NFL’s Lombardi Trophy stars at famous basketball court

Wilfred Spencer, a representative from the security company S.A.F.E. Management, places the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy at center court of the 1922 Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Indiana. The home of the Hickory Huskers in the 1986 movie ‘Hoosiers,’ the Hoosier Gym is a popular destination for sports fans. Image copyright Tom Hoepf.

Wilfred Spencer, a representative from the security company S.A.F.E. Management, places the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy at center court of the 1922 Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Indiana. The home of the Hickory Huskers in the 1986 movie ‘Hoosiers,’ the Hoosier Gym is a popular destination for sports fans. Image copyright Tom Hoepf.

KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. (ACNI) – The Indianapolis area is a flurry of activity in the days leading up to Super Bowl XLVI to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 5. With tickets selling on the street for more than $2,000 apiece, most fans will experience the thrill of the pro football championship from outside the stadium.

Residents of rural Knightstown, located 30 miles east of Indianapolis, had the opportunity to see NFL Football’s highest prize, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, displayed at their community center Friday afternoon. NFL Films brought the trophy to The Historic Hoosier Gym, home court of the Hickory Huskers in the 1986 basketball movie Hoosiers, for a photo shoot.

While the crew was on official business, locals wondered if the real motivation for the visit was to shoot baskets in the famous gym when work was done.

The handsome sterling silver trophy was designed and handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. It depicts a life-size football in the kicking position on a pedestal with three concave sides. The trophy stands 22 inches high and weighs 7 pounds. Unlike the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup, a new Lombardi Trophy is made every year for the NFL champions to keep.

The Lombardi Trophy brought to the Hoosier Gym was handled only by the cotton-gloved hands of a representative of S.A.F.E. Management, the primary security provider for Super Bowl XLVI. No one else was allowed to touch it.

That will all change Sunday night around 10 p.m. Eastern when the winner of Super Bowl XLVI is awarded the Lombardi Trophy and the champions hold it aloft for everyone to see.

Visit The Historic Hoosier Gym online at www.thehoosiergym.com

#   #   #

Copyright 2011 Auction Central News International. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Wilfred Spencer, a representative from the security company S.A.F.E. Management, places the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy at center court of the 1922 Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Indiana. The home of the Hickory Huskers in the 1986 movie ‘Hoosiers,’ the Hoosier Gym is a popular destination for sports fans. Image copyright Tom Hoepf.

Wilfred Spencer, a representative from the security company S.A.F.E. Management, places the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy at center court of the 1922 Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Indiana. The home of the Hickory Huskers in the 1986 movie ‘Hoosiers,’ the Hoosier Gym is a popular destination for sports fans. Image copyright Tom Hoepf.