansion: Shaquille O’Neal has secured the cavernous Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall downtown for his fourth annual Shaq’s Fun House. And Maxim magazine has added a second night to its traditional one-night bash.
“The two nights just grew out of demand and out of interest, not only from attendees but also from performers who wanted to tap into Super Bowl week,’’ said Doug Terfehr, vice president of brand marketing for MaximBet, the sports betting and online casino brand that’s sponsoring the Friday night party.
Maxim’s musical lineup will feature The Chainsmokers. It’ll be Billboard Top 40 Hits fest in LA, in part because Bud Light is sponsoring a three-day music event at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) that will feature Machine Gun Kelly, Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus and Green Day.
But it’ll be hard to top the headliners at the exclusive Homecoming Weekend party, with The H. Wood Group having secured Drake and Justin Bieber for their renowned Super Bowl party.
But John Terzian, co-founder of The H. Wood Group, said the singers and celebrities are only partially responsible for the pre-Super Bowl buzz.
“It’s also the excitement around the new stadium,’’ Terzian told USA TODAY Sports. “I think SoFi is going to blow people away.’’
The stadium has 260 suites, which on game day are expected to be occupied by scores of A-list celebrities. Giles Harrison will be among the paparazzi looking to photograph LA’s celebs.
“You certainly won’t have to chase anybody,’’ Harrison said.
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