OT: Super Bowl XLVIII outdoors in New York

[trwi7]

Just announced beating our Tampa and Miami. Can't wait for a Super Bowl in the elements.

[chuckleslove]

I love it, I can't stand all the people already complaining about the cold and all of that. Football is a game of the elements. I wish this made it possible that GB could get a Super Bowl but I know that still won't happen.

[midranger]

The city of Green Bay is in no way logistically equipped to handle the cluster that is the Superbowl.

It'd be like hosting the Olympics in Dayton, Ohio.

[ReasonablySober]

Not sure how I feel about this.

[MikeIsGood]

I like it.

[ReasonablySober]

I don't like the weather being a factor in any sport. I know that it's something to take into consideration during the regular season and the playoffs, but I think I'd rather play the championship game in as neutral a condition as possible.

[Thunder Muscle]

I don't like it. The Super Bowl should be played on a neutral site and have good playing conditions. I understand New York is a huge market, new stadium, etc but this could be a huge diaster if a huge snowstorm blasts the northeast.

I guess Mike Greenberg was saying Lambeau should get a Super Bowl. I just don't see that ever happening. I live in the GB area and its way too small to handle the monstrousity of the Super Bowl. I would say the entire Fox Valley area is probably about a half million people, and many were complaining about Jacksonville being too small a few years back, which has at least 1.3M I believe. The weather factor is a big problem obviously, but I don't think there is the hotel space to hold it among other short comings. This is not a knock on GB/Fox Valley, its a nice place to live, but its just not big enough to host the Super Bowl. As a whole the Super Bowl has gotten WAY too big.

[BuckFan25226]

It is a Neutral site, both teams will be playing on it, in the same elements. I like it.

[InsideOut]

I don't like it due to the weather aspect. That area of the country can get hammered by snowstorms. What happens if the day of the game you have a blizzard dumping 2 feet of snow. Sure, for us sitting in our living rooms that would be cool but for those at the event it would be a disaster. Airports could be closed, the roads would be gridlock and they'd have to look at postponing the game.

And then you have the entire integrity of the game to think about. Think about last year’s game. Imagine billing the game Brees vs. Manning and they end up playing in 5 degrees weather with snow and 40 mph wind gusts. We'd get to watch two teams hand the ball off all game. Or you could end up with some high octane offense playing against a team with a crap offense but great D. If that game gets played in horrible weather everyone will know the main deciding factor of the game ended up be the LUCK of the weather. I agree it looks cool on paper but it could end up being a disaster. Besides, why would anyone rather be in NJ on Feb 2nd instead of someplace like Tampa or Miami.

[ReasonablySober]

Or maybe you get a game where one team just got done playing a cold weather game in harsh conditions two weeks before going against a team that played indoors or in warm conditions all year.

I just don't like that they're making the weather a factor in a game where there's not supposed to be any kind advantage with the location.

[Thunder Muscle]

Golic had a good point about the bad weather games too. Majority of the bad weather games has their memorable moment, but the game itself usually stinks and is painful to watch. He used the fog bowl and Miami vs Dallas (Thanksgiving 93) as an example. Everybody remembers Leon Lett slipping on the snow, but that actual game was a borefest. That Oakland/NE game was hard to watch I recall except for the "Tuck Rule" play and game winning FG. As always there are exceptions, but it is a good point b/c the weather usually neutralizes the team's talents due to footing, football being slippery, etc.

Somebody above mentioned the Brees-Manning matchup. Probably would not be great to watch in cold, snowy weather.

[Kerb Hohl]

They should hire Stern to run things for a while and rig a Jets/Giants game for that season.

[Newz]

Or maybe you get a game where one team just got done playing a cold weather game in harsh conditions two weeks before going against a team that played indoors or in warm conditions all year.

I just don't like that they're making the weather a factor in a game where there's not supposed to be any kind advantage with the location.

Well certain teams are built to play in the cold as well...

So playing indoors or in great weather can actually be an advantage to certain teams.

It works both ways.

