good morning. the main event. it's the biggest sporting event of the year, and this one could be the biggest yet. two of america's legendary teams, the new york giants and the new england patriots set to face off in super bowl xlvi. it's a rematch for the ages, and we're in indianapolis to kick it all off today, sunday, february we're in indianapolis to kick it all off today, sunday, february 5th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to this special super bowl sunday edition of "today." i'm ann curry alongside al roker, natalie morales and savannah guthrie in indianapolis this morning. matt is at the white house. hey, matt, good morning to you. >> i feel like i didn't get my invite out there to lucas oil stadium. you guys look great on the field there. the big game just hours away. i'm here in washington, because as part of the pregame show today leading up to super bowl xlvi i'll sit down for an exclusive live interview with president barack obama. as you know, he's facing a tough re-election year. last night his main gop rival, mitt romney, rolled to another victory, this one in the nevada caucuses. it's his second straight triumph, pushing romney another step closer to the nomination. but, if you think newt gingrich is ready to step aside, think again. he's brushed aside any thoughts about quitting. so in a moment we'll talk about the results with david gregory, and we'll do that in just a

second. guys, back to you in indianapolis. >> all right, matt, thanks so much. of course here at lucas oil stadium, and all across the country, really, all eyes are going to be on the big game and more than 111 million people are expected to watch the largest tv audience in history. >> that's right. and of course what would the super bowl be without food? today we're going to consume more than a billion chicken wings. 1.3 billion bottles of beer. and 11 million pounds of potato chips. >> not just us. that's the whole country. >> and that means tomorrow 7 million of you are going to be calling in sick to work. >> can you believe that? >> that's right. >> i know. >> i don't think so. >> meanwhile no matter who wents, the giants or the patriots, one thing is certain, indianapolis has been an incredible host city. the stars are everywhere, and last night savannah and i got to check out some of that legendary hoosier hospitality. we lost al and ann along the way somewhere. >> pretty early actually. >> we're going to show you more coming up. >> that's why you lost us.

>> salsa. >> a little dancing, as well. >> plus some special guests stopping by, including nfl legends tony dungy and deion sanders and carson daly is going to give us a sneak peek at tonight's postgame season premier of nbc's hit show "the voice." >> we've got a lot to get to from here in indianapolis. but now let's go back to matt at the white house. >> all right, guys, thank you very much. let's begin on a sunday morning with presidential politics and mitt romney's second straight win in the gop presidential race. he claimed victory in the nevada caucuses by a really decisive margin last night. nbc's peter alexander is traveling with the republican candidates. he's in las vegas. peter, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. nevada bet big on mitt romney. he won the state for the second time in four years, thanks in some part to the large mormon population here. and in his victory speech last night romney said this is now a two-man race between him, not a newt gingrich, but barack obama. >> you know, this is not the first time you gave me your vote

of confidence, and this i'm going to take it to the white house. >> reporter: in front of his most enthusiastic crowd yet, mitt romney tightened his grip on frontrunner status, largely ignoring the rest of the republican field and using his victory speech to blast president obama. >> this president began his presidency by apologizing for america. he should now be apologizing to america. >> reporter: in a state crippled bys housing crisis, as well as the nation's highest unemployment, nearly 13%, rom fly challenged the president on keeping his promise of lowering the unemployment rate to 8%. >> this week he's been trying to take a bow for 8.3% unemployment. not so fast, mr. president. this is the 36th straight month with unemployment above the red line your own administration drew. >> reporter: the romney campaign is increasingly confident -- >> thank you so much for your help >> reporter: -- their win here demonstrates growing support within the base of the republican party. exit polls show romney had his

best performance to date, with those who consider themselves very conservative. and among tea party loyalists. suffering his second consecutive resounding defeat, a defiant newt gingrich held a news conference as opposed to a traditional rally, and dismissed reports that he may be considering dropping out of the race. >> i am a candidate for president of the united states. i will be a candidate for president of the united states. we will go to tampa. >> sounds like the revolution has already come to minnesota! >> reporter: campaigning in minnesota, ahead of that state's primary tuesday, ron paul celebrated his strong finish among nevada's youngest voters. again, pushing the ideals of liberty. >> it's an idea whose time has come. i am delighted to come here and share that with you. and welcome to the revolution! >> reporter: and in colorado where voters also head to the polls tuesday, rick santorum insisted the campaign is far from finished. >> reset this race.

