As a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott will likely never experience the Super Bowl as a player so the best he can do is either buy a ticket, or be invited to a pregame event.
Elliott is one of the few current, active athletes who will be joining the cast of “competitors” to participate in the “Shaq Bowl,” a giant corporate sponsored pregame party of promotions and games before the Super Bowl on Feb. 7.
The ex-NBA star and perpetual salesman, Shaq will be “hosting” the Shaq Bowl in Tampa at 2 p.m., a few hours before Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The three-hour event will livestream on ShaqBowl.com, Facebook, LiveXLive, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Twitter and a few others.
This Super Bowl promises to be like no other because of COVID restrictions, and yet corporate America still figured out a way to do what the Super Bowl is really all about — marketing products, and entertaining clients.
“All of that Super Bowl pregame stuff has been boring, so we’re going to change it up,” Shaq told us media on a Zoom call on Wednesday.
Shaq made sure to say that the performers will be following strict COVID protocols, and that there will not be a live audience at the event, which will be approximately 10 minutes away from the actual Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Elliott will join DJ Diplo, model/influencer Olivia Culpo, rapper Quavo, former MTV Jackass star Steve-O and wrestler The Miz on Team Kansas City.
On Team Tampa Bay will be actor Anthony Anderson, wrestler Drew McIntyre, rapper Nelly, rapper Offset, former NFL quarterback and current minor league baseball player Tim Tebow and model Winnie Harlow.
If those names don’t do it for you, former NFL receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and, of course, Terrell Owens will serve as hosts during the broadcast. (If they had asked him, TO would host, or play in, the Puppy Bowl.)
The event will consist of guys like Elliott and Tebow competing against each other in various games, none of which sound so strenuous that the Cowboys should fear their big cash running back will hurt himself.
Here is an sample of what these “teams” will be playing: dodgeball; a sports obstacle course that will include football, basketball and golf; eating hot wings; tug-of-war; a dance competition; a sit-up challenge; and a mechanical surfboard challenge.
“The best comparison is like game show challenges, like on Jimmy Fallon or Jimmy Kimmel, to keep it light and fun,” one of the event’s organizers and promoters, Adam Richman, said. “Keep it light and easy. We have to look out for our active players and WWE superstars to make sure no one gets hurt.”
Because he plays with the Cowboys, Zeke probably won’t ever lift the Lombardi trophy, but maybe he’ll get the ShaqBowl trophy.
