>> reporter: something to think about in a mardi gras split apart by a super bowl this year. they're doing it in two parts. next sunday's game will be like the tasty surprise in the middle of a mardi gras cookie. what you see here tonight, just a hint of the crowds we expect later in the week, when they say, we won't be able to see our feet on the street. >> you're not going to be able to walk. >> reporter: well, a lot of these people can't walk right now. >> well, that's because they're drunk. >> oh. that is my favorite city on the planet. >> i know it is. my second-favorite city. >> yes. they are doing their thing this week. all eyes on new orleans. make us proud, new

mardi gras and super bowl xlvii. and this is how they prepare for that. >>> reporter: mardi gras is well under way in new orleans, two weeks of nonstop parades, booze and beads. but this year, the festivities serve as bookends for the super bowl. >> we control crowds better than anybody in the world hands down no question about it. and this year, we want to do something even more. >> reporter: that's because 150,000 people are expected for the big game alone and even more for the last week of mardi gras. >> our police department has more experience than any other police department in the nation in managing large crowds because we do mardi gras every year. it's the equivalent of a super bowl every year. >> reporter: they are working around the clock including the dozens of mounted officers lining the streets in the french quarter. here safety is priority. there's one trick to keeping the peace in new orleans. >> our officers learn from their first days of service that when you're in a huge crowd of people by yourself,

mardi gras is put away for now and now people are going to start focusing on football. >> are you ready for media day this morning? that's just crazy. >> reporter: am i ready for what? >> media day with all the people that come from all over the world? they congregate at the superdome. that might be more dennis' domain in sports but it's a crazy day there. >> reporter: you know, that's what we have been seeing a lot more than football fans is all the media come in and they are coming in from everywhere. they need to focus on the game. >> can't forget about that. thank you, michelle. check back in with you a little bit, michelle griego live in new orleans. >>> both teams are now in new orleans to get ready for the super bowl on sunday. the 49ers got there on sunday. the ravens are arrived yesterday afternoon after practice and meeting in baltimore in the morning. the ravens coach john harbaugh talked about his childhood days in michigan playing against his younger brother jim the 49ers coach. >> jim was ahead of his time. he was bigger, stronger than all the kids his age, didn't hang aro

everyone is really focused on mardi gras. you wouldn't even know a big game is coming in less than a week. and we did pick up some beads. so i have some beads for you coming into san francisco. but, you know, we keep talking super bowl. and everyone says let's get through mardi gras first. it's chilly this morning but it gets warmer throughout the day which is great. we're getting a little breeze off of the mississippi right now so we can feel a little breeze but we know how that goes in the bay area, right, lawrence? >> we do. one party at a time-out there, huh, michelle? they know how to celebrate. i hope you're having a good time. if you are heading out the door today we have a lot of clouds streaming overhead. the temperatures not as cold. we have some 30s and 50s outside. looking forward to some warmer days ahead. we are going to talk about that coming up in just a moment. aliza? >> good morning, everyone. just a small hiccup for the east bay commute in san lorenzo. a car hit a light pole with a small power outage at hes

but they are too busy with mardi gras right now. but i think things will die down in the next couple of days when it comes to mardi gras and then they can focus on the big game. and we have seen banners around, 49ers banners so, you know, they are ready for football. >> now, you have one set of beads so far? y need to work it. >> no, i have many, many beads. they are on the floor right now. i can't reach them. every color you can think of, green, purple, gold, and i also got thrown some beads that had little footballs on it. so we're doing well. >> that doesn't surprise me, i'm sorry to say. >> hey. when you're in rome, right? [ laughter ] >> exactly. enjoy. >> all right. all right. so new orleans is like i said it's preparing for about 150,000 to 200,000 people to visit their city. more than $400 million is supposed to be coming in just from tour unfortunately alone because of super bowl xlvii. but new orleans isn't the only city cashing in on the super bowl. so is san francisco and cbs 5's elissa harrington is in san francisco wit

