3 friends who have attended every Super Bowl share memories ahead of the big game

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - As tens of thousands of football fans head to the Super Bowl on Sunday, three longtime loyalists of the NFL’s biggest game will be among them.

The three men, who are all in their 80s, are the remaining members of the “Never Miss a Super Bowl Club,” and they’re thrilled to be in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, WVUE reports.

“It’s great to get with these guys again,” said 88-year-old Donald Crisman, of Maine. “I’m probably one of the original members.”

He is joined by 82-year-old Tom Henschel, of Pennsylvania, and 85-year-old Gregory Eaton, of Michigan. Each has a Super Bowl attendance streak that’s hard to beat.

The trio has attended all 58 Super Bowls and is eager to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off in the 59th. Two of the three want the Eagles to win, while the third wants the Chiefs to have a three-peat.

When it comes to Super Bowl host cities, they have a clear favorite.

“It’s my favorite city to watch the Super Bowl. I mean, the people here, the weather’s usually good,” Eaton said of New Orleans.

Henschel agreed.

“My favorite city is New Orleans, and nobody can party like New Orleans,” he said.

But Henschel says he once feared he wouldn’t make it to a Super Bowl in the city. It was 1972.

“I drank too much, Super Bowl VI. I wake up early in the morning, downtown New Orleans. I couldn’t breathe,” he said.

He was hospitalized but refused to miss the game.

“I took the IV out of my arm ... and I bailed out of that hospital,” Henschel said.

Eaton said his Super Bowl streak is just as unwavering.

“My family, they’ll know—if you have a wedding, a funeral or something, Gregory won’t be there,” Eaton said.

Before the Caesars Superdome was built, the first three Super Bowls in New Orleans were held at Tulane Stadium. Crisman recalled a particularly unusual moment at one of those games.

“The balloon going in the stadium, and it was still flaming. I thought some people were going to get injured,” he said.

Henschel also remembered a surprising upset.

“Super Bowl IV here at Tulane in New Orleans, Kansas City was a 14-point underdog, and they beat the NFC’s Minnesota,” he said.

The Super Bowl experience has changed drastically since the trio attended the inaugural game.

“I had no dream it would be what it is today,” Crisman said.

Even after all these years, the three still buy their own tickets. Two of them say they’ve only received tickets from the NFL once.

“Once,” Crisman said.

“One time,” Henschel echoed.

Eaton was quick to clarify: “Zero.”

As they look forward to Sunday’s game, they hope their streak continues for many more Super Bowls to come.

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