For NFL Fans, Experience a good alternative - Ingles

Countdown to SB XLV Kickoff
Friday, February 04 2011

All throughout the Dallas Convention Center, where I "ran" through the NFL Experience on Wednesday afternoon, lots of very kind people were genuinely concerned about my health. This article was written by Bob Kravitz and appeared in the Indianapolis Star.

Like after the 40-yard dash (time 7.11 seconds, in jeans, and a sweatshirt, with a heavy credential around my neck, and a tape recorder and notebook in my pocket, shortly after a heavy lunch): "At least you didn't pull anything,'' the kind young gentleman said.

Like after the pro agility drill, or 20-yard shuttle, which I completed in 5.521 seconds with the aforementioned limitations.

"You OK? Seriously, you OK?" the guy asked me.

At least the enthusiastic young woman at the standing long jump believed in my God-given athleticism. After an initial effort that couldn't have been worse if I'd jumped backward, I ripped off a Bob Beamon-esque 5 feet, which I'm pretty sure my 78-year-old father could beat with very little difficulty.

My only crowning NFL Experience glory came when throwing footballs through tires from roughly 10 yards away. In 20 seconds, five of seven throws were true. One miss was actually dropped by Pierre Garcon. The other one, I imagined Darrelle Revis covering Reggie Wayne, and purposely missed the tire altogether.

Nobody asked if my rotator cuff was OK.

And I did beat Indianapolis 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee chief Allison Melangton who, quite honestly, throws like a girl. She's also the only person who calls audibles between throws. She made two, meaning I won the bet and will be getting tickets to the Playboy and Maxim parties next year. (Or not.)

As Indianapolis prepares for the 2012 Super Bowl, chances are the vast majority of people in the region won't go to the actual game, won't have access to, or the funds for, lots of the pricey events that attend the Super Bowl. This is America's ultimate corporate, capitalist bash, and big cash is king -- at the Taste of the NFL, the Commissioner's Party, the sanctioned and unsanctioned parties and all the other big-ticket soirees.

According to the Indianapolis Host Committee, the average Super Bowl attendee spends four nights in a hotel, 70 percent-90 percent come by plane and spend an average of $1,500-$2,000 during their stay. Of all the visitors, 53 percent earn $75,000 per year or more, 38 percent $100,000 or more and 65 percent are key decision-makers for their companies.
So the Super Bowl week has a decidedly elite caste to it.

Which is where the NFL Experience comes in.

It is one of the too-few events that caters to the average local guy and his family. Tickets at this year's NFL Experience were $25 for adults, $20 for kids.

And honestly, it's worth it.

Very cool, very interactive, very humbling.

Like the standing high jump, the kind you see every year if you're one of those desperate souls who watches the NFL Scouting Combine on the NFL Network.

Let's just say it's true what they say about short, stocky, white columnists.

We can't jump.

Fourteen inches.

Although I prefer to think of it as a foot, two inches.

"Well, you did it in jeans,'' the attendant said.

Right. Jeans. If I'd shown up with shorts, a T-shirt and twin rockets in my sneakers, it would have been 15 inches.

When we get our Super Bowl in Indy, this will be the best place for locals -- and people within driving distance of the region -- to get a sense of the grandeur of the event. It will happen at the Convention Center, in the middle of the action.

Throughout the history of the NFL Experience, 90 percent of attendees have been local residents.

"It's really a great way to connect with the general public," Melangton said as she iced down her laser, rocket right arm.

It begins the Thursday before Super Bowl week and continues through the game. And it's well within the budget of the majority of folks. Better yet, a portion of the proceeds goes toward a $1 million donation to a local Youth Education Town, which will be located on Indy's Eastside and provide educational and fitness opportunities for at-risk youths.

It's still a year away, but make a point of going. There's a lot of everything: shops, memorabilia, historical items, hands-on exhibits where you do drills, strength and agility tests, throw footballs, kick field goals and the list goes on.

And there's a bunch of Madden 3D stuff, which is way too complicated for a 50-year-old who still views Pong as the ultimate in gaming excellence.

Oh, back to the kicking.

I made a 15-yarder and doinked a 25-yarder off the right upright that went through. (Should have played the wind.) But a 30-yard attempt was downright Vanderjagt-ian, significantly right of the mark, landing somewhere between Grapevine and Plano.

I also felt a tweak in what I believe is supposed to be my right hip flexor.

Another part of the real NFL experience -- especially if you're a Colt.