The NFL and the Cold Weather Superbowl

The selection process for the 2014 Superbowl is underway and for the 1st time, a cold weather city that does not have a domed stadium is under consideration for the bid. The home stadium of the Giants and Jets that is set to open this upcoming season is in line for a rare superbowl. Its funny to me how there are objections to playing the big game in the cold when the game of football is a cold weather game.

I laughed when reading of the plans to have hand warmers for the fans in the stands and fire pits for the tailgaters. I hate to tell those worry warts within the NFL, but fans have been going to cold games and tailgating before and after those games for decades. Why is it such an issue now? Maybe the fake corporate fans are afraid that their little fingers will be cold. This is a joke coming from a league that prides itself on parity. Parity would be that everyone got a shot at a superbowl, not just those cities that are situated in warm weather climeate and/or have a dome.

To me (and I say this as having played the game) a football game is one that is played in the elements within the mud, rain, snow and ice. Nothing defines a football player as how rugged he looks after a game in the elements, a-la Y.A. Tittle after the NFL Championship game of 1958. The images still have an effect today of the fog rolling over the icy field on the "Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field" referring to the Ice Bowl between the Packers and Cowboys in 1967. Today, players barely have grass stains on their knees and it sucks folks.

So here's how I would do the Superbowl if I was Commissioner. The locations would alternate between conference, one year cold weather and warm the next year. Everyone gets a shot to host a Superbowl. The weather is a crap shoot. Denver, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Green Bay and the New York City area among others will be able to benefit from the revenue a game the magnitude of the Superbowl can bring as opposed to the usual few benefitting. So the corporate cronies will be cold. Well Boo hoo to you.

Let real fans who can take the weather sit in those seat instead of wimpy suits who barely know the difference between their thumb and their elbow. Real fans can enjoy the game played in the cold.