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well you've heard of mardi gras, right? mardi gras and the super bowl will be underway at just about the very same time. the partyers taking a break from the game will party on. there will be 500 floats. they'll roll continuously until february 2nd. the niners and ravens play the super bowl on the 3rd, and when that game is history, they'll still be partying with mardi gras. this is a little bit of new orleans right here in san francisco. it's the boxing room restaurant. but san francisco is going to new orleans -- for those going to new orleans, he has some suggestions suggestion. >> my advice is to not have a plan. just walk around the city and enjoy it for its natural beauty of being an old city. meet people on the streets. not have a plan, just go with it. >> reporter: in the big easy, you don't need a plan. kelly meyers says you just go with the flow. >> eat a lot. definitely hit the hole in the walls. drink a lot. that's always fun. walk around. definitely hit up red fish grill, one of our favorites. get some charbroi

ravens, 49ers fans and mardi gras-goers. thank you, michelle griego live in new orleans. >>> before the 9ers landed in the big easy they got a ceremonial sendoff in the south bay. the team boarded a delta charter in san jose yesterday for what could be the ride of their lives. if they win that game. as the plane taxied the runway a couple of fire trucks bid farewell with a two hose salute. dozens of fans showed up to show their support outside the 49er training facility in santa clara. decked out in 9er gear fans waited to catch a glimpse of the players as they drove by. colin kaepernick had fun. coach jim harbaugh keeping a lower profile. the coach all business right now. fans didn't seem to mind. they just wanted to wish their teams the best of luck. >> doing what you're doing, you got great fans cheering you on. >> good luck and play hard. don't give up on yourself. >> those fans did their best to show their love as the buses finally rolled by beginning a journey hopefully to a big super bowl winner on sunday. 9ers did ho

the conversions of mardi gras and the super bowl all in one weekend. the reason i really love this steamboat is it kind of gives you a nice flavor of all the best that new orleans has to offer. come on in and i'll show you what i'm talking about. we've got the steamboat stompers inside playing. what would new orleans be without some good jazz music, right? these guys have been playing throughout the duration of this two-hour long afternoon jazz cruise. take a listen. ♪ >> reporter: wouldn't be mardi gras, wouldn't be new orleans without jazz. and of course, there's nothing quite like new orleans than the mississippi river. to chat more about the steamboat, we've got the captain himself, captain don. captain, i've got to ask. you've been around for a while. you know the waters well. are you guys ready? is this city ready to handle super gras? >> oh, yeah. we've done it before. we'll do it again. >> reporter: most people think it ain't no thing but you have a million people coming here. >> nobody is phased by it. every year we have mardi gras with over a

we have been talking mardi gras the last couple of days but now it's all about football.ts fans, you know what they're saying? that they are not going to root for the 9ers. why is that? >> ma'am, in our division long rival just can't do it. >> even if i say, please say, go 9ers. >> no, joe montana, steve young connected our butts for how many years? no way! >> reporter: you guys are born and raised here in new orleans. you know how to throw a good party. >> oh, yes. the best. >> reporter: all right. i won't hold it against you. i won't hold it against you that you're not going to root for the 9ers but hey, go 9ers. >> eh, go ravens! >> reporter: no, you can't say that on our air. what's going on here, frank? >> well, you met a couple of guys that root for an nfc team and i think if you go back to last year we kicked new orleans' back side in the play- offs. so i don't blame them. they had a tough year, so. >> reporter: yeah. so it's just bitterness i guess. >> there we go. >>> we have a lot of cloud cover at this hour, numbers in the 30s and 40s so not as cold as yesterda

so you had the cruise ships, the parades from mardi gras, and the super bowl. the other thing, the 49ers are going to be hosting a super bowl at some point when they finish that stadium. there are lessons to be learned. for the 10th time, the super bowl is coming to the city, so they have a lot of good things to learn, san francisco does, from this town. >> absolutely. learn from the best. learn from new orleans. you guys look like you're having so much fun and it's just monday! >> reporter: just monday. we have a long way to go. >> it is? one day at a time, liz. one day at a time. >> just getting started, dennis. all right. have fun. >>> well, last week we told you about the mayor of san francisco and his call to bar owners to be careful. he doesn't want them to overserve anybody. well, tonight the city's bartenders tell sharon chin they have a message for the mayor. >> reporter: he says this would sidesline his mission district business. >> by not allowing us to do our job. >> reporter: he is an ambassador to the u.s. bartenders guild. he represents one of th

