---

There was a time, not long ago, when the Super Bowl was an unfettered, innocently indulgent exercise in good, old-fashioned American excess.

For a full week and then some, usually in a warm-weather climate, football fans and revelers of all sorts would descend upon the host city and party their brains out. Then everything would settle down by Sunday and the lucky ones would gather to watch the two best teams in the land slug it out for the championship of the National Football League.

Then came Sept. 11, 2001.

On that fateful day, Islamic terrorists commandeered passenger jets and used them as weapons, successfully crashing two into the World Trade Center towers in New York, and one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. From that moment on, Americans lived in a different world - a world in which our isolation from global conflicts was no longer assured, one in which extremists could take their battles to our cities, our buildings and our most cherished institutions.

Sports fans were no longer exempt from world concerns, also. Starting with Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans, the Patriots' memorable 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams, football fans had to endure searches and countless new security measures as a means of combating a nationwide paranoia that the next attack might take the cue from the 1997 film "Black Sunday," in which the Super Bowl became a terrorism target.

"In the post 9/11 era, we take this extremely seriously," said FBI Special Agent John Lewis, one of the coordinators of the security effort that will hopefully keep more than 70,000 fans and other attendees and two football teams safe from harm on Sunday.

So far, this particular Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., apparently has not drawn much attention from the international terrorist community, Lewis said.

"Right now, it's very quiet on what we see on the scope," he said. "The threat picture is very low I think we're set for a very safe, enjoyable Sunday afternoon."

Of course, it's doubtful that anyone from the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service would openly admit that there was a threat against this Super Bowl or any other that could be considered credible.

"Intelligence is not an exact science," Lewis said. "We never know all of what's going on, although we'd like to think we know most of it. In cases of this sort, we cannot let our guard down."

"This event is obviously of the sort that attracts international attention," said Secret Service Special Agent Ken Huffer. "And to that end, it's fair to assume that those on the international scene might want to take a look at it."

So, in this era of preparedness, there will be steps taken to ensure the safety of the event - both obvious ones, such as a "no-fly zone" in a 30-mile radius over University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday (although commercial flights scheduled to land or take off at Sky Harbor Airport will not be affected), and less obvious ones that the organizers of the security plan hope no one will notice.

"You'll be surprised how little of it you will see," Huffer said of the federal involvement in the effort. "Our role will be to work in the background."

Local law enforcement officials have been involved in the two-year period of planning from the start, and the feds heaped high praise upon the local and state officials from Arizona for their unified cooperation. From the very beginning, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Phoenix and Glendale police departments have worked together to make sure they hold up their end of the bargain without engaging in turf wars over jurisdiction. "We've been practicing for the Super Bowl from the past events," said Preston Becker, the assistant chief of police for the city of 250,000 northwest of Phoenix that is the actual host for the game. Thos events included the Fiesta Bowl, a BCS Championship Bowl and the Cardinals' games at the 2-year-old stadium.

"We will have a secure perimeter that will be very tight," Becker said. "At the same time, we are committed to our daily service to the city of Glendale knowing that the demand on our resources will be significant."

The high level of cooperation between the state and local agencies means that Glendale residents won't have to lock themselves inside their houses, huddled in fear, while the Patriots and Giants are playing.

"We are stronger together than we are singularly," Becker said.

The average fan who has traveled from New England to Arizona will notice a few inconveniences. The prohibited-items list has been increased to include the cases for binoculars and cameras, as well as the usual suspects - camcorders, banners, horns, fireworks, laser pointers and, of course, weapons of any kind. Only very small bags will be allowed in, and only then after both a visual check and a run through an X-ray machine. Fans will have to pass through metal detectors and undergo pat-downs as they enter the gates.

That's part of what should be expected from an event that has been designated a "Level 1 national security event" by the Department of Homeland Security. But the officials who have the responsibility of implementing these safety measures hope it won't create an oppressive atmosphere for the biggest game in the land.

"This is not the Super Bowl of security," NFL Director of Security Milt Ahlerich said Monday. "We want to keep a balance we fade into the background while we make sure that everyone will be safe."

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com