NFL Experience

So the Super Bowl has been around for 46 years now. In the beginning, tickets to the game were cheap and there was no marketing behind the league to get things pumped up to where people thought it was more than just another game. Now it falls behind only Thanksgiving Day for most food consumption on one day in America. And to top that fun little fact off, it also bring out everyone, from A-listers to locals, for the festivities. So in order for more people to get more out of the even that now last over a week, the NFL added a 'cheap ticket' for everyone to enjoy things... the NFL Experience.

I got to preview this last Friday, as this is where my volunteer gig is. It's amazing! I've put a couple of shifts in so far and have had a blast doing that so far. This year's NFLX covers nearly 1 million square feet in the convention center. It covers the whole range of activities and fans, to the 'big kid' (grown men everywhere) who want to live out their NFL dream by getting a chance to punt, throw, kick, etc., to the kid who wants to play ball with some actual NFL players, to the light hearted fan that just wants to browse some memorabilia. And the Lombardi Trophy to be given away at the end of THIS YEAR'S Super Bowl.

Eric and I actually went to it tonight and got to see a little more than I have been able to see to date. The lines were all really long for the games, but we still had plenty to keep us busy for a few hours. We started by looking at some memorabilia, including all 45 Super Bowl rings. Some of them were outrageous! Then we wandered over to wear they had actual workers from the Wilson Football factory (located in Ohio) with stations set up and they were making footballs, right there. Talk about authentic! We did some more wandering around, looking at some sponsors exhibits and some autographed memorabilia before heading to the NFL Shop they had set up with more merchandise than you could imagine for the Super Bowl in one place. The we capped off our Experience with a visit to see the Lombardi Trophy up close and personal.

So if you live in Indy, or have a Super Bowl near you in the future, this is a worthwhile ticket to get. Granted, i got mine for free as a thank you for volunteering, but it would've been worth paying for, too. Kids of all ages have a good time. Word of advice, though - don't go on the weekend if you can avoid it. At least here in Indy, we broke records last weekend with the crowds that showed up - over 40,000 fans each day! Crazy!