. >> people think of mardi gras as a vantage point as the people and floats go by people throwing beads up to the balconies, right? >> this is usually what they do on the balcony. can i just demonstrate in. >> absolutely. >> they are usually up here saying yeah, yeah, yeah. and then they throw them. we are on the balcony of the royal sonesta hotel. it's a gorgeous hotel and that's because our field producer wilson walker our photographer rick villaroman, i always want to call him villanova, they talked their way into this place. pretty good. >> he should say. wow, you got the right guys there. and weather is the big story there. i know all the espn, all the big networks and what not have all moved inside because it's supposed to come down on you peretti good. >> yeah, they had to make a contingency plan because of this weather that's coming in. we have been checking the doppler and it's coming. it's not too far away. so we're ready. we're prepared. we're under an awning. so hey we're cover, we're on bourbon street. but yeah, all of the media there, they are making other plans today. yes

. >> reporter: then just nine days later, mardi gras. in one million visitors, 100 million viewers worldwide, and nearly $1 billion in revenue. what can you imagine that time period is going to be like? >> really a really good decision or really bad one. you get to decide. >> this is a country unto itself. new orleans from uptown to st. bernard parish line, there's always something going on. >> reporter: even in a city used to throwing big parties, super-gras may not be so easy. in terms of the impact on locals, this did change the parade schedule. normally the first parade kicks off on the day of super bowl february 3. so to accommodate, city officials decided to move the first parade, it happened on january 25. and we are sleeping and staying right in the french quarter. i can say firsthand the parades are no less strong. they are just as loud and as colorful as years past. >> did you say sleeping? >> reporter: yeah, attempting. >> or trying to. thank you very much, vinita nair. >>> in case you're wondering who to pick for super bowl x

a lot of people are celebrating mardi gras here. it's quiet now. take a look behind me. but you can see some of this charm that new orleans has to offer, much like san francisco. and also like san francisco, new orleans is a famous location for hollywood filmmakers. in fact, the big easy is now being called hollywood south. >>> reporter: with hit shows and movies, new orleans is becoming known as hollywood south. >> something to be really thought of. >> reporter: movie projects here more than tripled from ten years ago thanks to a tax incentive to moviemakers. >> the people coming in to make movies here are basically just tourists. >> reporter: that from a man who knows something about making movies. we ran into george lucas walking the streets of the french quarter. he says hollywood projects do bring in money, but it doesn't last. >> all it does is help the merchants make money. but if you want to get local talent, acting, camera, you know, directors, writers, bringing people in hollywood doesn't help you at all. >> reporter: to do that, the city is trying to localize

mardi gras. >> happy mardi gras. years he's written the go-to guide for all things carnival. >> for the uninitiated, mardi gras, mardi gras season, carnival. >> carnival is the whole season. it started on january 6, the feast of epiphany. it's french for fat tuesday. comefully indicated but we enjoy. >> this year mardi gras falls on february 12 but it was expanded to make room for the super bowl. 12 parades were moved. not an ideal situation for some but a changed hardy says had to be made. >> would it have been impossible to do mardi gras, the season, without splitting it up? >> no, absolutely not. not in downtown new orleans. you can't fit 20 ounces of water in a 16-ounce cup. >> during the event which some are calling super gra. the city anticipated over half a million tourists. all hotel rooms are sold out but the locals are offering more than just hospitalipitalithospi. take this. a 365-foot-long float. it cost $1.5 million to build and creators say it is the biggest float in the world. >> the inish plan was to

it is mardi gras here. there will be no parades during super bowl weekend. they had to make a bit of a shift here because the nfl is taking a bit of precedents going into super bowl weekend. >> have you seen any ravens fans down there yet? >> we saw a few on the flight down here, but when you see the parade we were just that, we walked the route looking for people. a lot of purple, but the purple is the color of mardi gras. everyone keeps saying they are a st. span. we will find some. i know it's early. >> i'm looking for birds your reports. we will talk to you later. for complete super bowl coverage, had to our web site, wbaltv.com. you can read previews and look at slide shows that of the big game. ns." click on "rave congressmen elijah cummings stopped by today. his thoughts on the passing away rev. vernon johnson. >> republicans and democrats seem to agree on the key points for immigration. there are over 200 varieties of gourmet coffee that have earned the "keurig brewed" seal of approval. the keurig brewed seal is our commitment that the coffee inside

