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By BAIRD HELGESON

bhelgeson@tampatrib.com

Published: January 24, 2009

TAMPA - Frank Supovitz, NFL senior vice president of events, pulled up on a Segway personal scooter Friday at the NFL Experience.

The man in charge of Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium surveyed construction at the NFL's weeklong interactive theme park.

"Things in Tampa Bay are going terrific," Supovitz said.

The tough economy has forced the NFL to cut back in ways Supovitz hopes fans won't notice, but he vowed that the NFL Experience will be more exciting than ever. He expects strong attendance, in part because of the grim economy.

In tough times, people need a respite from stresses of life and a tanking economy, he said. They need a day at the NFL Experience.

The attraction has added games and activities since Tampa hosted the Super Bowl in 2001, organizers said.

The NFL Experience, next to Raymond James Stadium, opens today and runs the week leading up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. It will include interactive games, pro football displays, kids' clinics, free autograph sessions and a football card show.

The temporary theme park, which from the road resembles a tent city, is bigger than 14 football fields.

The league created the NFL Experience as a way for the community to participate in some of the excitement of the Super Bowl without needing game tickets, which can go for $1,000 each.

Journalists got a sneak preview of the attraction Friday.

The area looked more like a construction site than a theme park late in the afternoon.

Trucks and forklifts crept along with supplies and workers. The final tent structures were being erected. Workers installed large-screen televisions and fire extinguishers.

Golf carts zipped along carrying VIPs who checked on progress.

Some of the most popular amenities were complete, such as the Punt, Pass and Kick game. The exhibit allows visitors to test their skills throwing and kicking footballs in gamelike settings.

Noah Gold, an NFL Experience spokesman, said he is confident the work will be finished before the gates open.

"The larger it gets, the more complicated it gets," he said of the event, in its 18th year.

Hunt Auctions, which specializes in sports memorabilia, will hold auctions and events throughout the week. One of the most sought-after items on the block is Johnny Unitas' Baltimore Colts football helmet, valued at as much as $30,000. Another big draw is a Cleveland Browns jersey worn by Jim Brown, expected to fetch close to $30,000.

The attraction is anchored by a four-story inflatable replica of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which goes to the team that wins the Super Bowl.

The actual trophy will be on display at the NFL Experience, arriving by FedEx. Mike Haynes, a Hall of Famer who finished his career with the Los Angeles Raiders, will deliver the trophy to the display.
NFL Experience attendees hoping to catch a glimpse of tickets for this year's game will be out of luck. The league won't reproduce them, for security reasons, even to join the large posters of past Super Bowl tickets on display, said Christine Mills, an NFL spokeswoman.

Attendees looking for a keepsake should stop by the Canon U.S.A. booth.

Canon scheduled several current and former pro football players to come by for photos with fans. Guests also can get photos with sports memorabilia.

Everyone gets a 4-by-6 print and a lanyard to wear the photo around their neck.

The company plans to give away as many as 15,000 prints over the week, said Rob Altman, Canon's manager of camera marketing.

"It's always nice to get a free souvenir," he said.

Reporter Baird Helgeson can be reached at (813) 259-7668.

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