A New York Super Bowl: Bad play?

In 2014, New York will host the Super Bowl — the first time that the contest will be held outdoors in a cold climate. While NFL commissioner Roger Goodell maintains that fan will have "a great experience" in the presumably chilly environs of New Meadowlands Stadium, some observers wonder whether a Super Bowl played in, say, sleet and heavy fog will have the same mass-market charms as one played in brilliant sunshine. Should the NFL have stuck with its half-century tradition of siting outdoor Super Bowls in balmy locales? (Watch a Bloomberg interview with New York Jets owner Woody Johnson)

What a stupid idea: Choosing New York was lunacy, says Mike Lopresti in USA Today. Not only does the location rule out "optimal" playing conditions, it gives teams who are used to cold weather a huge advantage. Sure, "playing football in lousy weather can be memorable" — but there is "no reason" to do it "if you don't have to."

"NFL will have brain freeze if Super Bowl lands in Meadowlands"

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Stop whining — this is going to be fun: "The Super Bowl is about entertainment," says David Whitley in NFL FanHouse, and a "frozen" game can be every bit as entertaining as a "tropical" one. The "New York Super Bowl" is going to be "historic." I predict "we'll look back on Feb. 3, 2014, and feel like ninnies for having worried so much about the weather."

"Big chill Super Bowl would be big thrill"

It's all about the Big Apple: Holding the Super Bowl in New York is "not about the cold," says Andrew Brandt in Forbes. "It is about the biggest and single most powerful city in the country hosting the biggest and single most powerful sporting event in the country." Like it or not, "the potential for cold and bad weather is an asterisk to the event. It’s all about New York, New York."

"New York Super Bowl: Start spreading the news"