you've heard of mardi gras. in fact, mardi gras and the super bowl will be under way around the same time. the partiers taking a break for the game partying on. parades are under way daily rolling continuously until february2. the 9ers and ravens play the super bowl on the 3rd. and when that game is history, they will still be partying with mardi gras. this is a little bit of new orleans right here in san francisco. it's the boxing room restaurant on grove. for san franciscans going to new orleans, chef justin has some suggestions. >> new orleans is a beautiful place to eat, drink, listen to live music. don't have a play, go slow, walk around the city. enjoy it for its beauty, natural beauty of being an old city. meet people and just not have a plan and just go with it. >> reporter: the land of the big easy you don't need a plan. shelley says just go with the flow. >> eating a lot, definitely hit the local holes in the wall, poboy shops, drink a lot. you can see go drink so that's always fun walk around, zachary

this is only the second time insuperable and mardi gras have collided. the last time was 9/11. the had parade yesterday and saturday and now they will go into a hiatus and that it will the mardi gras up until february 12. >> how is that jambalaya? >> i have for lunch, i have for dinner. >> thank you. >> we are learning more but a frightening shooting at a d.c. nightclub. >> we're learning more about the events that led to the gunfire. we have the latest now on the investigation. >> witnesses say it was a scene of chaos with bullets flying everywhere. this was the violent and to what was supposed be a birthday party. we spoke with one woman who was wounded twice. >> it could have been a lot worse. >> the 26-year-old says she is lucky to be alive. >> all i heard was pow, pow, pow. the bullet bounced off something and then hit me. >> the mother of four was wounded in the chest and arm and was one of five people shot at the nightclub early saturday. >> this woman says she could have easily been shot. the club was closing down and there was fight and gunfire from a man she didn't re

it is all about mardi gras.pens is they celebrate mardi gras for two weeks until fat tuesday, february 12. they are celebrating a week old doing super bowl for a week and celebrating mardi gras again. there are several parades a day during the week and i can tell you there's a motto here in new orleans, it's let the good times roll. they know how. >> where are you? i have been to new orleans before. what are your impressions of the crescent city so far? >> reporter: you know, i have never been here before so we have been here a couple of days now. the people are just so friendly, so accommodating, so inviting. here they are about to welcome 150 to maybe even 200,000 out of towners to the city for the super bowl and everyone is so nice, fr

>>reporter: something to think about in mardi gras split apart by superbowl this year. it in two parts. next sunday game will be like that tasty surprise in the middle of a mardi gras cookie. what you see here tonight just a hadn't of the crowd we expect later in the week when they say we won't be able to see our feet on the strichlt won't be able to walk. >> a lot of the people captain walk right now. >> that's because they are drunk. >> or to put it another way. some of the people in new orleans are feeling just as foggy as the sign. this is a town where there has to be a morning after. every morning? in new orleans, wayne friedman abc 7 news. >> and my sources tell me that bead exchange is once again in full force tonight. now coming up later on. more serious subject. coach harbaugh talks about president obama comment suggesting football may too dangerous for little kids. we'll get to that as well as a prediction from former niners coach and later on in sports. we are live in new orleans. back to you. >> excellent thanks larry. >> we are retweeting all the update fro

well, you heard of mardi gras, right? mardi gras and the super bowl will be underway at the same time. parades are underway daily. 30 parades in all with 500 floats. they will continually. the niners and ravens play the super bowl on the third and when that game is history, they will be partying with mardi gras. >> this is a little bit of new orleans in san francisco. it's a restaurant. for san franciscoens going to new orleans, the chef has some suggestions. >> new orleans is a beautiful place to eat, drink, listen to live music. my advice is not have a plan and go with the flow. walk around the city. enjoy it for its beauty of being an old city. meet people on the streets and just not have a plan and just go with it. >> you.net need a plan, you just go with the flow. >> eating a lot. definitely hitting the hole in the wall shops, drinking a lot. that's always fun. walk around at 10:00 a.m. with your drinks. get some char broiled oysters and have a fantastic time. >> there's your come ploat guide to having a good time. d

