"Media" infiltrates Super Bowl

Published 10 April 2007

Pranksters sneaked past Level One security disguised as reporters and distributed 2,350 light devices

As members of the media, we resent this. In an attempt to show-up Miami’s security authorities (a phrase that may itself be an oxymoron), a team of presumably merry pranksters claims to have sneaked into the recent Super Bowl and distributed 2,350 light devices contained in ninety-five boxes — devices that closely mimicked those that recently caused a large bomb scare in Boston. At the time, Dolphin Stadium was on the Level One security alert typically reserved for presidential inaugurations, yet by merely claiming to be news reporters, the hoaxters managed to evade a large team of federal marshals, DHS agents, bomb squads, police dogs, and a five-ton X-ray crane.

The lights were distributed to fans, who were told that collectively the lights would spell out the name of pop star Prince, who performed the halftime show. In fact, the lights spelled out a secret message that led television viewers to a promotional Web page for a book called Prank the Monkey. “We’re always hearing that the media doesn’t want to broadcast al-Qaeda videos on American airwaves because they might contain ‘secret messages’ for the terrorists,” said author Sir John Hargrave. “We wanted to show just how easy it is to broadcast a secret message, during the most heavily-watched, heavily-secured American event of the year. All the terrorists need is media credentials.”

Those interested in watching a five-minute video of the caper, including hidden camera footage, will find it here.