USC Brothers Among Hundreds Left Without Super Bowl Seats

It's a nightmare for any sports fan. Have the chance to see your hometown team play in the Super Bowl, then get denied access to the stadium. That's what happened to hundreds of fans on Sunday. And Dan and Brad Powell, of Upper St. Clair, were part of that group.

Their father has had Pittsburgh Steelers season tickets for years. The Powell brothers use those tickets every Sunday, and when the Steelers won the AFC Championship, they jumped on the chance to buy Super Bowl tickets at face value, $800 a piece.

Dan Powell said it was a fun trip to Dallas, until Sunday afternoon.

"It was about 2:30 p.m., we waited in line for a good hour and a half to get through security, then they said our tickets were no good, go to the other side of the stadium," Powell said.

After another long wait at the ticket resolution office, officials said the tickets had been reissued, and the Powell brothers rushed to the other side of the stadium to go through security again.

About 30 minutes into the game, they finally got to their seats. They handed their tickets to the usher who said, "Your section is still closed. Go wait in the pro shop."

"At this point, people are screaming, adults are crying like little kids because they couldn't see the Super Bowl," Powell said.

Officials herded the group of people into the Miller Lite Club, a bar that is below the field level.

"We were about eye level with the players' feet," Powell said. "You can't even see the field."

Eventually, Powell said what looked like NFL interns, came into the Miller Lite Club, and passed out letters. In the letters, an apology and a promise to refund the tickets for three times the face value.

"There was not much we could really do," Powell said. "We snapped a few pictures. I had a good time, but I could have watched the game from my basement for a lot less money."

The seatless fans got to go on the field after the Packers' celebration.

"That didn't make up for missing the game," Powell said.

Powell was instructed to call the Steelers. He said he spoke to a ticket agent who did not seem to know the situation, and she said she would "pass the story on."

The NFL has apologized to the fans who did not get to see the Super Bowl. Their seats were temporarily installed for the game, but were not finished in time. NFL officials said the fans now have two options. The first, a ticket to next year's Super Bowl and a cash payment of $2,400. The second, a ticket to any future Super Bowl, along with round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations.

Powell is still trying to figure out what will make up for his trip. Consider the flights, the hotel and the cab costs. Plus, he took off two days from work.

"I don't know what I"m looking for," Powell said. "I have two little kids at home, if I knew I was going to Dallas to watch the game in a bar, I wouldn't have gone."

However, the Powell brothers made the best out of their unfortunate situation, and Dan said they still had a great time together.