Local Woman Falls Short of ‘Fandemonium’ Title

But Amanda Cameron says contest, Super Bowl experience were winners

By Dan Bennett
The North County Times

Landing the job of NFL Director of Fandemonium is good work if you can get it, and Solana Beach resident Amanda Cameron came awfully close.

Cameron, 29, was one of two finalists for the honorary position, finishing second to Miami Dolphins fan Ralph Lanier Jr. when the winner was announced during pregame festivities for Sunday’s Super Bowl in Miami. Though the NFL Director of Fandemonium is not an actual job, the contest winner receives $100,000 and travels to numerous high-profile NFL games and events during the next year, representing football fans everywhere.

Lanier and Cameron spent the week leading to the Super Bowl participating in a variety of competitions designed to demonstrate their love for football and their total dedication to the game.

“I’m bummed that I didn’t win, of course, but it was an amazing experience and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Cameron said Monday just before boarding a return flight to San Diego.

“It was a fantastic week,” she added. “I had a couple of friends with me and we went to parties and had a great time, then the game itself was fantastic. Really, it was everything I could hope for.”

The contest was a promotional partnership between the jobs board Web site Monster.com and the National Football League. The winner was chosen by fans who voted on a Web site dedicated to the contest, and the competition also included interviews with former NFL players and other game experts.

As runner-up, Cameron receives $10,000.

A San Diego State University graduate, she works in brand management and media relations at Sea World and is a member of the Padres baseball team cheerleaders the Pad Squad.

In the Fandemonium contest, she started as one of 200,000 hopefuls and eventually made it as far as the final two, using Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter to publicize her campaign and lobby for votes.

Even though she didn’t win the honorary job, she said the contest may have shaped future career possibilities.

“I’ve realized even more how much I love sports,” Cameron said. “I think sports marketing is something I might want to get into.”

For now, she said, she’s just savoring the opportunities the contest brought her.

“I went to New York for the first time, and the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl for the first time, so I’m not going to cry in the corner,” Cameron said. “The entire experience has been a blessing.”