create an opportunity for someone who could go out and speak to americans about what america is all about. >> reporter: and because there's very little these guys agree on these days, mitt romney, the former massachusetts governor, of course, will be rooting for the new england patriots today, matt. newt gingrich, the new york giants. >> all right, peter alexander in las vegas this morning. peter, thank you so much. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning to you. >> hey, matt, welcome to d.c. >> thank you. good toish here. let's take a look at some of the things that happened inside these caucuses. for the first time since new hampshire, mitt romney won voters who were very conservati conservative. he beat newt gingrich among those who strongly support the tea party and he even won the majority of white evangelicals. what is the republican party trying to tell mitt romney right now? >> well, that he's got support where he needs it in some of these key states. his advisers will tell you he's won more conservative voters than anyone else has because he's won the most votes. what's very difficult for this

is for newt gingrich. if he's going to make the case that he's the ideological leader of the conservative wing of the republican party then you look at those results and you say, well, maybe not so fast. so this is really the case that gingrich is making. and when romney can put together numbers like that, it's a very strong rebuttal. >> is it that these republicans, these tea partiers and very conservative voters are taking a new look at mitt romney? or are they surrender and saying, look, this guy's going to be the eventual nominee, we might as well get behind him? >> i think it's those two things and i'd add a third and it is the sheer gap by which he wins in a state is going to sweep in some of those voters. and you're going to see a little bit more support among those who are very conservative, including a lot of mormon voters who are in nevada, who would help to drive up that number. but i think you should also be looking for romney in the next couple of weeks, not to court establishment folks, but to court more tea party conservatives, more social conservatives. i think mike huckabee is a big name that he will try to talk to. michele bachmann. yeah, you saw donald trump this week. >> david, the challenge its

seems in the next couple of days and weeks for mitt romney is how do you run against an economy that is improving? the jobs numbers on friday were a good sign. the unemployment rate is down to 8.3%. so do you go out there and say things are terrible, even though statistics are showing voters that they're getting better? >> you know, it's very difficult. think of the, you'll be talking to president obama later today. he had to go out and say, well, it could have been a lot worse had it not been for what we did. that's very hard to prove. in mitt romney's case, he's got something difficult to prove, which is yeah the economy is doing better but barack obama made it a weaker economy than it should have been. how do you prove that? what would you have done? that's the position romney is in right now which is proving something that doesn't exist. how you would have accelerated recovery. and i think it's going to be difficult. i talk to white house official hops say that voters need some encouragement to support the president if they like him otherwise. if they support him otherwise. these kinds of surprisingly good jobs numbers, they provide some encouragement. >> who do you have this morning on "meet the press," david?

>> we're going to be talking to newt gingrich principally about his road forward. also our super bowl tie-in is going to be with mayor bloomberg of new york, duvall patrick, governor massachusetts and mitch daniels of indiana. we'll talk politics and football. >> a reminder you can catch our exclusive live interview with president obama, that's this afternoon on a special edition of "today" during nbc's super bowl pregame show. let's get a check of the other top stories of the morning for now. nbc's jeff rossen is back in new york. jeff, good morning to you. >> hi, matt. good morning. and good morning, everyone. we're going to begin with another deadly day in syria. the most dangerous clashes yet and the protests continue today. nbc is watching it all from cairo. amman, good morning to you. >> good morning, jeff. if anyone was hoping that the u.n. vote yesterday was going to bring a lull about in the violence in the country it certainly hasn't. because reporters are unable to get into syria to report firsthand we've been relying on amateur footage to tell this story.

