Facilities Manager and Adelaide life member Trevor Jaques joined inaugural Crows coach Graham Cornes for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis earlier this month.

While at Michigan State University thirty years ago, I met, worked with and became friends with  Ronnie Barnes.

Neither of us at that time could have predicted that our paths would eventually lead to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

An outstanding professional, Ronnie went to the New York Giants as head athletic trainer and has subsequently progressed to become Vice President of the Giants in charge of medical services.

We have remained friends and I have visited him and the Giants several times.

In the early ‘90s I arranged for the then coach of the Crows Graham Cornes to visit the Giants and meet Ronnie - another link with the Crows and another friendship formed.

A week before this year’s Super Bowl Ronnie e-mailed that he could get us tickets if we could get to the game - COULD WE?!

Indianapolis, known more for its annual famous car race is about the same size as Adelaide.

In the lead up week to the big game it reportedly had 800,000 people come to the city to experience the Super Bowl atmosphere.

More than a quarter of a million of those visitors took in the “NFL Experience” in the convention centre where kids of all ages could become the quarter backs, wide receivers and linebackers of their dreams.

We arrived the morning of the game.

The stadium precinct and mall were packed with people, outside broadcasts, food and drink outlets, memorabilia stores, large screens to watch the game, hot gospellers, fans of all ages dressed in favoured player uniforms, a group in super hero costumes, numerous political rallies and three very excited Australian Giants fans.

A spectacular  highlight above all of this were four flying foxes which carried suspended people at speed the length of the mall.

Scalping was illegal but a few tickets for the nose bleed section of the 68,000 seat Lucas Oil indoor stadium could be found for upwards of $2,500.

Parking your car near the stadium would cost you at least $200.

Stadium security was tight, but other than airport type security screening, bag searches and individual body pat downs was not obtrusive.

We went to our seats about two hours before the game just to soak up the atmosphere - and what atmosphere was generated by the crowd in the eight levels of seating above the field.

I sent a text back to the club, 'The teams are warming up on the ground and the joint is jumping. The noise, the vision on the jumbo screens, the music and the excitement already has us sitting on the edge of our seats and it’s still an hour before the game!'

Marching bands, flag party, cheer leaders, the teams bursting onto the field through columns of smoke, the national anthem, the toss of the coin and the eventual kick off. Wow!

For Giants fans the game couldn’t have been scripted better - right down to the dramatic final desperate play of the New England Patriots in an attempt to win it.

Then the stadium became a veritable red, white and blue snow storm and the celebrations began.

We were fortunate to have passes to the Giants post game party in the team hotel to complete a memorable, exhilarating and spectacular day.

Forgotten something? Oh yes - the half time show. 

ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT.

Thanks, Ronnie.