Not a "Super" Idea

"I Love New York." It's one of the most famous marketing slogans in the U.S. Now the NFL is hoping owners will love the Big Apple when the 2014 Super Bowl is awarded at a meeting on May 25th. New York/New Jersey is considered the favorite to host the big game, with Tampa and South Florida also in the running. And while I'm a New Jersey native and work in Manhattan, I think a Super Bowl at the new Meadowlands Stadium is an awful idea.

Putting a February game, played at night in a stadium without a dome, is a shaky proposition at best. Throw in the fact that a Super Bowl ticket costs in the upper hundreds to thousands of dollars these days, and it's insanity. Talk about fan unfriendly. If you want to freeze your rear end off, and pay a pretty penny to do it, be my guest. But when have the owners, or NFL for that matter, really put the fans first? So, how about putting the game first?

Picture this...82, 500 people watching in person...millions viewing on TV...Drew Brees and Peyton Manning ready to go center stage. Only one problem: it's 28-degrees, the howling wind is causing havoc with the passing game (as it's known to do at the Meadowlands), and two of the league's elite quarterbacks have been reduced to pedestrian status. Instead of a track meet, you've got a New York City traffic jam, with both teams in stop and go mode. That's not even worst case scenario...throw in some snow or freezing rain, and you've got a real winner.

In a game that's supposed to be played in ideal conditions, so neither side gets an advantage, the weather factor could also tilt things in favor of, let’s say, a team like last year's Jets. And if you don't think they would've had the upper hand out in the elements with their power running game, you're nuts. Those in favor of a New York/New Jersey Super Bowl will tell you it's the league getting back to its roots...it's old school football...the weather could create another iconic moment like the "Ice Bowl." I'm all for nostalgia and tradition, but I know better. There's never been a Super Bowl played outdoors in a cold weather city. This is about what's best for the NFL's bank account and the owners' wallets. The fact that it's what's worst for the fans and integrity of the game...well that's just not high on the priority list these days. Maybe they can all stay warm by bundling up in an "I Love New York" T-shirt.