The NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy is coming to Maine on Saturday, but bypassing Portland on its way to Bangor.

The trophy, handed to the New England Patriots after their overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in February, will be on display at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor from 1 to 5 p.m. A cheerleader and mascot Pat Patriot will be available for photographs for the first three hours of the free event, which was announced Wednesday by officials in Bangor and Brewer.

Yasmeen Badich, a spokeswoman for the Cross Insurance Center, said fans will be allowed to have one photograph taken with the Super Bowl trophy in the center’s grand ballroom, but should plan on arriving early because of time limitations. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Photos with just the trophy will be allowed from 4 to 5 p.m.

“We know that some of our most passionate fans live in Maine and we are eager to share the Lombardi Trophy with them this Saturday,” said Patriots spokesperson Stacey James. “We appreciate the many people who extended invitations to bring the trophy to Bangor. We especially want to thank the City of Bangor for hosting this free photo opportunity at the Cross Insurance Center. We are grateful for all the support of the New England Patriots in Maine.”

Last month the mayors of Bangor and Brewer, along with Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling, sent a letter of congratulations to Patriots owner Robert Kraft, asking if the team would visit and show off the trophy at the Cross Insurance arenas in Bangor and Portland. This was after Gov. Paul LePage said he would not invite the Patriots to come to Maine because he has disagreed with decisions made by team ownership in the past.

Strimling, a lifelong fan of the New York Giants, was willing to joke about the trophy bypassing Portland.

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“I am taking this personally,” he said. “I think they found out that I am a Giants fan.”

Strimling said he will try to reach out to the Patriots to see if they’ll bring the trophy to the city. The team brought the Lombardi trophy to Portland after winning the Super Bowl in 2002 and 2004.

“I have not given up. We’ll roll out the red carpet for them if they come to Portland,” he said.

Matt Herpich, general manager of Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, said he has not been contacted “by anyone at the city or anyone at the Patriots” about the trophy coming to the arena.


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