Scott Ellenburg, pro football nut, just found a new football watching buddy -- his wife, Jennifer.
You do cozy up to somebody even more than usual when that somebody wins free Super Bowl tickets courtesy of a Pepsi giveaway. And free airfare. And a free hotel room plus spending cash, and invitations to bigshot parties.
"I knew I married up 21-plus years ago," said Scott Ellenburg. "Now this is way up."
Jennifer, 43, is one of four winners of the Pepsi "Taste of the NFL" sweepstakes, a contest held in 11 states between October and November. By using her Food Lion MVP discount card during the contest period, Jennifer was automatically entered in the contest for the Feb. 1 game in Tampa, Fla.
"I could have bought Pepsi, Doritos, anything," Jennifer said. "It even could have been Scott at the store. We didn't even know we had entered. I never won anything before in my life."
But the MVP card is in her name.
Calls by the Ellenburgs to Pepsi, Food Lion and the sweepstakes company confirmed Jennifer had won. On Tuesday, a letter came in the mail from Food Lion reiterating that, yes, the contest was legitimate and their winning was legit, too.
Scott Ellenburg, who describes himself as "a huge Carolina Panthers fan," who attends two or three home games each season, is a 45-year-old industrial battery salesman. He is now, with a free trip valued at $6,000 to the most famous sporting event in the world, probably the most envied salesman in South Carolina.
Among the couple's neighbors south of Rock Hill are the parents of local NFL players Jonathan Joseph of the Cincinnati Bengals and Sheldon Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I always wanted to go to the Super Bowl," Scott said Tuesday. He looked at his wife. "I am still going, right?"
The Super Bowl is sold out, and tickets online sell for thousands of dollars. Scott Ellenburg got his dream out of a 12-pack of Pepsi and maybe some chips, bought on sale.
Jennifer Ellenburg works part time at a dental company. She knows the Panthers a little bit, but is not a rabid fan. Jennifer Ellenburg now has the widest smile at her job that fixes teeth.
The couple's daughter, Parker, 13, and son, Michael, 8, have to wait for their Super Bowl.
"Yes, you are going," Jennifer said to her happy husband.
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