>>reporter: something to think about in mardi gras split apart by superbowl this year. doing it in two parts. next sunday game will be like that tasty surprise in the middle of a mardi gras cookie. what you see here tonight just cwd w of the crowd we expect later in the week when they say we won't be able to see our feet on the strichlt won't be able to walk. >> a lot of the people captain walk right now. >> that's because they are drunk. >> or to put it another way. some of the people in new orleans are feeling just as foggy as the sign. this is a town where there has to be a morning after. every morning? in new orleans, wayne friedman abc 7 news. and and my sources t bead exchange is once again in full force tonight. now coming up later on. more serious subject. coach harbaugh talks about president obama comment suggesting football may too dangerous for little kids. to a prediction from former niners coach and later on in sports. we are live in new orleans. back to you. >> excellent thanks larry. >> we are retweeting all the update from lar which, wane and rest of the

small army of law enforcement is getting ready. >> reporter: security plans for the super bowl and mardi gras weekends have been in the works for more than a year in new orleans. more than 1200nopd officers will be working 12 hours shifts starting the wednesday night before super bowl sunday. >> basically, you're going to see 400-plus police officers every hour. day in the downtown core, in the french quarter. >> reporter: the superintendent ronald sirpas says hundreds of officers will be part of the detail and up to 90 deputies in new orleans super bowl week. more than 200 louisiana state troopers will be in town. >> we are bringing 20% of the entire complement of commission state police around the state into the city. that's a real commitment from the state of louisiana to support the city because it's important for all us. we're glad to be part of it. >> reporter: cops from across the state line will also help secure the city. >> we are going to be using the highway patrol motorcycle units to move the vips owners, some of the talent around, the teams, because traffic is going to be a

putting it in the middle of mardi gras, the largest freak show on earth.ry of the super bowl, the story of the super bowl is bigger than the city of new orleans? isn't it? >> the city of new orleans is bigger than the story of the super bowl. that's what you meant to say. right, gayle? >> exactly what i meant to say. >> thank you. the super bowl is really just an important part of how a city rallied with a football team and with the community. the communal space we gather. we got to see each other, the faithful game when we beat atlanta and have a chance to win again. in the past seven years you've seen the people of new orleanss in a much more, doing heroic thing to get the city stood back up. you can't put this on if you're not clicking on our four krillcylinders. >> guards from katrina still and you have to know people need 0 know the story. >> no question. katrina and rita did not cause all of new orleans problems like every american city we struggled with infrastructure health care education. one of the things that's happened is the people of new orle

. >> our great city, new orleans, is ready for mardi gras and we're ready for the super bowl xlvii.rantee it. >> reporter: 5,000 members of the media are starting to arrive. >> and it's, in fact, the largest media platform in history. the tv viewership was over 1 heaven million viewers. >> reporter: stories are being told on the international stage about new orleans. as super bowl 47 approaches. >> reporter: and to -- judge and to take this opportunity to show the rest of the world how far new orleans has come. >> for a city that seven years ago was 15 feet under water and the last on every list in mark that mattered. we find ourselves in -- in america that mattered. we find ourselves on the world stage. >> reporter: the goal is to welcome every football fan from the airport to the hotels and streets with vip treatment. projects to prepare included $305 million in renovations at the airport. $336million at the super dome and hall a of the convention center underwent $93 million of renovations. >> between the state, the federal government, and the city of new orleans, we invested $75

and they're calling it super gras because it is super bowl, mardi gras so you have all of the mardi gras decorations. the parades took a break. they're on a break for this week but they'll start up next week and the following week is mardi gras. but people are just excited. everybody wants to know where you're from, who you're rooting for. the city seems to be behind the baltimore ravens. i think that's because they're not in the same conference as the nfc new orleans saints. it can be okay to root for the ravens. plus, purple is part of the colors of mardi gras so it fits right in. they're having a blast. everyone is so wonderful. they talk to you on the streets when they find out you're from home. where did you go to high school, where did you live, are you glad to be back. and we're meeting so many people from maryland. i met three women yesterday, bowie, gaithersburg, another part of maryland. they go wait, wait, we know you. it's fun. >> i don't know if there's a sanitary way to bring back maybe some gumbo, that would be wonderful. i don't know if that works but we'd love that. >> i

thousands of people will be in the big easy for mardi gras. natasha robin takes a look. >> reporter: for two years the city planned for it, worked on it. and the mayor says completed a task that other cities would consider overwhelming. >> our great city, new orleans, is ready for mardi gras, and we're ready for the super bowl xlvii, i guarantee, nobody has done both of these things at the same time ever. >> reporter: 5,000 members of the media are starting to arrive. >> it's the largest media platform in history. the tv viewership for the last super bowl was over 111 million viewers. >> reporter: stories are being told on the international stage about new orleans, as super bowl xlvii approaches. >> take this opportunity to show the rest of the world how far new orleans has come, for a city that seven years ago was 15 feet underwater and the last on every list in america that mattered. and now we find ourselves in a city that's on the world stage. >> reporter: the city's goal is to welcome every football fan from the airport to the hotels and

