Confessions of an IT Girl

Recently, I was hanging out with some friends and the subject of football (American) came up.  We all started talking excitely about the NY Giants’ remarkable post season run and our dreams for more football in NY.  I decided to test my friends by asking them where the 2012 Super Bowl was being held.  The responses were interesting, to say the least.  They were also incorrect.

“New York, you know, at the new stadium?” – that would be NJ, Metlife Stadium, and no.  That’s next year.

“Somewhere warm, right?  They always have it somewhere warm.”

“Oh yeah – warm – Miami!”

“No, no, in Dallas, on that BIG GIANT TV screen they have in the stadium, right?”

Wrong.  All wrong.  Actually, this year’s Super Bowl is being held in INDIANAPOLIS.

You probably knew that.  Maybe it’s just a myopic NY thing.

Despite all their ambitions, their beloved Colts are not going to the big game, having ended the season with a 2-14 record without the services of Peyton Manning, their star quarterback.  But that isn’t stopping them from rolling out the red carpet.

 I took that picture at the aiport last week.  Starting to understand why my mom says there’s no garbage can that can’t find a way into one of my pictures.  Indy has a sprawling big beautiful airport.  If you can get there (but that’s another story).  It’s one of the first airports built after 9/11, so security was planned into it, rather than having to be retrofitted as new technologies and procedures were required of travelers.  There seemed to be at least 50 TSA agents on the side of the concourse I was on (there are two, A and B) – maybe they are gearing up for the 150,000 people expected to travel in for the big game.

That’s the view when you come into the main terminal building.  See, big and soaring!

Indy’s going to be a great place for the big game.  The stadium is covered, so if global warming eases the weekend of the game and they get poor weather, spectators will be warm and toasty as they hoist their foam fingers in victory.

USA Today had an article about the event last week and what they said rings true.  Even if you don’t think Indy first when it comes to hosting an event like this, they do have a lot to offer besides “Midwest friendliness” which even if it is a cliche, is pretty darn true.  It will be the most urban Super Bowl, that’s for sure.  I wish I were there to experience the “Super Bowl Village” and ride the zip line down Capital Street - I hope my colleagues who are planning to go take lots of pictures and don’t wimp out on the promised “helmet cam” view from the zip line.

I hope it goes swimmingly well for Indy as a host.  They deserve to be considered as a venue for more events like this.  And if you happen to have a spare ticket for the game, I think I can find a place to stay.