(Indianapolis, USA) - Super Bowl 46 kicked off Sunday amid a festive fanfare as the New England Patriots and the New York Giants got down to the business of determining the National Football League champion.
A lucky 68,000 filled Lucas Oil Stadium for the contest on an unseasonably warm day, while millions more watched on TV as the big game, which has evolved into a potent mix of sports and pop culture, rolled in on a wave of hype.
From the Blue Room at the White House, President Barack Obama predicted "a great game," praising the Giants for rising above a mid-season slump and voicing admiration for Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
Obama wouldn't be drawn however, when asked for a prediction.
"I can't call it," he said during a pre-game interview with NBC. "I can't tell you who's going to win this thing."
Obama was even quizzed on whether "the ladies in the Obama household" had any special admiration for Brady, the Patriots' heart-throb signal-caller who is married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
"They know he's a good-looking guy," Obama said, adding that his two young daughters were not yet at the age to pin celebrity posters to their walls.
Fans awaiting the big match-up first were treated to hours of pre-game coverage including classic analysis of possible game plans along with plenty of entertainment.
Lenny Kravitz and The Fray were televised live as they performed at a pre-game tailgate party in Indianapolis, where the NFL Experience -- a gridiron-themed amusement park -- drew more than 265,000 people over nine days.
Thousands crowded into downtown Indianapolis sampling parties and concerts.
A few blocks from the stadium, they could admire turf artwork and ice sculpture, or brave the daunting lines to try the popular zipline attraction.
Those attending the game began filling the stadium more than four hours before kickoff, navigating through metal detectors and patdowns as part of the most technologically advanced security system in Super Bowl history.
Parking lots near the stadium were charging $300 to $400 for every car. Spots could be had for $75 to $100 for those who didn't mind a longer walk.
Tickets with a face value of $800 and $1,200 were advertised on the Internet at prices of $4,000 and up.
Volunteers brimming with "Hoosier Hospitality" directed out-of-town visitors, who were expected to add 150,000 people this weekend in a city of 820,000 citizens, with smiles and "Have a Super Day" greetings.
The game even got its own "Occupy" protest, dubbed "Occupy Super Bowl," which included activists protesting a new labor law in Indiana that is considered to be anti-union.
Indianapolis is only the third cold-weather market to host a Super Bowl in a domed stadium, after Minneapolis and Detroit. Adding to the novelty was the compact staging area for lavish parties over the past few days.
From reggae to rock and roll, bands were booked into the Super Bowl Village, a three-block walk that conjured up a feel similar to a Winter Olympics.
Early arrivers at the stadium were greeted with Indiana-themed music, notably the Indianapolis 500 auto race staple "Back Home Again in Indiana" and "Going Back to Indiana" by a young Michael Jackson.
The teams at the center of the show arrived on buses through a tight security corridor, taking their spots in the locker rooms before gradually moving onto the field for pre-game warm-ups.
Although their duel was the reason for the affair, plenty of those tuning in were just as keen to see the much-anticipated television commercials and the halftime show by pop icon Madonna.
Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton teamed up for a country-tinged "America the Beautiful" before pop diva Kelly Clarkson -- the first winner of "American Idol" -- delivered the US national anthem.
A year after Christina Aguilera botched a line while belting out the "Star Spangled Banner," Clarkson got the proceedings off smoothly with a heartfelt performance to the accompaniment of a local children's choir.
