Of course, when we hit the ground eight hours later, we were whining about the airport air conditioning.

Even with the NFL conference championships two days away, this year's Super Bowl XXXVII experience was officially underway -- and it felt good to sweat.

	The Dolphins, orchestrated by trainer Kristi Meze, were extraordinary. They were in good spirits, considering they missed the playoffs.

I rented a car -- was it a Lancer or an Altima? -- and made the quick drive over to SeaWorld. We were shooting the first of a series of scenics for "NFL2Night." I was pretty fired up; the public relations man, Booker Crenshaw, had promised a swim with dolphins. My 14-year-old daughter was totally jealous.

First, trainer Lisa Hugueley introduced us to Shamu and Baby Shamu, a 1,700-pound yearling. Then we visited with a walrus, Tiny, and Clyde the California sea lion, who did a marvelous imitation of Jon Gruden's grimace/smirk.

The Dolphins, orchestrated by trainer Kristi Meze, were extraordinary. They were in good spirits, considering they missed the playoffs.

With Meze translating, they wondered aloud if the Super Bowl could be moved to September, when they seem to play better. They have a keen interest in the game since three of the four participants represent mammals.

After pulling on a wet suit, I slipped into the main pool -- they were between shows -- and swam with Dolly. She was an immensely powerful animal; I got clipped by her tail a few times while trying to hang onto her dorsal fin. Her speed and strength was amazing.

I got off three tag lines while trailing in Dolly's considerable wake, and it was all over.

Sometimes, doing your job, you forget to tingle. I didn't forget on this day.

Next up: The world-famous San Diego Zoo.

One of these days, we'll get around to football.

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.