NFL Royalty Mixes It Up With Houston Fat Cats

Second only to the Super Bowl itself, tickets to Wednesday night’s Luminaries of the Game was the coveted entree to rubbing shoulders with the big guys of the gridiron and the rich and/or powerful of Houston. With tables at the Marriott Marquis dinner costing as much as $150,000 and no less than $50,000 for 10, gala prices were in keeping with NRG seats at the big game.

PaperCity‘s Chris Baldwin covered the heart and soul of the evening here, and I’m jumping in to gush over the spectacular event where the fat cats and big guns wined and dined with NFL Hall of Famers and powers that be. From the looks of the massive arrangements of white orchids, roses, hydrangeas and Casa Blanca lilies and matching dinner table centerpieces, this evening would be as much about silken glamour as pigskin practicality. And it was.

Honorary chair Lynn Wyatt and Houston Super Bowl Host Committee CEO Sallie Sargent set the tone in designer gowns while Yvonne Cormier, accompanied by husband Rufus; Dancie Ware, accompanied by husband Jim; and Faith Majors, accompanied by her Million Dollar Man husband Lee Majors, further rocked the fashion scene.

Richard Flowers and The Events Co. set the stage for the evening that palpitated with Houston pride and Super Bowl excitement. Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston First chairman David Mincberg, city director of special events Susan Christian, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and honorary dinner chair former Secretary of State James A. Baker III all seemed to glow in the Super Bowl spotlight.

So many mattered: Vice chair of finance Gary Petersen, Houston Texans president Jamey Rootes and Melissa, Houston Texans GM Rick Smith and his wife Tiffany, Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo, Lucinda and Javier Loya, Judson Robinson Jr., Gayle and Bob Eury, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Saundria Chase Gray and Jerome Gray, Christina and Mark Hanson, Holly and Austin Alvis, Elyse Lanier, John Williams, Laurie and Tracy Krohn and New York model Carol Alt on the arm of Tom Ajamie.