Ballard hits airwaves to talk up Indy

FORT LAUDERDALE (WISH) - Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard spent the day pressing the flesh at the Super Bowl Media Center.

The mayor's staff said the goal for the day was to meet as many members of the media from as many different corners of the country, and beyond, as they could.

That meant visiting with Indianapolis stations and newspapers down here for the game. But more importantly, it meant speaking with people from other cities and states about our city's strengths as we head to the 2012 Super Bowl.

The mayor met some interesting characters in the few minutes we spent with him. A radio personality from Hawaii got him to give the "hang loose" sign, while a station from Louisiana gave him some beads.

"I did, just so, you know, these are Mardis Gras colors, not Saints colors, just so people know. But I did a Spanish station for New Orleans and that was a lot of fun, actually.

"We already talked to New Orleans TV, Saint Louis, and Ft. Myers so far. We have ESPN coming up tomorrow. I think we have Fox national on Sunday. We're trying to get the national shows and other cities across the nation. We've been pretty successful so far in the couple hours we've been down here and we'll continue down that path, because that's what we're trying to do."

Ballard is down here on the host committee's dime.

The committee hopes to convince potential visitors that Indianapolis has a lot to enjoy, even in winter.