another deadly day. gunfire erupts where residents earlier were still mourning victims from previous attacks. but russia and china vetoed a united nations resolution aimed at ending the violence and calling for the resignation of president bashar al assad. >> the international community must protect the syrian people from his abhorrent brutality. but a couple members of this council remain steadfast in their willingness to sell out the syrian people and shield a tyrant. >> reporter: the u.n. vote came on the heels of the single deadliest day in syrian uprising. a night time attack on friday that killed more than 200 people in what activists describe as a massacre. the u.n.'s inaction didn't dismay the opposition. shortly after that vote, thousands went back on to the streets across the country renewing their calls for president assad to step down. but supporters of the president held rallies of their own for

their embattled leader in the capital damascus. they now feel emboldened by the support they have on the international stage. the arab league which is headquartered in cairo has been leading the charge to resolve this conflict said it is not deterred by the fact that the united nations did not endorse its own solution to this conflict. in fact tunisia, which was the birth place of the arab spring has cut off diplomatic ties with syria but there's no indication yet that the syrian government is going to respond to the will of the arab league, or the international community. jeff? >> ayman, thanks. in other news today, prince william has taken off for a six-week tour of military duty. the british ministry of defense has released video of william arriving on the falkland islands. he'll serve as a search and rescue pilot there. demi moore is reportedly on the road to recovery. the actress is being treated at the circ lodge in sundance utah for an eating disorder and issues. the rehab center is known for

its one-on-one approach to addiction treatment. now the trouble on the high seas. two princess cruise ships en route to fort lauderdale have been hit by a fast-moving virus. more than 200 passengers got sick from an outbreak of norovirus last week on the ruby princess and the crown princess. luckily, everyone is recovering. and finally, we all know the giants are super confident they're going to win the super bowl. i guess they are, sorry, guys. their official website made the declaration on saturday. it was an accident, of course. the ad was quickly taken down. and in case you haven't heard, today's match-up between the giants and the patriots happens right here on nbc. that's the news. now back to ann, al, natalie and savannah in indy. i'm rooting for the giants, i'm proud to say. what about you guys? >> okay. well, that didn't make -- that didn't sound like you were being objective. >> i know, i know. >> okay. we'll kind of carry that baton. thanks -- >> 50/50 on the field here, right? >> we need to talk about the

weather. we've got a dome over our heads so it doesn't really matter what the rain or weather -- >> open up in nine minutes. >> right. >> the good news is the forecast here is great. rest of the country's forecast looking not so shabby as we'll show you. looking at sunshine unand down the eastern seaboard. expect to see showers and thunderstorms making their way to the mid-atlantic states into the gulf coast. partly to mostly sunny skies out west. indianapolis fabulous weather. gorgeous sunshine through the southwest into southern california. >> good morning. we still see a couple snow showers out there. south of baltimore rain showers. that's all going to be ending with high temperatures today in

>> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you so much. just ahead we're just getting started here on super bowl sunday. tony dungy just entered the stadium. and just ahead why the real winner could be the host city. we'll show you all the fun we've been having in indianapolis, as oken having in indianapolis, as we gotta time this just right. okay. ready... mm-hmm. happy valentine's day. [ female announcer ] the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. each charm is hand-crafted in italy and with hundreds of charms to choose from, the possibilities are endless. create your own memories with charmed memories. one more reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. ready... [ camera flash ] ♪ every kiss begins with kay have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares on facebook.

needs long term relief. eucerin calming creme. it soothes dry, itchy skin with a triple-acting formula. no wonder calm, comfortable skin starts with eucerin. welcome back to this special super bowl sunday edition of "today." this is the first time that indianapolis has hosted the big game and the people here are doing their very best to make sure everyone has a good time. kevin tibbles has been checking things out for us. >> ann, it's just a few more hours to the big showdown, but already, after a week of solid

packed streets and events that have essentially shattered all attendance expectations. and why not? it's the super bowl in indy. it's a full-on, in your face spectacle unlike any other, and in indianapolis, it's nonstop. while the lucas oil stadium looms in anticipation of today's kickoff, the super bowl fans have brought this city to a fever pitch. >> words can't explain how excited i am that all of these people are here in indianapolis. >> reporter: and football is serious business. >> i think this is going to be an excellent war. >> it's tremendous to be out here. i love being out here. >> reporter: and indianapolis loves having them. the streets are full. the restaurants are full. as hundreds of thousands of fans bear down on the indiana capital and open their wallets wide. souvenir shops selling giants and patriots gear as fast as they can stock it. oh, and they're also selling quite a bit of stuff bearing the

name of a different quarterback named manning, big brother peyton who, in indy, is next to god. who is your favorite player? >> my favorite? >> yeah. >> peyton manning. >> peyton manning. >> how about little eli manning, is he okay? >> kinda. >> any manning is good enough. >> yeah. >> it's to the monument circle where fans come for photos in front of the giant roman numerals. and it's here we find two fans in brand-new jerseys. they need to prove to their kids on the east coast that they're rooting for the patriots. >> they told me i can't see my grand baby unless i root -- >> for 9 patriots? >> these are going back tomorrow. >> yep, they've still got the price tags on them, and they're going back. now as i mentioned earlier, this is serious stuff. revenge is in the air. just ask rodney harrison, who played for the patriots when they lost to the giants in the super bowl four years ago. and is now an analyst for nbc sports. >> now the patriots they won't admit that this is a big deal. they won't say that this is revenge game.

