Bowled Over: Best and Worst
Stuff we loved, stuff we didn’t, and stuff we’ll never forget:
The NFL Experience gift shop is holding a Fan Appreciation Sale, Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. inside the Indiana Convention Center. Also, memorabilia at the Colts Pro Shop inside Lucas Oil Stadium is marked to move.
#opentheroof
Most adorable moment: Neil Patrick Harris volunteering to get on stage with Katy Perry at the Directv party Saturday night. (Via Leslie Bailey)
Whoa, Nelly! The St. Louis rapper, advertised as the headliner at Super Lounge 46 Friday night, collected $10,000 after “performing” for 45 seconds (yes, it was timed). That’s $800,000 per hour. Sure, Friday night’s massive crowd downtown made the streets of Mumbai seem deserted by comparison, and Nelly may have had a tough time reaching the venue. However…
Nelly spent more time tweeting to us than entertaining his fans. Or someone did. After Super City tweeted that Nelly was pretty much a no-show (based on reports from multiple sources at the party), the performer responded to us on Twitter twice, saying “they’re lying!! I’m here cuzzen it’s on and poppin!!” and later, “your source sucks!!!!!” Funny, they said the same thing about him. (See photos)
The pop-up spa at the Super Lounge: Yes. More of these. At times, all the chairs were filled by men in football jerseys.
Most surprising appearance: Shaq at the Katy Perry concert.
After the game, quite a few guys were buying used ticket stubs for $20 apiece.
The stadium employees really went out of their way to make a good impression on the media, and the crowd in general. They passed so many free hot dogs and box lunches down media row, we felt like we were in a competitive eating contest.
In terms of security, fencing off the entire stadium was smart. You couldn’t get within two blocks of it if you didn’t have a ticket. You entered through an elaborate system of tents that led through the Convention Center. That allowed the security presence inside to be a little more subdued instead of coming off like a militarized zone.
We all became officially swept up in the sport of celebrity spotting. Huge crowds were gathered on Sunday at the entrance to the alley behind the Conrad, where SUVs lined up. And there were plenty of celebs coming in and out of there getting their photo taken by a mob of amateur paparazzi.
Inside the game itself, there were fans with jerseys from every team in the NFL. It’s different from any other game that way. The league hands out so many tickets to sponsors and the 32 teams, it’s hard to build a quorum for either of the teams playing—so much, that it’s said Super Bowls are the quietest NFL games. That said, the Patriots had the stronger contingent. They just didn’t play particularly well.
The Brady Bundchen (get it?) cocktail at the Hennessy party.
The IU Marching Hundred performed at the game in a time slot called the “black hole”—part of the pregame show that isn’t televised. It took place just before Kelly Clarkson’s anthem performance and included “R.O.C.K. in the USA” and the band’s signature, “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Here’s the evidence.
Volunteers applauded guests leaving Saturday night’s Taste of the NFL, an annual Super Bowl gourmet fest that raises money to fight hunger.
Photos: Indy Monthly’s Twitter conversation with rapper Nelly; David Kristoff, a Carmel dentist, at the pop-up spa inside Super Lounge 46; the IU Marching Hundred performing at the Super Bowl’s pregame show