between, you know, mardi gras and the super bowl, mardi gras had to be pushed up a week so we've gote month of partying which we're used to. new orleans ans can handle it. >> hey, if anyone has serious concerns about the traffic in an already challenging city when it comes to big events, well, they need not worry at least in terms of the terms of the mardi gras parades. those have been put on hold for this week. they resume the parades after the game is played sunday. >> i hope they have the 49ers staying at a hotel a little farther away from the incoming ravens, because that's going to be some busy gettin'. lucky man, have that assignment. thank you. >>> on the eve of super bowl xlvii, cnn is live in new orleans. what it means to that city and how it became such a cultural fphenomenon and more. kickoff in new orleans, cnn bleacher report. it's saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm eastern. apshot, from progres. my insurance company told me not to talk to people like you. you always do what they tell you? no... try it, and see what your good driving can save you. you don't even have to switc

>>reporter: something to think about in mardi gras split apart by superbowl this year. doing it in two parts. next sunday game will be like that tasty surprise in the middle of a mardi gras cookie. what you see here tonight just a hadn't of the crowd we expect later in the week when they say we won't be able to see our feet on the strichlt won't be able to walk. >> a lot of the people captain walk right now. >> that's because they are drunk. >> or to put it another way. some of the people in new orleans are feeling just as foggy as the sign. this is a town where there has to be a morning after. every morning? in new orleans, wayne friedman abc 7 news. >> and my sources tell me that bead exchange is once again in full force tonight. now coming up later on. more serious subject. coach harbaugh talks about president obama comment suggesting football may too dangerous for little kids. we'll get to that as well as a prediction from former niners coach and later on in sports. we are live in new orleans. back to you. >> excellent thanks larry. >> we are retweeting all the upda

we're in the middle of the mardi gras parade season.e of the last ones they'll have for a bit sunday. you see some of the floats and the bands going by. takes about two months for those floats to go from a thought and idea to being painted and out on the street. good stuff over there in new orleans. they're going to take about a week long break of the parties and parades on mardi gras on canal street there for the super bowl. it will be too much craziness with both events going on at the same time. they'll resume up with mardi gras parades up until fat tuesday which falls on february 12th this year. it's a big bummer for 49er players who got off the team plane last night at 7:00 a half hour before schedule because they missed that last mardi gras parade on canal street last night. the team -- i don't think they would partake in that too much. they talked to the media an hour later. the big theme the team talked about is that this is a business trip for them. trying to take everything normal for them. easier said than done. they are stay

they can fit right in with the mardi gras atmosphere. as for the city of south new orleans, they are qualified to hold a big event like this. we go live to explain why. >> it seems like it is everybody's favorite city. it is beautiful. you can see it is decorated for the super bowl. this will include the ravens and forty-niners colors. you can see the purple and gold. it is quiet. tomorrow is going to be of that house when they gather for media day. they will face the assembled masses. i am not seeing too many fans. we expect they will start trickling in tomorrow. that is all right. that to share some of the things that make this town unique. there may be no other american city like new orleans. it is a place you can enjoy a of steel drummer and steps away a jazz combo. stroll through the french market, and you will encounter the magic of this guitar-violin to row. and you're also likely to meet command who calls himself a catfish. -- to meet the man who calls himself catfish. he is the greater at the bistro. he can tell you about the ot

this was held next to the convention in a mardi gras warehouse. this is where they build the floats for the mardi gras celebrations. and while the party was being held, they were still building the floats inside this giant warehouse. you have the super bowl that is coming up this sunday and then mardi gras celebrations right after that. huge back to back celebrations in new orleans. that is another sign the city has for the most part recovered from hurricane katrina. >> it's wonderful for the city. the tourism and it puts on a happy face for everyone. let them see we are back. we are gad to go. we are ready for visitors. >> we got a field of destiny. we are just riding on his back. >> >> the party went on well into the evening. dan who is well known for being a blues fan and a blues singer was also there. and sang a couple songs for the folks there. today there is a press conference going on in two or three hours at the marriott hotel. we will be hearing later on today from the 49ers their thoughts on where things stand as they get ready for super

i understand what the requirements are and i have, we do kwanzu, we do batuzi in the corridor, mardi gras san francisco style. some of those buildings were there before there was a fillmore corridor and there were certain things promised to the community. i have a tendency to get those things done for me but overall one of the things i have a problem with, there's no enforcement. for instance, i know for a fact that $4 million was put in a fund from the jewish community high school to aid certificate holders and even with the 1300 going up, that building, we were promised that 13 of those certificate holders would be put in that building. well, they can't find any. now we have apartments going up on turk street, $4 million is still in the kitty to help these people to come back but why aren't those funds being done? i saw an email from gia which really worried me in the respect you are turning away people because they can't afford the down payments, they can't afford to be there so what is that 4 million which was allocated specifically for the stake holders, i mean for the certifica