they definitely have that burning desire to come back and avenge that loss. >> and while tailgating and tensions build, some of that buzz is being saved for what will take place off the field. >> i have to admit, i love the commercials. >> now, there's something else you've got to do before leaving indianapolis. this is a three alarm fire in a bowl. it's a shrimp cocktail from saint elmo's which is renowned around the world. there's so much horseradish in here, ann, i think each quarterback should try one of these before they take to the field, because this focuses your attention. >> all right kevin tibbles. >> yow! >> enjoy that. thank you so much. former indianapolis coach -- colts coach tony dungy is covering today's super bowl for nbc sports. good morning. >> hello, ann. >> as one of only three people who's won the super bowl both as a coach and as a player tell us about the butterflies that are probably going through -- you know, these players as they gear up for this big rematch. >> well, hopefully they're still in bed right now. because if they're up watching

the show, it's too early. you do try to force yourself to stay asleep, and, you know, get your mind off the game. but it's stuff. you know this is the biggest game, maybe of your lifetime. >> hmm. so, and -- but in terms of when they wake up, is there a lot of anticipation? is there a lot of nervousness? >> there really is. and it's such a long day. you're not playing until 6:30. you try to occupy yourself. but you don't want to be around the family and everything. you just want to get away from all of what they've faced this week. all of the excitement. all of the energy. calm down so you can have that energy. >> to be in the game frame, that's right. as we just talked about. you know, the last time these two teams matched up, you know, the patriots were undefeeted, they were minutes away from being called the greatest team in football history, and then the giants' eli manning barely escapes getting sacked, and unbelievably, david tyree catches the ball off the top of his helmet setting up perhaps the biggest upset ever in super bowl history. so, we just heard them talk about this idea in -- in this last piece that tibbles just did

about whether or not revenge is a factor. what do you think, is revenge a factor? >> no, rodney harrison would like to get revenge but he can't play. he's going to be up there with us today. the players on the field, they're thinking about this team, and this legacy, and if we win, we're the champions, we're the best in the world. that's the factor. we've got to win this game to -- to really just finish off our season. >> meantime, a lot of women are watching this game. basically to watch tom brady in tight pants. i'm going to say it. i'm just going to put that down and put that in there. but, but he's also a player to watch for a lot of other reasons. >> no. he has been one of the great quarterbacks this game has ever seen. and if he can win today, his fourth super bowl championship, that -- that would put him with the best of all time. >> okay. and eli manning also has a story. tony dungy, thank you so much for joining us this morning. it is always great to see you. >> thanks, ann. >> nbc's coverage of super bowl xlvi gets under way with the pregame show starting at noon eastern time. we're going to have much more coming up from indianapolis in just a moment. [ female announcer ] did you know that the sources of bad breath

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check this out. this is what they're playing for tonight, the vince lombardi trophy. matt, where will you be watching the game tonight? >> hopefully home after the interview with the president, we have a military-style operation planned to get us out of washington and back to new york. how about you guys? >> we're doing the same. i think the three of us are hopping on a plane. i'm going to be heading to the kitchen to make some snacks to get the party covered. you'll be covering and watching the game from here. we've got a lot more coming up including the party scene and these two women, they cut the rug. ra bracelet.

