By Ivan Munoz
Even though I am a sports fanatic, I didn’t know what to expect from the Super Bowl Experience held here in Miami, FL at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
From just outside the convention center, there were several large NFL helmets with their respective teams branded on each one. Inside were several other photo ops, including a red carpet to take pictures in front of a trendy neon-lit sign on a grass backdrop and another one that included the countdown of when the Super Bowl starts. Continuing further I found a huge map indicating where a lot of sponsors stations were located and where the play areas would be.
On the first stop I saw the Vince Lombardi trophy, and let me tell you… THE LINE WAS LONG! There were fans from all over the nation there to take a picture with the most famous trophy in North American sports. After taking my picture and walking down the steps, I noticed that both the AFC and NFC Champions trophies were just outside the line.
On the next stop I saw the NFL championship rings! The older rings were way smaller compared to the gigantic diamonds they havepon the rings now. The first ones were pretty basic and simple. The new ones looked like giant rocks! At the display were magnifying glasses I used to look into a ring to examine every single detail it featured.
On my way to see the next station, I noticed the amazing arrangement of massive posters of all the Super Bowl tickets from over the years. Each had the dates and NFL teams that competed in those games. While taking photos of it, I noticed there were other photo op areas where you could climb on a sizable headless mannequin wearing a team uniform and pretend you were a player for a photo.
Continuing onward, I walked to the next area which included a Wilson space where they demonstrated how an NFL football was manufactured. There were various stations that each specialized in a certain step. The first step was sewing, followed by turning, lacing, and finally molding. You could even purchase specialty footballs or a custom one and watch it get made before your eyes.
All around the convention center were a bunch of activities that the participants of the event can be apart of. There was field goal kicking, a 40 yard dash game, a kick off catch, and many other NFL Combine events.
One of the biggest things in the convention center was the NFL Shop. They had merchandise for both teams, the Super Bowl, and lots of vintage NFL jerseys. Hall of Famer Jason Taylor from the Miami Dolphins was there taking autographs with fans while Hall of Famer Michael Strahan talked to the media!
Overall, I really enjoyed my time there. I think that not only was it fun and entertaining to fans of football, but also to those who were new to the NFL experience.
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