Jenna Wolfe / Twitter

Jenna stands in front of Al Michael's seat in the NBC broadcast booth for the Super Bowl.

On the kindness scale of 1-100, Indy gets a 101 this week. As a jaded New Yorker in town to cover the Super Bowl, I was not prepared for the welcome mat to be laid out in thick, plush, wonderful charisma. 

From the second I stepped off the plane (all the car service folks were dressed in Colts jerseys) to the minute I checked into my hotel (the porters literally fought to help me with my one small carry-on), it's been non-stop Hoosier hospitality.

Even the Starbucks baristas didn't laugh at my order (tall decaf sugar-free vanilla Americano with steamed skim milk).  

This city has pulled out all the stops for Super Bowl 46 (I hate Roman numerals). I've covered a number of these in the past and this one — by far — stands out as having given the warmest welcome I've ever received.

Besides the free coffee and healthy snacks, there are folks known as the STREET TEAM (think mobile information booths) walking up and down the streets with "ASK ME" hats on. They're just waiting to be asked a question about absolutely anything (FYI, they know where the cool new zip line is located; they don't know why my elbow hurts). 

I've been working on a few fun stories for TODAY. For one, we went behind the scenes to see how our lovely network puts on a show as large as the Super Bowl. It takes 12 huge production trucks, 60 miles of cable and 40 different cameras all over Lucas Oil Field (I loved walking around on the gridiron for a little bit).

I spent a few minutes with the great Al Michaels, who's rooting not for the Giants or Pats, but instead for triple overtime to ensure the most drama. Tune in Saturday and Sunday for these pieces. 

I even hung out with former Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints quarterback and Hoda Kotb crush. We discussed football and more football and then had some fun playing Xbox Kinect, the new interactive athletic gaming device he's fronting to help fight childhood obesity. Great guy, terrible dancer. (Just check out the video.)

Sorry to cut this short, but I've been sitting on a curb writing this, and a gentleman just came out from the corner restaurant and asked me if I'd like to use one of his tables. And that's Hoosier hospitality. Pay it forward.

Jenna Wolfe, a self-proclaimed gym rat and daredevil, anchors TODAY on Sunday. Her Starbucks order is only slightly more complicated than Lester's. 

Also on TODAY.com:
Complete coverage of TODAY at the Super Bowl
TODAY kicks off a gala Super Bowl weekend
Who's the better QB: Hoda or Kathie Lee?
'Indy never looked better': Al zip-lines over Super Bowl city

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TODAY anchors past and present stepped into a photo booth this morning to commemorate TODAY’s 60^th anniversary.

See below for some of the behind-the-scenes images of our anchors celebrating together.

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TODAY senior producer Steve Thode dressed as Dave Garroway, the broadcast's first anchor who passed away in 1982, for our special TODAY at 60 broadcast. He stands with Hugh Downs.

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From left to right: Deborah Norville, Katie Couric, Meredith Vieira, Barbara Walters, Jane Pauley and Lee Meriwether.

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Tom Browkaw and Jane Pauley, co-anchors together from 1976 to 1981.

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Katie Couric and Willard Scott.

Meredith Vieira and former TODAY Girl Florence Henderson.

More TODAY at 60 coverage: 
View TODAY at 60's complete online experience
TODAY marks 60th with an anchor homecoming
Landmarks salute TODAY's 60th anniversary after dark

Posted by Steve Veres, an editor for TODAY.com.

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Kerry Sanders has swum with sharks and paraglided in a "death spiral" over the Swiss Alps. But he performed one of his most-daring acts this morning on TODAY: Jumping on top of a wild alligator.

"This was as real as it gets," he told TODAY.com. "I was single-focused and scared. It took some insane courage to do that."

He profiled two stars of Animal Planet's show, "Gator Boys." Kerry said the "classic Florida characters" prepared him with tips on how to approach, jump on and then subdue the reptile.

They warned him the biggest danger he faced from the 8-foot, 160-pound gator was that the tail and head could swing around (the mouth was taped shut — do you really think Kerry is that crazy?). One wrong move and the gator could have broken Kerry's leg or knocked him out.

Another suggestions from the "Gator Boys": Walk around the creature in a circle to tire it out. "It took me eight minutes before I got on top of it," Kerry said, but when he finally did, he let out a scream of victory.

Less than a minute later he was off the alligator, breathing a little more easily.

Watch the video below:

Was this the craziest thing Kerry has ever done for TODAY? Not in his mind!