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>> good morning, everyone. i'm lisa robinson. it is 8:26. here's a look at our top stories this morning. anne arundel county police arrest one of their own after learning he allegedly tipped off a group of suspects that were about to be raided. police say after conducting a narcotics search and seizure along the 1300 block of june per street in shady -- juniper street in shady side, they discovered that corporal alexander had tipped them off about the raid and they had relocated a large portion of the marijuana elsewhere. >> we want to reiterate that

this incident in no way reflects upon the hard work and dedication of the men and women that work for the police department. the men and women in the department take this investigation seriously and will continue to invisit on the highest level ofeth caling conduct by our members. >> corporal zand are faces obstruction of hindering a police officer. no word on the relationship between alexander those raided. >> family and friends gathered to remember one of the four people killed in last weekend's deadly crash. a memorial held for terry wayne davis of severna park. davis was traveling on route 50 when he collided with a vehicle going the wrong way. driving the other direction was brittany walker along with two other teens. reports show both drivers

>> good morning. h.d. doppler showing a couple showers out there. maybe light rain showers south of baltimore. anywhere north this could come down as snow. you see this band pushing to northern maryland. that could be a quick burst of snow from northern baltimore ute toward -- baltimore out toward areas like hagerstown. this will dry out into the afternoon. sunshine with high temperatures in the upper 40's. winds out of theimoorth at 5 to 10 miles per hour. high pressure builds in. sunshine monday. 51 on tuesday with partly cloudy skies. aimoew storm system mid week, bt a slight chance of wintery weather for now. we dry out friday, but saturday

another possibility of a storm. as for now, no major cool snap any time soon. >> thank you, ava. "11 news sunday morning" continues in 25 minutes. and welcome back to our special super bowl sunday edition of "today." you're looking live at lucas oil stadium out in indianapolis, where the kickoff to super bowl xlvi is just a few short hours away, if you consider half a day a few short hours. i'm matt lauer at the white house. ann, natalie, savannah and al are at i prime location right on the field, right here the giants end zone. and guys, for the past couple years the obamas have hosted big super bowl parties here at the white house. this year, though, we understand they're going to keep things a little lower key. they're going to watch the game

together as a family. and of course, the president will take a little time out of that celebration and talk to us during a special live exclusive interview during the pregame show. then after the pregame we'll sit down and talk more with the president. you'll be seeing that tomorrow morning right here on "today," folks. >> yeah, that -- that's -- that's terrific. we're really looking forward to that, matt. we real wish you were here. when you mentioned the end zone, we were laughing a little bit, earlier, as you know the amount i know about football you could put into one paragraph and i actually called this area where we're standing on the field, i actually called it the touchdown area. >> maybe that's -- >> actually they have a play the giants where they say okay you go a buttonhook get into the end zone, the touchdown area, and i'll get it to you. >> exactly. >> anyway, we wish you were here because indianapolis has been such a great city. >> yes, it really has. lots of fun. lots of parties around here, as we discovered. you don't have to be a huge football fan, as well, to enjoy it. coming up we're going to show you some of the fun we've been having on the town.

>> the party scene. >> a lot of research involved here. they're showing us drinking. we're going to learn a few on field moves from deion sanders. >> looking forward to that. >> that's right. but first let's say hi to carson daly, the host of nbc's "the voice." >> hey. >> how are you? >> we love you. we love you. >> and the boys weren't drinking as much as you guys were. >> this could be the biggest television event of the -- the world -- ever. >> yes. >> and you have to follow it. much pressure stl >> no, not at all. not at all. >> wow. >> it's exciting. >> it's incredible, ann, it's incredible, for the "the voice" and what a great show it was last year and to have it propped up after the biggest night in television history is a real honor. we're really excited and feel lucky so many people will get a chance to check on to "the voice." >> you probably had a lot of foresight of what's you're going to put into the broadcast so what do you think -- what's

happening tonight? >> it's more of the same of what people seemed to have an attraction to last year. a singing competition show with the chairs and it's fantastic. bigger and better than last year the level of talent is incredible. it was quick last year. we got the show up on the air really fast. this year, i think you know after the super bowl you're going to have so many people who have heard about it, are really going to get a chance to sink their teeth into our blind auditions and fall in love with it. >> you think the pressure that the -- the contestants are feeling compares at all to the pressure these players are going to be feeling tonight? >> you know i do. it is their super bowl. once they hit our stage they've got to keep their nerves in check and find their composure and despite the elements around them focus and knock it out of the park like they have to do today. >> well, thank you so much for getting up early. i know this is not your normal hour. >> away from the special. >> the touchdown area. >> the end zone. >> catch the season premiere of "the voice" tonight immediately following as we mention justed the super bowl. al, a check of the weather. >> here in indianapolis it's going to be 46 degrees in honor

of super bowl 46. let's show you what you're looking for as far as your week ahead. warm weather throughout much of the country. a little chilly much below normal from texas on up into the plains. then as we get into the midweek period, the warm weather continues in the east but it's going to be chilly from the northern plains down into california, and the southwest. as we get into the latter part of the week, we are looking at some wet weather along the eastern seaboard with warm conditions. above normal out west with rain in california. much below from the plains, great lakes down into texas with some wet weather as well. >> good morning. we still see a couple snow showers out there. south of baltimore rain showers. that's all going to be ending with high temperatures today in

>> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up, none other than hall of famer deion sanders is teaching us a few moves on the field as we get the countdown to super bowl xlvi, in indianapolis, right after this. go, natalie! come on! hershey's air delight. experience light and airy, melty bubbles.

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correspondent jenna bush hager. >> reporter: super bowl week. and it's all about the hoopla and the hype. but for one new york giants rookie, this week is all about hope. an emotion he's sharing with cancer patients all over the world. >> there are millions of football fans in america. but unfortunately, there are millions more cancer survivors and patients across the world. >> reporter: it's no secret that making the nfl is tough. only about one out of every 2,000 children who ever play the game will take the field as a pro. mark herzlich wanted to be that one. a high school standout he played at boston college and as a junior was named acc defensive player of the year. with that came the buzz he'd be a first round pick in the nfl draft. and then an unexpected detour

nearly robbed him of his dream. >> i couldn't sleep at night because there was sharp pain going through my leg, through my lower back. i would wake up in the middle of the night screaming. i said to myself, if the doctors can't find anything wrong with it, then it must be in a head. >> reporter: unfortunately it wasn't. it was cancer. in herzlich's bones. doctors diagnosed the then-21-year-old with ewing's sarcoma and told him he would never run again. >> you walk out of that appointment, life is never the same. never the same after that one moment. >> i was sad. i was upset. i was angry. and something in me said, if you sit here, and feel sorry for yourself this cancer is going to beat you. and i made up my mind i'm going to be fine. and i'm going to play football again. >> reporter: herzlich pushed through six months of chemo and 50 rounds of radiation. never losing sight of his goal, running onto the field with his boston college teammates. >> we didn't know whether he was going to play or what, and went

to a practice on friday night and went back to where i was staying with barb and i said they got him running with the ones. i think he's starting. >> it was emotional. i realized the fact that i was told i was never going to play, i'm running on the field, i'm going to do this. >> reporter: once the top pick nfl teams passed over herzlich during the draft but eventually the giants, hi dad's favorite team, invited him to training camp. >> he got a chance back. >> reporter: maybe one or two undrafted players make the nfl each season. herzlich was one of them earning a spot on big blue's roster. for halloween herzlich and the other giants rookies, dressed in costumes, and visited the children's cancer wing of hackensack university medical center. >> don't ever be ashamed or feel bad that you are sick. because you're fighting. and you're a survivor. and you need to be proud of that fact. and if i can do anything now, to

go to a hospital, and talk to a guy who plays football, who has cancer, and just put a smile on his face, a little glint of hope in his eye, that -- that might be more important than, you know, a lot of touchdowns. >> reporter: no matter what happens on the field today, herzlich already feels like a winner in the game of life. >> the goal is a dream with a deadline and that's really how our season has been. and how my life has been. >> reporter: for "today," jenna bush hager, nbc news. >> a reason to keep your eye on 58 tonight. coming up next, hall of famer and two-time super bowl champ, deion sanders is teaching us some moves. and natalie and savannah will be checking out the social scene here in indianapolis. but first, these messages. i'm going to make you breakfast. what? with magic. you are? see the egg. uh huh. ♪ so, look at the orange. now close your eyes. ♪

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from the producers of "say yes to the dress" a so new season of jersey couture premieres this week only on oxygen. 2:30 in the afternoon, a lot to do, and you've hit the wall. but you got to get stuff done. so take 5-hour energy. just open it up, knock it back, and roll up your sleeves. 5-hour energy is faster and easier than coffee. man, does it work. you'll get that alert, energized feeling you need to get stuff done. a lot of stuff.

wow. look at you go. 5-hour energy. when you gotta get stuff done. welcome back to indianapolis. "today" at the super bowl. you don't have to love super bowl to know the names tom brady and eli manning. but another unheralded participant that could be the star of tonight's game and savannah has details on that story. >> hey, well we're talking of course about the super bowl footballs. and their journey to the world stage is as impressive as the patriots and giants, who battled so hard to get here. two weeks ago sunday night americans all over the country held their breath to see who would face the patriots at the super bowl. >> manning. for the touchdown! >> and perhaps no one was watching more intently than wilson factory manager dan regal and his workers in ohio.

