'It's a thrill': These two friends have attended every Super Bowl

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+ LEARN MORE --> 'It's a thrill': These two friends have attended every Super Bowl February 6, 20264:47 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition

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+ (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) LEILA FADEL, HOST: On this Friday before the Super Bowl, it's time for StoryCorps. Eighty-nine-year-old Don Crisman and 86-year-old Gregory Eaton are part of a very small group that never miss a Super Bowl club. They've attended every single championship game for the past 60 years. DON CRISMAN: My wife says if I donated my Super Bowl time to charity, I would have been quite a human being. GREGORY EATON: (Laughter) It's a thrill to be able to say that this will be our 60th, and I'm proud of that. CRISMAN: There's only been six people in the history of the club. And we met you at Super Bowl 51 in Houston. We did some research and said, you're legitimate, and we decided to make a shirt and induct you into the club. EATON: And, Don, that was a great thing for me. I still have the pictures of all of us together that day. CRISMAN: The first Super Bowl started out like a college bowl game. They had two college bands. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) CRISMAN: They had a basket of pigeons they released. Now, I'd cry from where we are today. EATON: You remember when Prince were singing, let it rain, let it rain, and it started pouring. It just poured. CRISMAN: Oh, yeah, yeah. EATON: And we just laughed. CRISMAN: "Purple Rain" or something like that. Yes. EATON: Yeah. (SOUNDBITE OF SUPER BOWL 2007) PRINCE: Come on. (Vocalizing). EATON: Did you ever come close to missing a Super Bowl? CRISMAN: Oh, my God. Super Bowl 32. In the morning on game day, I pinned a little card on my shirt and said, need one ticket; I've never missed. A gentleman said, I have three friends who have a fourth ticket. At first, they didn't believe that I'd never missed a Super Bowl. So I said, can I get my briefcase? I can show you some photos. So I finally got the ticket. I sat with them, and there was one other benefit. They all had a flask of Chivas in their pocket. EATON: (Laughter). CRISMAN: I've been saying for many years that it's over. I had two or three health issues through the summer, and I thought that might prevent me from going. But then I could see my Patriots were doing well, and I certainly wouldn't want to miss them. And unfortunately, your Lions haven't made it yet. EATON: I will always be a Lion fan, but I really enjoy every game, even if my team wasn't in it or not. And, Don, I hope you'll go another year. CRISMAN: We'll see. It's pretty challenging. We've lost three members, but we're pulling it off for the last time. And I think the people in the club are just as important as the game. EATON: Amen. Well, Don, you're a great human being. Being with you guys is something I'll treasure for the rest of my life. CRISMAN: I've been lucky to have met you. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) FADEL: That's Gregory Eaton and Don Crisman. This weekend, they'll attend their 60th Super Bowl. Their interview is archived at the Library of Congress. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor MessageBecome

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