He said the broadcast once sent him to the North Pole with a Russian ship. The crew dared him to jump into the 29-degree waters in only a bathing suit — and he agreed!

"They tied a rope around my chest and had a doctor around to restart my heart if need be," Kerry said. He jumped — and survived!

Kerry said he'll never forget the first thing the crew did when he emerged from the freezing water: They handed him a shot of vodka! Watch that clip below: 

Steve Veres is an editor for TODAY.com. He summoned extreme courage a few years back and once touched an alligator, though it was only a baby and less than a foot long. Still — extreme courage! 

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Santa Claus in Studio 1A.

This morning on TODAY, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb brought Mr. Claus into Studio 1A to spread Christmas cheer. "We decided every time we had a sad or grumpy story," Hoda explained, "we were going to have one shot of Santa."

"The happiest guy on the planet!" Kathie Lee chimed in.

TODAY.com was backstage, and we can attest: There was not an iota of bah humbug about this Kris Kringle. In fact, he didn't break character once, not even when the cameras stopped rolling. He merrily laughed, "Ho ho ho," to the stage managers and jingled his tambourine for the production assistants.  

While some Santas can be scary, ours was infectiously jolly. He had a real beard, a full belly, and naturally rosy red cheeks... say, did Kathie Lee and Hoda find the real Santa Claus?

This one SAID he came uptown from Macy's, but we suspect (as does Hoda's niece, Hannah, who appeared with him on the show) that he came from somewhere considerably farther north! 

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Santa Claus on the 4th hour of TODAY with Hoda and her niece Hannah.

Can't get enough of Mr. Claus? Here are some more Santa stories:

• Chimney design ‘perfect fit’ for Santa
• Should Santa have a real beard? One store says no
• Secret Santas pay strangers’ layaway bills at Kmart

'Tis the season ... for ugly Christmas sweaters!

Once an endearing gift from a well-meaning grandma, hideous jumpers have become a fad, spawning booming businesses, Facebook groups and sweater parties. 

Savannah picked out some especially gnarly knits for our anchors and a few guests (Brian Williams and Matt Damon got roped in, as well as our crew and the entire control room). Check out the pics below and vote in our poll: Whose sweater is the ugliest?

Upload your own photos of ugly Christmas sweaters. TODAY.com posted some of the worst offenders. 

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Bizuayehu Tesfaye / NBC

Meredith Vieira has followed Charla Nash's story from the beginning, meeting her in November 2009, six months after a chimpanzee savagely attacked her. She answered some questions from TODAY producer Stephanie Siegel about seeing Charla for the first time after her face transplant. 

What went through your mind when you saw Charla for the first time after her face transplant?
I realized I was witnessing a medical miracle. There have only been five full facial transplants performed in the world, and I am so happy that Charla is one of the very fortunate recipients. 

She looked beautiful walking in arm-in-arm with her wonderful daughter, Briana. And she brought me a present of scented candles. For the first time since the attack in 2009, Charla has her sense of smell back. We sniffed each candle: one cinnamon, one pumpkin and one balsam. Nothing ever smelled so good.

Were you surprised by how she looked?
I was amazed at how wonderful she looked; given the fact the surgery was only six months ago. If I did not know she'd had a face transplant, I never would have guessed it.  The donor's face is already conforming to her bone structure.

Story: Chimp attack victim speaks about new face, new hopes

You connected with Charla two years ago when you first met and interviewed her. What is it that made you interested in following her story?
I found her story compelling on every level. Here was this woman, who even by her doctors' accounts should never have survived her injuries. But thanks to their heroics and her incredible will to live, she did survive. 

What kept her going once she learned she had lost her hands and most of her face, including her eyes? How is the human spirit capable of rising above even the most seemingly insurmountable odds?  Those were the questions I wanted to answer. 

Story: Behind the scenes with the real Charla Nash

Charla allowed me into her life at its lowest point and showed me the true meaning of courage and persistence. Her family – brothers, Mike and Steve, and daughter, Briana – stayed always close by her side, and it was their love that carried her through the darkest days.

What strikes you when you see what she has gone through on this journey?
Beyond her sheer will to live – as Briana put it, "she's stubborn!" – it’s Charla's sense of humor that stands out to me.

The very first time I met her in November 2009, six months after the attack, I took her for a walk down the hospital corridor. Her face was covered by a veil because she "didn't want to scare people." Her right arm with only a thumb at the end was latched around my arm for support. Her other hand was gone, literally having been ripped off in the savage chimp attack.  I was feeling very sorry for her, wondering to myself how she would ever get on with life. 