. >> iconic celebration for new orleans year after year has been mardi gras. plopped into the middle of it all. we have not only parades and excitement of that family celebration which is mardi gras but all of the excitement of the nfl. >> i think it's the perfect storm of party atmosphere between the super bowl, mardi gras and the general atmosphere of new orleans anyway. so, yeah, it's just the greatest. >> reporter: this three-week party dubbed super gras by locals is expected to bring well over half a billion in economic activity. that's music to the ear of city leaders who are still working hard to attract pre-katrina visitor numbers. >> we've used the super bowl as our goal line but this will have benefit and impact for many more years to come. >> reporter: giving residents of the ten-time super bowl city something to clear about long after the last fan goes home. carlos diaz, cnn, new orleans. >> all right. new orleans, a lot going on right now. want. ♪ ♪ >> so we told you besides the super bowl, carnival season, mardi gras day. new orleans has to offer

the whole deal is this seems early for mardi gras, but this is the official sort of kick off to the mardiras season. >> hoda, you do not get a body like this eating cake. sitting in for kathy lee. i loved my time with hoda. and the reason was i think you and your cakes gave me the perfect preparation for interviewing people like mahmoud ahmadinejad. >> can i say how fun it was? you have a weird way, i have to point out, when we had a guest, it started off fun and somehow you found a way to curve in and go right for it. i remember taking note when i watched you do it. >> what i loved about you on there, it's interesting about the premise of your book, really smart, underpinning it is a love of news and journalism. that's really what you're about. >> i spent my whole career traveling the world and covering great stories and i loved it. i loved every minute of it. when i decided to switch gears and laugh and scratch and drink with kathy lee, it was a little unnerving because i was so used to doing what i was used to, but i realized you're doing the same thing, except it's lighter fare, and w

mardi gras is also under way. it is crowded there. carnaval got rolling last friday. the parties and parades continued day and night until mardi gras day which this year by the way is february 12. michelle is spending this week learning everything about the crescent city collecting beads too. she started off at the beginning finding out the correct way to just say new orleans. >> how do you say the name? >> new orleans. >> new orleans. >> new orleans. >> new orleans. >> not naw-lins. >> nouvelle orleans. >> that's the french way. >> how would a local say it? >> we're from new orleans, darling. new orleans. what else you want to know? >> new or-lins. not new or-leans. >> how do you say the city's name probably? >> new orleans. you don't say new or-leans. you say new orleans. >> we're from new orleans, darling! >>> got you covered on everything big easy this week. michelle will have live reports starting at 4:30 a.m. this week until 7 a.m. taking in all the sights, sounds, the food and all the fun. she may sneak in a little sleep, too. keep it right here on cbs 5. you d

know, we can't forget here that not only are we dealing with the super bowl, but also dealing with mardi gras as well. security is definitely going to be a premier yum. i spent the better half of the morning and i can't have with officials and police. let me tell you. they have this thing covered. >> as super bowl sunday nears in new orleans, its police department is gearing up for what could be a record number of visitors as not lonl ravens and 49ers fans be in town but oh, yeah, it is mardi gras too. >> basically the police department is the best department in the world in handlinging large crowds. >> the superintendent spoke with 11 news about how his department is all too familiar with large crowds and this time will be no different. mounted units will be out in full first to control crowds and officers will make it a point to be seen. >> you will see on every corner there will be police officers. we wear the green reflective vests so that we're easy to see. >> there are agents in town helping assist local law enforcement sething up security buffers around -- setting up 300 feet. >>

