USA TODAY International Edition
Super Bowl not only game in town
INDIANAPOLIS— As Roger Miller sang in 1968, it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summertime. But it did on Super Bowl weekend.
Not to worry, organizers were prepared for inclement weather at the first Super Bowl in a coldweather city since Detroit in 2006 ( not counting last year’s ice storm anomaly in Arlington, Texas).
In the sixth Directv Celebrity Beach Bowl and the second held indoors ( see Arlington), Joe Montana and Warren Moon quarterbacked flag football teams Saturday on more than 700 tons of sand, encapsulated by a 54,000- squarefoot tent as light rain fell on Victory Field, a minor league baseball stadium.
U. S. soccer goalie Hope Solo and rapper Snoop Dogg were named game MVPS, and Solo’s grab of a Moon pass was among the best of Super Bowl weekend.
In the 18th Madden Bowl, Tim Tebow, Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham took the team crown Thursday, with a Tebow- controlled player catching the winning touch- down with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Sound familiar?
Enjoying mild weather for much of the week, visitors flocked to Super Bowl Village downtown, where organizers estimated more than 955,000 people enjoyed area bars and free performances from bands such as LMFAO and O. A. R.
Between Monday and Thursday, more than 8,000 people rode the zip line, which at eight stories tall and more than 800 feet long was the largest in North America.
About 8,000 volunteers, adorned in blue and white scarves knitted and donated by Indy supporters across the country, directed fans throughout downtown.
Police opted to close dozens of roads Friday, Saturday and Sunday in response to an unexpected number of visitors, said Frank Straub, city director of public safety. There were 73 arrests Friday and Saturday and 30 injuries, none of them lifethreatening.
“There were larger crowds than we expected, though I think we were well prepared,” Straub said. “The crowd was upbeat and friendly. The amount of arrests are not all that bad given the scope.”
A- list celebrities and athletes enjoyed the Rolling Stone/ Bacardi, Playboy and Maxim parties, with admission ranging from hundreds of dollars to upwards of $ 1,000.
At the Rolling Stone event, Aaron Rodgers celebrated after being named the 2011 NFL MVP in a former factory warehouse transformed into a multimillion- dollar party venue.
On the food scene, fans flocked to St. Elmo Steak House, occasionally braving drizzle to catch glimpses of visitors including rocker Steven Tyler, comedian Jimmy Fallon and about 20 New York Giants players, including quarterback Eli Manning.
Players and news media members hailed the convenience of the city. Said Giants guard Chris Snee, “You feel like you’re in the middle of everything.”
To those who know the “Circle City,” that sounds about right.