[InsideOut]

Or maybe you get a game where one team just got done playing a cold weather game in harsh conditions two weeks before going against a team that played indoors or in warm conditions all year.

I just don't like that they're making the weather a factor in a game where there's not supposed to be any kind advantage with the location.

Well certain teams are built to play in the cold as well...

When the vast majority of the games are played in September, October, November, in domes or in warm weather, who builds their team to play in the cold? I can't think of any team. Yes, some teams will be set up to play better in cold than others (usually based on who their QB is) but nobody builds a team to play in the cold.

This decision turns winning the Super Bowl into the luck of the draw in terms of what year you reach it. When every teams knows that the Super Bowl will be played in a dome or in 60 degree weather it is fair for everyone. But now a team like N.O. could reach the Super Bowl in a year when it just so happens it gets played in a NJ blizzard against Denver or N.E. That just ends up being bad luck. The championship game should have as little to do with luck as possible.

[Newz]

When the vast majority of the games are played in September, October, November, in domes or in warm weather, who builds their team to play in the cold? I can't think of any team. Yes, some teams will be set up to play better in cold than others (usually based on who their QB is) but nobody builds a team to play in the cold.

This decision turns winning the Super Bowl into the luck of the draw in terms of what year you reach it. When every teams knows that the Super Bowl will be played in a dome or in 60 degree weather it is fair for everyone. But now a team like N.O. could reach the Super Bowl in a year when it just so happens it gets played in a NJ blizzard against Denver or N.E. That just ends up being bad luck. The championship game should have as little to do with luck as possible.

Well let's say the game ends up being the Jets vs. the Colts...

If it is indoors or in nice weather, the Colts are at a huge advantage because they have a much better QB. In colder, crappier weather the Jets have the advantage because they have a better offensive line/running game and defense.

So why is it unfair for the game to be played in the cold and then fair for it to be played in domes/nice conditions?

Makes no sense to me.

[InsideOut]

When the vast majority of the games are played in September, October, November, in domes or in warm weather, who builds their team to play in the cold? I can't think of any team. Yes, some teams will be set up to play better in cold than others (usually based on who their QB is) but nobody builds a team to play in the cold.

This decision turns winning the Super Bowl into the luck of the draw in terms of what year you reach it. When every teams knows that the Super Bowl will be played in a dome or in 60 degree weather it is fair for everyone. But now a team like N.O. could reach the Super Bowl in a year when it just so happens it gets played in a NJ blizzard against Denver or N.E. That just ends up being bad luck. The championship game should have as little to do with luck as possible.

Well let's say the game ends up being the Jets vs. the Colts...

If it is indoors or in nice weather, the Colts are at a huge advantage because they have a much better QB. In colder, crappier weather the Jets have the advantage because they have a better offensive line/running game and defense.

So why is it unfair for the game to be played in the cold and then fair for it to be played in domes/nice conditions?

Makes no sense to me.

The point I'm trying to make has less to do with what is fair and is more based on luck. The luck is taken out of it if every NFL team knows the Super Bowl will be played in decent weather. I want to see the better team win. I don't want to see a team win based on if the weather gave them an advantage or not. If the Colts beat the Jets in Tampa it will be because they are the better team. If the Jets win in a blizzard everyone will say it was because the Jets were lucky enough to have Manning taken out of the game by 40 mph winds and snow.

It would be like me beating the bowling champ because we bowled in the dark. I was lucky the lights were off or he kills me. Who wins our match had less to do with who is the better bowler and more to do with the luck of if the lights would be on or not.

And this has nothing to do with how bad it would be for everyone at or near the game if a blizzard or ice storm did hit. I just don't see any positives for anyone other than a Jets being helped against the Colts because they played in a blizzard.

[Newz]

If the Colts beat the Jets in Tampa it will be because they are the better team. If the Jets win in a blizzard everyone will say it was because the Jets were lucky enough to have Manning taken out of the game by 40 mph winds and snow.

It actually doesn't prove they are a better team.