. >> typically, around one million people visit new orleans in the days leading up to mardi gras. this year, officials say another 150,000 will be in town for the super bowl. >>> football fans and mardi gras revelers dealing with a lot of rain today, heavy rain, the stormed barreled through the french quarter this morning producing rain and lightning in new orleans, coming down. despite the ominous storm, though, nobody is more focused and excited for the days ahead than head coach jim harbaugh. nobody. >> you know, just feel the enthusiasm, feel the energy from our coaches, from our players. >> reporter: he is intense and tightly wound but something about the rare air of the pending super bowl has niners head coach jim harbaugh letting it go were very excited. everybody is attacking this day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. just fires me up. i'm just very fired up this morning to get over there to the saints facility with our team and practice. it could be an exceptional one. it could be an extraordinary wednesday for us. >> reporter: harbaugh's 49ers are just four days awa

. >> the super bowl and mardi gras is happening at the same time. jennifer franciotti explains. >> good morning, i'm sarah caldwell. >> i am stan stovall. >> you will notice a difference when you step outside today. there is a little bit of fog in some neighborhoods. humidity is 97%. most of you will have day dry dry day. >> good morning. we have a problem spot to talk about on route 40. there is a bad accident. lane closures are possible. the major roads are checking out ok. 95 north, six minutes. no problems on the major roadways. the inner and outer loops are very light in volume. the beltway on the west side, you can see both loops are moving just fine. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> today marks the first full day of super bowl week. >> the ravens left baltimore with an amazing sendoff yesterday. the excitement of the offense was not diminished. >> sarah sampson has more. we begin with jennifer franciotti in the big easy. good morning. >> new orleans has been a wonderful town. looking forward to all of the fans coming into town. we a

first parades of the mardi gras carnival kicked off this weekend. they continue throughout the week with a break on super bowl sunday. even though new orleans has hosted the super bowl several times before, this is only the second time that both events have coincided. more than a million people are expected in new orleans for these two monumental events. reporting live outside the new 49ers stadium here in santa clara, bob redell, nbc bay area news. >>> so far the team seems to be in a relaxed mood, just soaking everything up. quarterback colin kaepernick was so excited he tweeted out an instagram photo of his plane seat on the airplane, of course. his caption reads, quote, i ain't ever seen a plane seat like this. >> good quarterback, bad grammar. but just then moments later the niners soint this picture of kaepernick looking very happy in that fine seat of his. both those pictures have been retweeted hundreds of times and linked by thousands on instagram. >>> there are also a lot of niners fans going to sunday's game, but there's one fan who is ge

anyone looking for a room for the super bowl or mardi gras is about out of luck. tourism leaders say new orleans hotels are about 85% booked right now. but after this weekend, the city's hotel rooms will be virtually sold out. new orleans tourism officials say they expect a lot of super bowl guests to stick around for mardi gras the following week. >>> 2800 miles from the bay area, people in baltimore are getting ready for the super bowl. as ravens wrap up their final practice, fans are getting ready to meet the players and fans getting ready to drive to new orleans. >> change into making an adjustment. why subway is changing the size of its sandwiches. >> we had showers around the bay area this morning. we could see more. we'll talk about that coming up. plus a chilly night ahead. that is coming up next. >> good luck from new zealand, yeah. >> do you know who they are? >> no. >> the 49ers. >> no. jwwñ measuring up. the sandwich chain says it will is a >>> just in time for the super bowl, subway's foot longs are measuring up. they say they will make sure it's 12"

mardi gras is going on as well. there are a foot patrols and mounted patrols mainly for crowd control. they want to make sure that visitors feel welcome. >> if you are coming into new orleans, you can expect police officers on every corner. they're easy to see. did not do anything that hurts themselves or others. just remember that common sense and common courtesy equals common safety. >> there is a lot going on. make sure you pay attention. it is easy to be all eyes. more on security for the superdome. now back to you. >> thank you. ravens fans are getting excited for sunday's big game. sarah sampson has more on how the fans are getting geared upper. >> many will be heading down to new orleans. fans are giddy. so many are feeling the energy sweeping over the city. it is hard not to get caught up it.iin one thing fans cannot get enough of is ravens gear. here is one you probably have not heard. a bride is getting fitted for a purple wedding dress. her name is daisy. refers told about her last week. -- we first told

next sunday's game will be like the tasty surprise in the middle of a mardi gras cookie.ee here tonight, just a hint of the crowds we expect later in the week, when they say, we won't be able to see our feet on the street. >> you're not going to be able to walk. >> reporter: well, a lot of these people can't walk right now. >> well, that's because they're drunk. >> oh. that is my favorite city on the planet. >> i kit