Three Fans Face Final Super Bowl After 60-Year Unbroken Streak
For three dedicated American football enthusiasts, the Super Bowl has been an annual pilgrimage for six full decades. Don Crisman from Maine, Gregory Eaton from Michigan, and Tom Henschel from Florida represent the last remaining members of an exclusive club: fans who have never missed a single Super Bowl since the inaugural championship game in 1967. As they prepare for what may be their final collective appearance at the big game, these octogenarian friends are confronting the reality that advancing years and physical limitations might finally end their remarkable streak.
The End of an Era for Football's Most Dedicated Supporters
This year's championship matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, marks a potential conclusion to an extraordinary chapter in sports fandom. Crisman, who turns ninety this year and has supported the Patriots since the franchise's inception, acknowledges that this will likely be his last Super Bowl attendance. "This will definitely be the final one," Crisman confirmed, having made the journey with his daughter Susan Metevier. "We made it to sixty."
Henschel, aged eighty-four, has faced significant mobility challenges following a stroke, making this year's trip particularly demanding. Both Crisman and Henschel have declared this their final Super Bowl expedition, though members of their group have made similar pronouncements in previous years. Eaton, at eighty-six, remains determined to continue attending as long as his physical condition permits, though he acknowledges the increasing difficulties.
Scaling Back Amid Rising Costs and Commercialisation
The trio has gradually modified their Super Bowl traditions in response to aging and the event's escalating commercial nature. Crisman, who once spent entire weeks immersing himself in the host city's festivities and pageantry, now limits his visit to just three or four days focused primarily on the game itself. "We don't go for a week anymore," he explained, highlighting how priorities have shifted over time.
Eaton, who continues to operate a ground transportation company in Detroit despite his colleagues' retirement status, echoed concerns about the Super Bowl's transformation. "I think all of them are big, they're all fun. It's just gotten so commercial," Eaton remarked. "It's a ten-thousand-dollar trip now." His enduring hope remains to witness his beloved Detroit Lions finally reach a Super Bowl championship game.
Friendships Forged Through Six Decades of Football
The three men's relationships have deepened through their shared Super Bowl experiences. Henschel and Crisman first connected at the 1983 championship game, while Eaton joined their circle in the mid-2010s after years of attending games separately. Their friendship has endured despite supporting rival teams—Henschel backs the Pittsburgh Steelers while Crisman remains loyal to the New England Patriots, creating an ongoing AFC rivalry between the friends.
Henschel acknowledged the particular challenges this year's game presents due to his health, but emphasized his excitement about reuniting with Eaton and Crisman one more time. "I don't talk or walk good," he stated frankly, underscoring the physical toll that age has taken on their annual tradition.
Memories of a Changing Sporting Landscape
The three fans' recollections often highlight how dramatically the Super Bowl experience has evolved since the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game in 1967. Henschel secured a twelve-dollar ticket for the 1969 Super Bowl on the actual day of the game—an unimaginable scenario in today's era of corporate ticket allocations and exorbitant prices. Crisman endured a twenty-four-hour train journey to reach Miami for the 1968 championship, while Eaton, as an African American fan, vividly remembers the years before Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1988.
Their exclusive club has steadily diminished over time, having once included other dedicated fans, media professionals, executives, and even groundskeepers. Photographer John Biever, who has captured every Super Bowl on film, also plans to conclude his sixty-game streak this year, further signaling the end of an era for those who have witnessed every championship firsthand.
A Bittersweet Family Legacy
For Crisman's daughter Susan Metevier, born in the year of the first Super Bowl, her father's unbroken attendance record has been a constant throughout her life. She recognizes the emotional significance of what may be their final game together. "It's kind of bittersweet," Metevier reflected. "It's about the memories. It's not just about the football, it's something more."
Crisman's son, Don Crisman Junior, fully supports his father's continued participation despite the challenges. "You know, he's a little long in the tooth," he acknowledged, "but the way I put it, if it was me and I was mobile and I could go, I would damn sure go." This family endorsement underscores how the Super Bowl streak has become intergenerational, representing more than mere sports fandom—it embodies dedication, friendship, and a unique chapter in American sporting history that may soon reach its conclusion.