It proves that they are a better team in perfect conditions with a great QB that can throw the ball. The Jets are a better running/defensive team, thus they would win in the cold most likely.

So teams can only be judged on who is better when it is in perfect conditions? That doesn't make sense to me. If that was the case, then they should make all NFL stadiums indoor like it was the NBA.

The NFL is an outdoor game. You aren't going to be able to deny a place like New York a Super Bowl forever because they are the biggest market in the US.

The weather is a factor in the regular season and playoff games, so it should be a factor in the biggest game of the year too.

[InsideOut]

If the Colts beat the Jets in Tampa it will be because they are the better team. If the Jets win in a blizzard everyone will say it was because the Jets were lucky enough to have Manning taken out of the game by 40 mph winds and snow.

It actually doesn't prove they are a better team.

It proves that they are a better team in perfect conditions with a great QB that can throw the ball. The Jets are a better running/defensive team, thus they would win in the cold most likely.

No, it proves that the Colts are the better team in the conditions most NFL games are played in and that it takes a blizzard for the Jets to become the better team. If the Jets are only favored in extreme weather conditions how do you figure that makes them the better team?

So teams can only be judged on who is better when it is in perfect conditions? That doesn't make sense to me. If that was the case, then they should make all NFL stadiums indoor like it was the NBA.

Who ever said this and why do you keep using the phrase "perfect conditions". Nobody is asking for perfect conditions. I'm saying I think the game becomes a sham if it is played in extreme conditions. At that point the weather can control the outcome of the game. I don't see why that is a good idea. I'd like to see the players be the deciding factor and not the weather.

The NFL is an outdoor game. You aren't going to be able to deny a place like New York a Super Bowl forever because they are the biggest market in the US.

They have been denied for over half a century so yes you can keep the largest market from hosting. And if market size even matters then why haven't they played the Super Bowl in NY, Philly or Chicago before. Tell me, if it is such a good idea then why haven't they ever played it outside in these major markets? As far as that goes, name me all the college bowl games they play outside in NY, Chicago, Philly or the other large cold weather metro areas.

The weather is a factor in the regular season and playoff games, so it should be a factor in the biggest game of the year too.

When not played in a dome the weather is a factor in the biggest game of the year. It just hasn't ever been the main or overriding factor...and in my mind that is a good thing. Think about the Ice Bowl. Do people talk about how great the football was and how the players played so well or do all they talk about is how dam cold it was and nobody could move? The weather was the story and I'd rather the story be the great play on the field. I'd say most NFL games are played in pretty good weather. So if most games are played in above 45 degree weather why risk putting the championship game in a blizzard? Shouldn't they play the game in the same weather that 90% of the games were played in? To see who the best team is doesn't it make more sense to play a game in average conditions instead of risk extreme ones? After all, the goal is to see who the best team is and not to see who the best team in a blizzard is.

What is your plan if on the day of the game NJ gets hit with a nor'easter and has 2 feet of snow, 40 mph winds, the airports are closed and the roads are shut down? Would you just tell everyone to come back next Sunday and we'll try again?

[Newz]

What is your plan if on the day of the game NJ gets hit with a nor'easter and has 2 feet of snow, 40 mph winds, the airports are closed and the roads are shut down? Would you just tell everyone to come back next Sunday and we'll try again?

What's your plan if there is a hurricane or huge storm if the game is in Florida? Would you just tell everyone to come back next Sunday and we'll try again?

[InsideOut]

What is your plan if on the day of the game NJ gets hit with a nor'easter and has 2 feet of snow, 40 mph winds, the airports are closed and the roads are shut down? Would you just tell everyone to come back next Sunday and we'll try again?

What's your plan if there is a hurricane or huge storm if the game is in Florida? Would you just tell everyone to come back next Sunday and we'll try again?

There aren't hurricanes in Florida in Feb. Hurricane season is roughly June to November. They have nice calm weather there that time of year and that is why they play so many Super Bowls in Florida. The same goes for Southern California. Now that I answered your question do you care to answer mine?