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The prospects of Super Bowl XLVIII being played so close to home are exciting for all Jets and Giants fans.

Thinking About the Super Bowl – XLVIII in February 2014

Much ado about nothing or something? That could be the question we ask as we ponder the next Super Bowl. I know, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers haven’t even gotten on the field yet, so why am I thinking about next year’s big game you might ask? Perhaps because it is going to be played in MetLife stadium, my team’s home turf (oh yeah, we do “share” that with the NY Giants). The prospects of Super Bowl XLVIII being played so close to home are exciting for all Jets and Giants fans, and anyone else who lives in the New York City area.

This is not to say that this choice of venues is not without controversy. Many people have questioned why the NFL would choose to have the contest in a “snow zone.” Commissioner Roger Goodell says he is “prepared” for snow for the game day, but what kind of snow are we talking about? Long-time New Yorkers know that February can deliver some of the worst snowstorms in this area – sometimes of the two to three foot variety. Can the NFL be ready for that?

It is not just snow that the NFL has to worry about. How about cold? We’re talking numbing, Arctic-like temperatures. We get very cold around here in February. We could be talking anywhere from 32 to 0 degrees in February. This certainly puts an entirely different spin on how the game will be played for sure, not to mention how it will be viewed by the fans in the stands.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco didn’t mince words when asked about the impending ice bowl. He said, “I think it’s retarded.” Of course, not the most politically correct response from an NFL player, but we have come to expect such things these days. However, he called for what makes sense when he said, “put a retractable dome” on MetLife Stadium. Of course, there are no plans in the works for that, and it seems that everyone will have to be praying for good weather on February 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

We can question why the NFL would make this choice, but many people I have spoken to like the idea of a Super Bowl with weather being a factor. Fans of football in the northern part of the U.S.A. are used to combating the elements to watch their favorite teams play, so it is no stretch for them to have the big game played in inclement weather. In fact some folks would welcome it.

For example, if the big game featured the Green Bay Packers against the Buffalo Bills, both of those teams would be well suited for the endeavor; however, if we pit a team from a warmer city like the Houston Texans against the Bears, that could give the Windy City team a decided advantage that it would not have in the sterile climate of a domed venue.

For now most of America will turn its attention to the game between the Ravens and 49ers, but my mind is focused on next year. Now wouldn’t it be amazing if the contest turned out to be between the NY Giants and the NY Jets? Well, this old Jets fan can dream, right?

Photo credits: emblem – yahoo sports; MetLife Stadium – espn.go.com

About Victor Lana

Victor Lana's stories, articles, and poems have been published in literary magazines and online. His new novel, 'Unicorn: A Love Story,' is available as an e-book and in print.

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