Lucas Oil Stadium

In another game of note, the Colts will visit the Dallas Cowboys’ Death Star—err, AT&T Stadium—for the first time ever on December 21, one of three away games that month.

Special interests pay handsomely for the chance to put their stamp on Indiana politics. But in 2013, lobbyists themselves spent a comparatively paltry $4,000 on meals, hotel stays, and tickets to events and attractions for individual lawmakers.

“It’s a great event, and this year is going to be bigger than ever,” said one football fan, who himself fancies the IU Hoosiers, themselves nowhere near this game. “[IU] being in the Big Ten championship game is the longest shot ever.”

Colts fans won’t have to go through the emotionally stunting experience of having to spend weekdays with Meg Irsay and weekends and holidays with Jim. (Even so, we bet holidays with Jim are never dull.)

The show, now in its sixth season, is always worth a watch, but this week’s episode should be considered mandatory viewing for Hoosiers.

Inside the cavernous Lucas Oil Stadium, amid a sea of 40,000 chanting fans watching the venue’s first soccer match, two different contests were unfolding.

Publicly dedicated in August 2008, Lucas Oil Stadium has stood 49 months strong (“ColtsStrong” to some) for quite some time, really, and yet I just made my virgin voyage to an Indianapolis Colts game this past Sunday. I know, how shabby of me. But in all fairness, tickets had come my way a few times, though I was unable ultimately to use them, to attend, for one reason or another. And I did take in the Evansville F. J. Reitz versus Indianapolis Cathedral high school 5A football final there in 2009, a raucous game between southern Indiana and local Catholic pigskin powerhouses. That was a great time.

Lucas Oil Stadium tours are available sparingly all year round, but Wednesday was my first time inside. What better way to go than as an IM intern with the rest of the local media, as well as some not so local at all? The answer to that question isn’t completely rhetorical: Our tour was shortened slightly. Even so, it was led by Frank Supovitz, the NFL’s senior vice president of events.

This wasn’t just any ol’ stadium tour. This one includes the Colts’ locker room and a view of a “different” field.  It’s the same fake grass, but we just got there in time to see turf workers get down on their hands and knees to wipe the what remained of our home team’s lettering from the end zones.

“We’ve removed the horseshoe,” said Supovitz about the midfield logo, “very respectfully.”

Public tours have begun. The cost is $15 through Friday, so make haste to save. Prices go up to $25 starting Saturday, Feb. 28.

>> Super City went on the air with Ed Wenck at 93 WIBC on Thursday. (Hear the audio below the photo at right.) The spot aired at 6:10 p.m. and focused on reader and public reactions to the freshly revealed official Super Bowl poster by Walter Knabe and the Host Committee’s (ahem) super-important parking and traffic announcement.