Steelers, Packers fans ready to have some fun in Las Vegas

It's Super Bowl eve, and a mother pushes a stroller while her two young daughters walk on each side of her outside the sports book at Mandalay Bay.

All four, including the baby, are decked out in black and gold. The daughters are wearing James Harrison and Hines Ward jerseys.

The young family stands out because there is only a smattering of people wearing Steelers or Packers jerseys and shirts -- or those representing any NFL teams, for that matter -- on the Strip the night before today's Super Bowl, which pits Green Bay as a 2½-point favorite over Pittsburgh in Arlington, Texas.

"It's steady, but it's not overwhelming," MGM Resorts sports book director Jay Rood said Saturday. "I'm hoping we pick up the pace here (Saturday night) and (today)."

He said the weather system that dumped loads of snow and ice on so much of the country contributed to the slower-than-preferred pace.

"On the East Coast, some had to abort their plans because they couldn't get out, or they didn't think they could get back," Rood said.

That's not to say there wasn't a lot of buzz for football's two most storied franchises. Each have large, national fan bases.

One Packers fan, though, didn't agree Green Bay should be the favorite. John Florian, 29, was in town from Los Angeles for Saturday's UFC 126 card at Mandalay Bay.

"I'm hoping (the Packers) win, but I really think the Steelers will win, to be honest with you," said Florian, wearing a Greg Jennings jersey. He said the Steelers' two recent Super Bowl victories and ability to play in the clutch give Pittsburgh "a lot of confidence."

Another Packers fan, Nick Reisinger of Washington, D.C., politely declined to give his opinion on the game. Reisinger was wearing an Aaron Rodgers jersey and was feeling the effects after enjoying what Las Vegas, ahem, has to offer, and sometimes it's best not to say anything.

Reisinger, 35, also knew to be silent while standing in a line 50-people deep at Mandalay Bay behind a much larger Chicago fan wearing a Mike Singletary jersey representing the hated Bears. The pained look on Reisinger's face said enough.

There also were two Cowboys fans at Mandalay, each probably hoping there would be some way the Packers and Steelers -- two franchises that kept Dallas from becoming the NFL's most celebrated team -- would lose.

Kelly Suman, 45, knows what it's like to be in enemy territory. The Steelers fan has lived in Philadelphia for about 20 years, and he was in Las Vegas visiting with old high school buddies from Pittsburgh.

"I'm glad we didn't go to Dallas," Suman said outside the MGM Grand sports book, happy to be in a much warmer climate than in North Texas.

At Lagasse's Stadium in the Palazzo, the restaurantlike atmosphere didn't make it feel like a pure sports book. Bets were made at a casual pace, and even in the stadium setting, most were caught up in their conversations and meals to notice UNLV's shellacking by Brigham Young on the massive main screen.

Jason Hethcoat sat at a bar away from most of the action drinking a Stella Artois beer and wearing dark sunglasses and a Lynn Swann jersey from the Steelers' glory days of the 1970s.

Hethcoat, 40, is on leave from South Korea, where he is stationed in the Army. In addition to visiting a friend to watch the Super Bowl together, Hethcoat said he was in Las Vegas for a number of reasons that probably shouldn't be listed in a family newspaper.

Oh, and he had Franco Harris and Bart Starr jerseys he could sell at a really good price.

His friend, Sam Andreano, 44, said he was here from the Los Angeles area because he was "on furlough from the warden, my wife." He seemed to be joking.

He better be joking.

As for the Super Bowl, they both liked the Steelers to win.

Hethcoat handed out his business card at the end of the interview, asking for a link of the article to be sent to him. He also might have some jerseys to unload.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@review journal.com or 702-387-2914.