>> the kick -- >> new york wins! >> let's get the balls ready. >> reporter: as the giants celebrated dan's team got their game faces on. >> the most important game of the year for us. our goal here is to get as many footballs out as we can in the next 24 hours. it's prime time right now for ada. >> reporter: ever since there was an nfl game to be played, the wilson football was on the field. and the football factory in ada, the only official one in the world, has been around longer than the super bowl itself, 57 years. >> it's probably one of the premiere events in america everyry year. and when they kick off that super bowl and that's the pride of this victory. >> reporter: 120 workers forego sleep to cut, sew, stamp, and lace a football fit for a champion. a deep pride knowing that the ball they helped make was

hand-crafted in the usa. >> it's america's game. made in america. i mean, you can't get much prouder than that. >> reporter: but the balls have a way to go before indy. both teams are waiting anxiously to get their hands on the footballs. 108 of them, to be exact. after inspection, the super bowl balls are lasered with each team's name, boxed up, and shipped out. from their home base all the way to indianapolis, the giants and the patriots have a little under two weeks to work the leather and lace just the way they like. each team will have to whittle down their original 108 balls to 54. >> i go to each practice site and i get the balls from each team. and i bring them and secure them here in the stadium. >> reporter: tony is known as the keeper of the balls. this is the secret location where the game balls will be stored until kickoff. >> this is where it all happens. >> reporter: in all, including kicker balls, 120 footballs will be used during the super bowl.

but it will ultimately come down to just one. >> hopefully one of these footballs will be the game-winning touchdown. >> reporter: and while the whole world will be watching to see who is victorious tonight, jane houser, who's been sewing for wilson since the very first super bowl believes they are a winner every year. >> if it wasn't for us and wilson football factories, they wouldn't be able to play. and that makes me very proud. >> may surprise some folks that we need so many footballs for just one game but it's part of the nfl's tradition, and right before the game, each is encoded with a special dna ink, and of course the hard-working folks at wilson -- dna, that's right. we are getting our own super bowl footballs. they are designed especially for the "today" show. they even have our signatures on them. >> i put a different one. i put seize the day on mine. >> so don't try to regift. >> i can. i can regift.

safin that, thank you so much. there are a lot of fun things to do in indianapolis. one of the biggest draws of the week has been what's called the nfl experience. >> it's an interactive they'll park for football fans at the indiana convention center. ann and i paid a visit on saturday. tried our hand at a few k458 edges. we learned how to pass like a quarterback, with a little help. >> i'm not sure like a quarterback. >> that was great, ann. >> it was all right. >> took about 20 tries. that kid, he was terrific. and then we moved on to kicking field goals. and look at al. al did a great job. >> it's a lot harder than it looks. >> but there you go. >> he made one. >> he made one. >> and that pressure -- >> meantime -- >> so we are very lucky. we've got a football expert. >> yes. >> deion sanders. >> how you doing? >> hall of fame quarterback. >> yes. >> we're not worthy. >> so, first -- >> i'm that going to say anything about the kick, though. >> i appreciate it. >> no. >> just the approach. >> i'm a little gimpy. what can i tell you? >> you're going to teach us right now. >> i'm going to teach you.

to throw a football. first of all, a football is a she. so you hold her. >> a she. >> she has been good to me. >> okay. >> i just talked to kurt warner, for the nfl network, two fingers or three fingers. you've got to get some laces. some laces. and hold her firm. >> hmm. >> oh, yes. >> go ahead. >> hold her firm and just let it roll. >> roll. >> gently. gently. gently. >> a nice spiral. >> you've got to follow through. just follow through. >> can we try that? >> sure. >> how do we throw this then, which direction? >> you two against us. >> there you go. >> okay. >> who's throwing? am i throwing? >> okay i'm throwing. >> just like -- natalie here we go. one, two -- i'm going to throw adeion. one, two, three. >> okay. >> al, come on.

