The NFL owners have spoken. Commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken. By presentations end, the owners of both the New York Jets and Giants had spoken. So in 2014 the most popular sport in America will take the most popular sporting event to the New York/New Jersey market. Many are probably asking what is the big deal? Well only three times in the history of the Super Bowl has the host been a cold weather climate city. Detroit hosted Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XL while Minnesota hosted Super Bowl XXVI. All three games however where played in Dome stadiums. The reason being was a long standing league policy to have games played in temperatures above 50ºF (10ºC) unless the field is completely covered by a fixed or retractable roof. So New York winning the bid to become the first host city to have an outdoor stadium in a cold weather climate can and will make for exciting possibilities.
Many former and current players, coaches and media members have all chimed in with their adaptation of a cold weather Super Bowl making it's way to New York/New Jersey. I reference New Jersey because the New Meadowlands stadium is located in East Rutherford. So although the Giants and Jets are named for New York, they both play just across the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey. As for me? I cannot speak for anyone else, but, I love it. The 1967 NFL championship game coined ''The Ice Bowl'', played in Green Bay between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys are the talk of legend. In 1934 The New York Giants and Buffalo Bills played in the famous ''Sneakers game''. Then you have the 1948 title game between the Eagles and Cardinals that is widely considered one of the great games of all-time. And more recently the 2001 AFC championship game now referred to as the ''Tuck rule game'' launched Tom Brady to stardom and the New England Patriots to there first of three Super Bowl titles in four years. With exception to the latter, what is the common theme here my good readers? Many of us were to young to have watched or had not even been born to enjoy some of the most classical series of in climate weather championship games that separate the NFL from any other sport in the world.
It is time for this generation of grid iron fans to experience the type of euphoric moments that we no longer have to hear about, but rather see and enjoy with our own eyes. The kind of games that will earn nicknames and headlines while launching some of the games youngest and brightest stars in to legend. In the end that is the attraction. To be apart of history. To witness it either live or on television and say ''I was there''. The kind of moments that you can look back on and recall where you were when that special moment happened. Detractor's will point to the slippery and sloppy play that could make for a bad game. My response? Well in warm weather or Dome stadium games you can get a snore fest too. Football was made to be played in any condition, on any terms and in any place. That is was attracts us as fans. So when 2014 roles around (that is if we are still here after December 25, 2012)those not in favor of a New York Super Bowl can complain, argue and downplay the significance of the game all they want. The rest of us however, will be attentively watching history being made.
By Ephraim Vega
-Blog or Bust News-
"Football was made to be played in any condition, on any terms and in any place. That is was attracts us as fans."
ReplyDeleteI agree completely.
I do think that the only complaints about the cold weather are from people who are flying in from warm weather locations, which is ridiculous. If you can afford a $1,000+ seat, you can afford a $50 coat.
Also, according to a New Jersey tourist website (http://www.new-jersey-leisure-guide.com/new-jersey-weather.html), the average temperatures for New Jersey in that month range from 44° F - 25° F. An ESPN analyst had posted the following:
"..The Newark Star-Ledger listed the high and low temperatures for the past five years, and it has gotten above 45 three times and has gotten more than 1 degree below freezing once..." (http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/13774/the-new-york-super-bowl-debate)
I think this is a good opportunity to bring a "freshness" to the Super Bowl that would be interesting, competitive, and exciting for the players and fans alike.
Could not agree with you more. All your points are valid and although perhaps many are still not sold, come game time.....there will be a sense of electricity that may warm their doubts. Thanks for reading and for sharing you feed back. Keep it coming!
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