On a Big Football Weekend, Gingrich Makes His Plea to N.F.L. Fans AMES, Iowa - Where do you find voters on the last Sunday of the regular season of the National Football League? If you said "sports bar" you have a future in scheduling campaign events. Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, planned to visit three sports bars on New Year's Day, beginning here at the West Towne Pub, where television screens in two rooms showed some of the 16 games to be played during the day. It was as packed as a New Year's Eve disco floor. "Interesting event,"" one of the many waiting journalists said to Gordon James, Mr. Gingrich's chief advance man, who was the first through the door, clearing a path through the crowd. You call this an event? Mr. James shouted, meaning it was chaos but, hey, he was going with it. "We thought maybe 50 people."" There were at least twice that many, not including the scores of photographers whose cameras waved in the air like insect antennas. Next in the conga line came two security men, speaking into microphones hidden in their sleeves. Right behind was Mr. Gingrich and his wife, Callista, shaking hands, signing autographs, making small talk. "Hi, what's your name,"" Mrs. Gingrich said to a young man with a curtain of hair across his face. "Matt."" "Nice to meet you, Matt."" "Happy New Year,"" Mr. Gingrich said as he reached out a hand. "Take back America, Speaker."" "Need your help on Tuesday."" Based on the polls - including one from The Des Moines Register released on Saturday evening that showed Mr. Gingrich in fourth place, a long tumble from the top in the paper's previous poll a month ago - he could use it. He has spent recent days lowering expectations, saying the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday are just the opening kickoff of the long campaign. Leaving church on Sunday morning in Des Moines, he raised the issue of the millions of dollars that Mitt Romney and his "super PAC" supporters have spent - with a good share of it used to attack him. "Romney would buy the election if he could,"" Mr. Gingrich said. He did not formally address the crowd at the West Towne Pub. Also with him his elder daughter, Kathy Lubbers, and her husband, Paul, wearing a Green Bay Packers hat. Ms. Lubbers grew up campaigning for her father in is Congressional races and was a pro, shaking hands and making small talk. "We want people to know it's a real campaign with a lot of enthusiasm,"" she explained. "All these people are here because they came, and you need to respect this."" Mr. Gingrich's health has been a topic of speculation among reporters following him in recent days, highlighted by a series of vulnerable moments: he shed tears over the memory of his mother's death, and he has been fighting off a flu that has visibly sapped his energy. Mr. Lubbers said the candidate's health was back to "85 percent."" Kathy Lubbers said his mood was excellent. "Let's just put it this way,"" she said. "Having this many people show up to say hello, if that doesn't encourage you, what would?"" "He's been at this a very long time,"" she said. As her father passed, a woman called out: "Your son-in-law said you're a Packers fan. Good luck.""