Patriots make dream trip real for Hampden couple

Scott and Lisa Carter have been New England football fans since the big quarterback controversy was Steve Grogan vs. Tony Eason.

They have attended only a couple of games in their lives, but every year, Scott and his wife usually can be found in front of a television set on a Sunday afternoon – or the occasional Monday night – in the fall rooting for the Patriots.

This season, the Carters had an even greater rooting interest in the Pats than usual.

“I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember, so, yeah, we always watch and cheer for them,” said Scott Carter. “But this year, we were cheering a lot louder.”

Why the added emphasis this season? Well, the Hampden couple had a big personal stake in the Patriots’ success beyond seeing their favorite player, Tedy Bruschi, do well.

“Last February, we won a contest Pepsi and Hannaford Brothers were putting on for a trip to the Super Bowl, so ever since we found out we won, we’ve been hoping the Patriots would be there,” Scott explained. “We watched football this year with a whole different view, and we were really worried about Pittsburgh, but they made it there.”

So did the Carters. The lucky couple (they also won a trip to the Bahamas a few years ago) arrived in Jacksonville, Fla., around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, but not before an interesting, if not slightly harrowing eight-hour airplane trip.

“Our flight from Bangor went to Philadelphia, and going from Philadelphia to Jacksonville, the plane was jampacked with Philly fans,” Scott Carter said Thursday night from Jacksonville. “There were so many green shirts and jackets on the flight, we didn’t say much.”

The 44-year-old investment professional and certified estate planner did finally let a fellow passenger in on the secret.

“The girl next to me asked if we were going to the game,” Scott said. “I said we were, and then in a low voice I told her we were Patriots fans, but she didn’t rat me out.”

The woman and her boyfriend were among a small group of passengers who didn’t even have tickets to the game.

“She and her boyfriend were going to hang out at the stadium to see if anyone would give them their tickets if they were leaving early,” Scott said.

The Old Town native said the realization that he was going to a Super Bowl took awhile to sink in when he received a phone call from a Pepsi representative informing him he’d won the five-day, four-night prize package. Not until after he heard a taped congratulatory message from former NFL defensive back and commentator Deion Sanders did he start believing.

“We filled out a card at the Bangor Mall Hannaford store and I think they drew my name out of entries from five or six states,” Scott said. “After that first one, Lisa and I would fill another one out and put it in the box every time we went in.”

Almost 12 months later, the Carters are checking out the sights in downtown Jacksonville and attending the NFL Experience interactive fair-exhibition, for which they also were given tickets.

“The Pepsi people have been so nice. They gave us a big bag full of goodies and tickets to the NFL Experience and the Pepsi Super Bowl party Saturday night,” said Lisa, who hails from LaGrange.

Saturday night’s Pepsi party features current and former NFL players and is one of the more exclusive pre-Super Bowl parties with a 100-member guest list.

“The whole city is one big party,” said 44-year-old Scott Carter. “It’s really just a crazy atmosphere down here. Everybody’s dressed up in their team colors, and there’s banners everywhere you go. It’s incredible.

“They even parked three cruise ships down here to take care of the overflow crowd because there weren’t enough hotel rooms.”

If the free travel, accommodations, event and Super Bowl tickets weren’t already enough, the $750 in spending money provided by Pepsi should help. Oh, and the warm weather doesn’t hurt much either.

“We try to get away in the winter once in a while, and this was a perfect opportunity for us, so we expanded our trip to 10 days and we’re going to go to Orlando and visit some friends after Sunday,” Scott said.

The Carters don’t have their tickets yet. They won’t until after a Sunday breakfast.

“I think they do it that way so you don’t lose or sell them,” Scott said. “We met a couple from Arizona staying in the same hotel. They won the same contest and the guy said he was offered $5,000 for one ticket.”

Not that the Carters would be tempted by that kind of money.

“We’re thrilled just to be here,” Scott said. “But to go to our first Super Bowl and have the Patriots in it, well … I don’t even know how to describe it.”

How about priceless?