Super Bowl XLIV Draws The Attention Of Secretary Of The Department Of Homeland Security

SB Nation's Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride is on the ground in South Florida, providing reports, commentary and impressions from Super Bowl week.

Local, state and federal agencies have descended upon South Florida in a coordinated effort with the NFL to provide a safe and secure Super Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Milt Ahlerich, NFL VP of security, told us this afternoon that NFL security has devoted two years of planning to make sure the event goes off without, uh, a bang.

In fact, this event drew the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

As we were waiting to enter the room the press conference was being held, this dog first had to sniff things out.

These K-9s will be at the stadium and are trainer in over 19,000 explosive. Ahlerich said that if you went to the shooting range the morning of the game, and then washed your hands, the K-9s would still sniff that out.

Impressive.

The NFL is dropping about $6 million of their own money into security for the Super Bowl, Ahlerich said. It’s a “very robust and well coordinated” plan of attack he told reporters.

He also said the most common items that will be confiscated at the gate are camera and binocular cases because of the difficulty screening those items.

I guess it’s safe to say you’re a VIP when a bomb sniffing dog needs to make its way through the room first.