Charla was walking at a pretty good clip and I pointed out how fast she was going. She responded, "You move very slow."  I burst out laughing, in awe that she could still crack a joke given everything that had happened. I believe humor is a great healer, and I've seen Charla use it many times since then.

This was the first time you walked around with her in public without a veil. How did people react to seeing her?
Charla and I went for a walk in Boston Garden Thursday afternoon. Despite the brisk air, there were lots of people out. At one point I leaned into her and said, "Charlie, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but no one is looking at you because you just blend into the crowd." She was so happy to hear that. 

Imagine being afraid to go outside because you know that people are staring at you or are frightened of you. Even without eyesight, Charla was acutely aware of other people's reactions. 

A few people did realize who she was because of all the stories that have been done on her. One lady named Madge came up to us and thanked Charla for inspiring so many with her courage. And she reminded Charla that she was just one of thousands who had prayed for her. Thank you, Madge.

What can people learn from Charla’s story?
Charla would want you to learn that exotic animals are not pets and should not be treated as such because of the danger they potentially pose.  She wants stricter laws preventing the sale of such creatures and more enforcement of those laws already on the books.

I learned that the will to survive is a powerful force, that human courage knows no bounds and that, despite the many "faces" Charla has worn, her spirit has never changed. It remains beautiful.

More on Charla Nash: 
Chimp attack victim speaks about new face, new hopes 
TODAY Moms: Charla's bond with daughter Briana
Behind the scenes with the real Charla Nash
Slideshow: A new face for Charla

Matt, Ann, Al, Savannah, Kathie Lee and Hoda met some of TODAY's avid fans earlier this week during a book-signing event in New York City.

About 100 people showed up to get their copy of Stephen Battaglio's new book, "From Yesterday to TODAY: Six Decades of America's Favorite Morning Show," soon after it was released. And the TODAY anchors signed almost every one of them!

Check out the photos below (including a sneak peek at our sweet new TODAY anchor bookmarks!). Buy your copy at book stores across the country or online here. Read an excerpt here.

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 Here’s a video of Battaglio discussing the book on TODAY on Wednesday.

Me, writing the cue cards for Matt's Old Spice intro.

By Jennifer Long, TODAY Producer

"I'm sorry you want to bring WHAT on the plane?"

"Snow," I sheepishly replied to the Jet Blue check-in desk as I pointed to a sketchy looking taped-up box that said "SnoBiz" on the side.

Production manager Grace Yavana with that sketchy box of snow.

And there began my adventure of making it snow in Barbados.

About a month ago I went to Matt's office to get a sense of what he would like to do for the last day of Where in the World. We knew we'd be on a beach in Barbados ... and we'd had plenty of beach "reveals" in Where in the Worlds past. How could we make this one different?

I suggested constructing a clear platform on the surface of the water to make it look like he was walking on water. You know, like Jesus-style. I'm not sure if he actually didn't hear me or chose not to acknowledge this ... I'm guessing the latter... but all of a sudden he bounced up and said, "What if we did a take on that Old Spice Body Wash commercial??"

Co-producer Krista Brunson transporting Matt's "costumes" to Barbados.

YES!!!

There began figuring out how to do on a beach in Barbados what Old Spice did so brilliantly in a high-tech Hollywood sound stage. Another challenge: we had to do it live. I had knots in my stomach.

After meetings and scripting and set designing and wardrobe constructing ... I was now standing at the Jet Blue terminal with a box of snow.

Shockingly, the snow was the easiest part. A few days ago I looked down at my ringing Blackberry ....and let me tell you ... seeing "Matt Lauer calling" is still a little jarring even to me!

"Hey, so why aren't I ending on a horse like the real commercial does?" Matt asks.

Me: "Cause you're a germ freak ... I never thought you would get on one."

Cut to me at a Barbadian horse farm at 8 am the next morning.

That's me, on Matt's horse.

I know you have heard Matt say it a thousand times, but our technical crew is the best in the business. For 3 straight days they have been tinkering with the backdrops and camera blocking and lighting to pull off Matt's Old Spice reveal. And it's hot out. VERY HOT.

Our crew really is the best in the business. Here's cameramen Callan Griffiths and Bob Riggio hanging the fake "Canadian Rockies" backdrop.

I'm writing this the night before the big show...Matt is set to arrive to Barbados in just a few more hours.

We just finished our final rehearsals and it's looking pretty great ... we hope it will make people smile.

I do know we made one person smile already. I just looked over and saw one of our local Barbadian crew members staring at our box of snow. I grabbed a bunch of it and handed it to him and said, "dont worry its biodegradable!"

