I’ve spent my afternoon here in Indianapolis, gearing up for Super Bowl XLVI at the NFL Experience in the Indiana Convention Center. As soon as I got here, I made a bee-line for the display that I absolutely could not miss: the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Lombardi Trophy will be earned by either the New England Patriots or the New York Giants on Feb. 5, and after it was unveiled this morning at Tiffany & Co. on the north side of Indianapolis, it was transported to the NFL Experience with the help of a police escort, and it’s guarded by an Indiana state trooper who looks like he could probably suit up at middle linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Those in attendance at the NFL Experience have the opportunity to get right up next to it, take a picture of it, and have your picture taken with it for free.
I was at the NFL Experience as soon as the doors opened on its first day, and I only got distracted a few times by a variety of Seattle Seahawks stuff on display. I followed the signs hanging from the ceiling that direct people to the Lombardi Trophy, and by the time I got there, there was already a long line.
The wait really wasn’t too bad, though, thanks to several very friendly staff members who chat with you to pass the time. People in line are also entertained by several videos playing that show the $50,000 trophy being handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. There are videos of various celebrations with the trophy involving Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, and others.
Right next to the line is a display of Super Bowl rings on one side and a rotating Pro Football Hall of Fame display on the other. There is plenty to hold a person’s attention.
The line also moves pretty quickly. Most people get up there, snap a photo or two, pose for their free photo, and move along. There were probably 75 people in front of me when I got in line, and I only waited about 30 minutes to see the trophy.
When it’s your turn, staff members volunteer to hold coats and purses and other belongings so that you can look at the trophy, and even take photos of you next to the trophy with your camera, if you choose.
Once I got there, though, it was totally worth the 30 seconds or so that I got to stand next to it.
For football fans, the history just radiates off the magnificent sterling silver trophy. I remember Peyton Manning holding it in the rain when the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl. I remember Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers hugging it. I remember Aaron Rodgers hoisting it in the air as Clay Matthews slapped a championship belt across his shoulder. And I go back far enough to remember Al Davis and John Madden ogling it after the Oakland Raiders won Super Bowl XI.
To be standing next to such a universally recognizable symbol of professional football was really amazing.
Of course, it sits in a plexiglass case that is heavily smudged with fingerprints, and the lighting is terrible for photographs. Your choice is to use your flash and have a huge flash mark in your picture from the plexiglass, or not use your flash and be barely able to see a thing.
Fortunately, the staff there takes your picture for you with a camera that is set up perfectly to get a good picture. And amazingly, the photo is free. They give you a card with an ID number and a QR code on it, and you can either use a QR reader on your smartphone or log on to the internet to download your picture.
I’m off to go check out some other stuff here at the NFL Experience now that I’ve checked the Lombardi Trophy off of my to-do list. I have a feeling that I could spend hours in here.
The author is a resident of central Indiana and will be in downtown Indianapolis frequently for the Super Bowl XLVI activities. He is a Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and you can follow him on Twitter at @RedZoneWriting and on Facebook.
Also by this Author:
Using the Super Bowl XLVI Park and Ride system in Indianapolis
Super Bowl XLVI Super Cars locations announced
Super Bowl XLVI activities in suburban Indianapolis