The cranes descended in the French neighborhood of New Orleans on Sunday night. Your work, according to a fun place? Drain the streets of the vehicles and awaken the way for an invasion.
It is expected that more than 100,000 fans descend in this basin before Super Bowl Sunday, when Kansas City bosses can make history and Philadelphia Eagles can take revenge.
The countdown began Monday night, when both teams, brass bands and a few thousand fans gathered in Caesars Superdome for the 'Opening Night'.
No city has had more practice than New Orleans to deal with the NFL caravan. This is the 11th Super Bowl here. It is nothing new for the people and cranes of Louisiana.
They know what can go wrong: 12 years ago, the lights inside the Superdome went out and 34 minutes on the Sunday of the Super Bowl were lost by blackout. They also know that some things do not change.
The chiefs are here for the fifth time in six seasons and, on Monday night, most of the cameras and most microphones swelled around a chair. As they did in Las Vegas last year.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles began the Super Bowl week on Monday night
A Reporter Scrum Listening to Eagles Star Saquon Barkley in Caesars Superdome
The rival quaterbacks Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes will meet in the Sunday season program
Shortly before 9 pm, Travis Kelce took a seat on podium four and chaos resumed.
Marmota's day arrived and left the weekend and, nevertheless, in New Orleans, a sensation of Deja Vu took time until Monday night. The same faces. The same goal. The same questions about Glory and Records and Taylor Swift.
Only on Monday night, Kelce was asked four times to name his favorite Kendrick Lamar song. Except, of course, a lot is different. Chiefs can become the first team in the history of Super Bowl to win three in the turn.
More significantly, much has changed here since the change of year, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar led his truck for Bourbon St and this city was devastated by a mortal terrorist attack. Last month, New Orleans turned white after the heaviest snow storm since 1895. Only a few days ago, a plane fell from the sky in Philadelphia.
These are difficult and different moments. And it is in this context of tragedy and trauma that New Orleans is the host of the old rivals.
The Chiefs and the Eagles are two years of the Super Bowl LVII, when Kansas City won 38-35 in Glendale, Arizona. Kelce is still here. So is Field Marshal Patrick Mahomes. So are chief coach Andy Reid and many of his list.
The Eagles are still led by Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni too. But since February 2023 they have lost Jason Kelce and won a new superstar.
It was no coincidence that the podium seat four was still warm when Kelce arrived. A reporter scrum had just spent an hour collecting Saquon Barkley's brain.
Chief Coaches Nick Sirianni and Andy Reid shake hands next to the Vince Lombardi trophy
The Chiefs Apartment, Matt Araiza, takes a selfie with Kansas City fans during the 'Opening Night' event
New Orleans artists and musicians helped mark the beginning of Super Bowl week on Monday
The corridor has enjoyed a notable first season in Philadelphia. Celta 28 years on Sunday and could enjoy everyone's best gift.
These are the weeks that Barkley has always dreamed, but I could never have imagined some of the questions that made their way in the Superdome.
Barkley was asked about his favorite Nickelodeon program and how 'he keeps fresh things in the bedroom'. Yes, really.
He discussed bunker quesadillas and shots. They gave him a helmet and a birthday towel and a necklace that said: 'MVP'. That is part for the course in this circus.
On Monday night, players were asked to sing AC/DC and play rock paper scissors. They were asked if they played Wordle and which team overcame Luka Doncic's trade.
Sirianni received a fan bag from fans from Mexico City; Kelce was asked for the chiefs game plan dressed as Sirianni. The NFL field marshal, Jameis Winston, made a couple of cameos that largely involved throwing cookies.
'Big Dom', the Eagles Security Director, patrolled the field, but nothing could protect their bombing players. Buried under the avalanche of nonsense, there were moments of crude shock and honesty.
Barkley, for example, spoke with emotion about his daughter Jada, remembering how he was there for him in 2020, when he broke his knee and learned to walk again.
Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders joined the players and the superdome coaches
Kelce did not avoid his university days and a failed drug test, here in 2010, which almost derail everything.
The conversation will eventually stop, but the questions will remain until Sunday night, when two good teams will meet again at the Superdome.
Can Patrick Mahomes do what Tom Brady could never and win three in a row? Can Eagles correct mistakes two years ago?
New Orleans is preparing for Mardi Gras next month, but first, another party. It started Monday night, when the spotlights illuminated the superdome roof and a silhouette of Julius César.
The only question that everyone really needs to answer? Who will use the crown on Sunday night?