Before the football players arrive for training camp this week, the Jacksonville Jaguars threw open the doors of EverBank Field to trainers for the Pokemon Safari.
The place was swarming with people, their eyes glued to their cell phone screens, tracking elusive Pokemon from one end of the stadium to the other.
Jaguars digital media manager Chris Burdett, who is an avid "Pokemon Go" player, said he was surprised by just how many people registered to attend. Burdett said they capped attendance at 10,000.
“We anticipated somewhere between (3,000 and 5,000) and we got that within the first 24 hours," he said, "and to the point that we had to actually cut off registration at some point last night just because we were not anticipating this large of a crowd.”
As for the folks who couldn’t get in, Jaguars spokeswoman Amanda Holt said no problem.
There's the preseason and an entire slate of home games during the regular season to capture Pokemon while taking in some football, she said.
And if you wonder why "Pokemon Go" is so popular, 18-year old Giovanni Raymonvio said, for him, it goes back to the Pokemon cartoons he watched as a little kid.
“I mean, it’s like reliving my childhood. You know, you get to go out, explore the world," he said. "I don’t know how to put it into words. It’s cool.”
Both the University of North Florida and the Jacksonville Zoo are hostin "Pokemon Go" events Friday. Cost is $30 at the zoo, and free at UNF.
