Perhaps this writer is the only one hoping this cold weather Super Bowl bombs like the Soviets at Lake Placid.
Then again, in 1980,
the thought of the Lombardi Trophy being awarded amidst a mix of sleet
and confetti was as much a pipe dream as the halfpipe competition
itself, or the idea of the Winter Olympiad returning to site of America's most celebrated miracle.
If America is kidding
anyone at this point, it's the idea that the weather will significantly
impact the play on the field. These teams are accustomed to playing
outdoors. Ideally, the elements shouldn't play
a part in a championship game if it's truly played on a "neutral" site.
If people want snow, maybe they'll get it. If not, they'll be watching
just another cold weather playoff game with about as much crowd
influence as a preseason game.
The sophisticated,
typical Super Bowl crowd--the kind eschewing tailgate parties for luxury
seats at most stadiums--now will pay top dollar to shuffle into MetLife
Stadium by 2 o'clock to endure elements previously reserved
for title games in stadia such as Lambeau for the next nine hours. The
only noise from the wine-and-cheese crowd will simply be choruses of
whines and "never agains" much like those who couldn't escape the
Woodstock sequels fast enough.
It was bad enough when the Big Game was played in a cold week in Dallas, or in Detroit before that. Super Bowl week is supposed to be a vacation disguised as work. Now it's simply a home game for NFL execs who promised the Jets and Giants brass a Super Bowl if they could get another sucker to fiance the deal.
(...They got you and me, public, in their hands...)
If the Meadowlands landed a Super Bowl, then why not Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Foxboro, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or even...
Forget it. Stop dreaming. This is a one-year experiment that will only benefit FOX, New York, and the league, followed by PR-crafted "nos" disguised as "possibilities."
The men behind The Shield got their wish, much like the hierarchy in Buffalo got it's extra cash for a "home" game in Toronto. They'll have the hoopla that comes with any Super Week. Come kickoff, however--the only thing that ultimately matters--you'll get the same effect as you would at Rogers Centre, save open roof.
You'll get a game, of course. The Broncos and Seahawks truly are the two best teams in football.
You'll just hear echoes of Omahas and Richard Sherman's trash talk reverberating throughout the world's largest outdoor library.