>> have a little reverse fun there. >> your turn. >> okay i'll throw to ann. >> whee! >> i'm holding. >> holding firm. >> there you go. all right now we progress now. >> okay. >> i'm still doing reverse. >> you ready to play against each other a little bit? >> yes. defense because we're defense. >> you stop them from getting past you. >> that's what defense means. >> i like it man to man. >> tackle? >> no, no, no. >> natalie got a little aggressive. >> i'm getting nervous. >> we got -- >> okay. >> little huddle. >> okay, wait. you guys got to come up and guard us. >> man to man -- i'm going to hit you deep. >> all right. >> what does that mean? >> run long. >> he's going to throw it to you. >> all right. >> all right. >> touchdown area. >> you guys got to come up a little bit. >> is that a trick? >> all right. take it to me. >> okay. >> all right. >> hurry. >> like tebow. >> john 3:16. that's it. fake it to you. there you go.

>> that's it, ann, go. >> ann, ann. do your dance. >> come on. >> you got to have your own dance. >> after this. >> come on, salsa, ann. >> there you go. >> coming up, right after this. what's this? [ male announcer ] quaker oatmeal squares have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm.

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okay, let's face it the super bowl is much more about football, it's also a big party here. >> you don't have to be up on your xs and os to have a good

time here in indianapolis. >> that's certainly true. natalie and i decided to hit the town. >> you guys were with us for part of the night. >> somehow we lost you but we disoffered there is plenty to do here. the super bowl may be the big game, but it's also a scene, party after party after party. >> getting my gq on. >> spread over the whole weekend, each one attracting big names in the world of sports, and entertainment. our first stop is the case of the nfl or the party with the purpose, helping to raise money for food banks in nfl cities across america. >> over there. >> super food. >> hey. >> hey, gorgeous. >> what will happen if al fell into the cake?

>> all right, so we -- we sampled new york and new jersey. now we're over here. what do you got? >> we have gnocchi molinase. >> you are representing new england? >> yep. >> because they've got a bunch of guys from jersey over there. >> the game is tomorrow! >> it's on now! >> tomorrow! >> who knew that you would be tackled and get spiked at the end zone at the taste of the nfl. >> are we ready, guys? come on, let's go. >> next it was time to toast at the nbc party. where the stars were shining. >> to the super bowl! >> whoo! >> there was a pregnant jessica simpson. >> it's time to travel. >> all right. >> the baby doing a lot of kicking? >> all over the place.

>> i can't -- >> exciting. >> joel mchale and katherine mcphee. >> how excited are you about super bowl monday? >> are you excited? >> america is excited. >> very excited. >> blake shelton. >> giants or patriots? >> well you know what? i would like to see the giants win just because they -- how many more of those can the patriots win? >> music from maroon 5. ♪ >> oh! >> and it wouldn't be a party without our own brian williams, who we bumped into on the dance floor. next up rolling stone party. where we lost ann and al. >> mommy and daddy went home. >> we get to go play.

>> with our party down to two, we headed to the rolling stone bash. >> hello, indianapolis. >> hello havana. >> where savannah and i channeled our inner victor cruz by doing the salsa. then it was time to try our hands at roulette. and as they hit the stage we hit the vip area and found lance bass. and alyssa milano. then it was time for a little more dancing before calling it a night. that early wake-up call just a few hours away. >> i don't know about you guys, we had a really great time last night. >> and you look no worse for the wear. >> oh, a little bleary eyed. >> let's check in with matt one more time at the white house because he's going to get ready now of course for his big interview with president obama. >> looks like you're having fun. lots to cover with the president a little later this afternoon from escalating tensions in the middle east to governor romney on a roll in the gop presidential race, and of course

the state of the economy. you can catch our exclusive live interview with the president on a special edition of "today" during nbc's pregame show and more tomorrow morning right here on "today." ladies and gentlemen back to you. >> all right, matt, thank you so much. we're really missing you here, matt. >> miss you, too. >> good luck with your big interview. >> a reminder by the way the pregame festivities get under way at noon. the kickoff at 6:30 right here on nbc. and of course, tomorrow morning al is going to have high whites of the game. enjoy the super bowl.