One of our Barbados crew members, holding snow for the first time!

He smiled and said, "Oh it's not that. I've just never held snow before. You made it snow in Barbados!"

Miss a moment? Here's a Where in the World recap!

TODAY staffers took these photos from the Where in the World shoot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Read all about their broadcast and watch all of the clips here. 

Amanda Avery / TODAY

Cameraman Kyle Eppler and soundman Mark Roberts film at the Batu Caves

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Weekend TODAY anchor Amy Robach photographs an orangutan at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Borneo.

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Producer Karen Trosset stands inside the Batu Caves.

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TODAY producer Amanda Avery tries durian, otherwise known as "the stinky fruit."

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While filming at a elephant sactuary, a baby elephant grabbed sound man Mark Roberts' headphones and decided to stomp on them.

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Cameraman Man Kyle Eppler has a close encounter with some macaque monkeys in a parking lot.

Kyle Eppler and Mark Roberts take a break from filming to try the Penang street food.

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Where in the World's crew and producers in Malaysia watch Monday's show and cheer on their fellow staff members in Africa.

Stephanie Siegel, TODAY producer

Alex Smith writes

Take a good, long look at the family photo above and — beyond an unwieldy preponderance of Duggars — you may just recognize a strangely familiar face in the crowd.

Spot him yet? That’s right, that’s former President Bill Clinton smiling in the back row.

Both the Duggar clan and the husband of the current secretary of state appeared on TODAY Tuesday morning, and being that both Jim Bob Duggar and the former president are native Arkansans, it was mutually decided that a group photo was in order.

President Clinton was in the studio to discuss his latest book, “Back to Work,” which is released this week. The Duggar clan, meanwhile were in town to announce an upcoming release of their own. Click here for those details.

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TODAY producer Robin Sindler, center, stands with cameraman John Taggart, right, and soundman Larry Edgeworth.

Our advance crew headed out to Namibia, a country in southern Africa, to shoot background stories more than three weeks before Matt left the comforts of studio 1A on his Where in the World trip. The journey took 28 hours, three plane flights and a harrowing 5-hour Land Rover drive to reach our first destination: Damaraland, home of the desert elephants and black rhinos.  We knew we arrived when we saw an "Elephant Crossing" sign on the road.

It wasn't until after dark when we finally pulled into our first camp. The staff set out a five-star spread beside the campfire, and we ate by the light of our lanterns and the moon. On the menu was traditional Namibian game meat: oryx, springbok and kudu, all types of antelopes.  I won't say it tasted like chicken - it was better! The game meat was so incredibly lean and delicious; we ate it every night for the next two weeks.

Blog: Where in the world is Matt? The Skeleton Coast in Africa

To say we were off the grid would be putting it mildly.  At times during our two-week expedition it felt more like we were off the planet. The road shot straight toward the horizon with wide open spaces in every direction. One day we were rolling through what looked like a lunar landscape and the next it felt like America's wild wild west (right until a family of giraffes or elephants crossed in front of us). Our guide said our crew sounded like monkeys with our constant, "Ooh oohs" and "Aah aahs." 

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TODAY producer Robin Sindler jumps in Namibia, the first location of Matt's Where in the World journey.

And we had a few close calls. One morning we were filming near camp when we heard an angry growling from a nearby ravine. Minutes later we saw three hungry - and bloody - lions finishing up their breakfast: a springbok, similar to what we ate the night before. Later, when a testy elephant charged our vehicle, Larry, a member of the crew, instinctively rolled up his window. Our guide turned and calmly said, "Larry, that's not going to help you now."  

Blog: Check out images from Matt's adventure in Namibia

The wildlife is set against some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet. It's a producer's dream as every shot feels spectacular. Sure, an elephant may charge your caravan - but we kept filming! Animals were everywhere, even when I stopped to use the "bush toilet" and an audience of seven extremely curious antelopes sized me up. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty about all of our meaty dinners.

Throughout the two weeks we drove through a large portion of western Namibia. The unpaved roads jiggled our brains and claimed two cameras, a tripod, a computer, a sound mixer, two tires, the front windshield of one car, the back of another and a rear view mirror. The bumps shook screws right out of their holes, and by the end pieces of our Land Rover were just falling off. All that blowing sand from the sand dunes didn't help much either.

Blog: Matt reveals 2 clues to next Where in the World location

Our gear may have limped to the finish but by the end of the journey the crew was busy plotting ways to get TODAY back to Namibia for another shoot!