Sunny New Jersey Set to Host Superbowl XLVIII

It was closer than expected, and it took 4 rounds of voting, but it’s finally a done deal. The 2014 Superbowl will be hosted in the greatest state in the union—yeah, yeah I know, insert lame “armpit of America” joke here. New York City will get all the credit, and host all of the pre-game hoopla, but the game will be played in the "wetlands" (euphemism for swamps) of East Rutherford. The debate over whether or not weather should affect a game as “important” as the Superbowl has raged on in talk radio stations since this bid was announced, and frankly I’m bored with the discussion. You always run the risk of there being bad weather if you play the game outside (see Superbowl XLI). New Jersey (particularly Northeastern Jersey) is not exactly Minnesota. In all likelihood there will be no snow. There might be rain, it will be cold, and there will probably be wind, but get over it. Really, get over it. Life isn't fair. Isn't it an advantage for a dome team to play a Superbowl indoors? In my opinion, fairness is overrated.

And let’s stop the “slippery slope” nonsense while we’re at it. New York City is a special place, and that’s the only reason why the new Meadowlands Stadium (by the way, smart move not naming the stadium yet, the cost of the naming rights probably just doubled) was considered for this. The day the NFL agrees to play the Superbowl in Cleveland will be the day Tom Coughlin puts on a clown suit and does the Macarena at midfield during the halftime show (speaking of half-time shows, I know he just played Superbowl XLIII, but is there anyway Bruce Springsteen doesn’t make an appearance?). The only other city I could possibly see getting a shot as a result of this would be Washington, DC with its milder climate and “Nation’s Capital” angle. Dan Snyder might just build another new stadium to help make that happen. I've heard grumbles of Green Bay, but I'm not buying that just yet (Wisconsin is heck of a lot colder than NJ and I can't see the usual Superbowl crowd sitting in bleachers).

Roger Goodell, for all his faults (see his sputtering opening remarks at the 2010 draft), has shown that he is not afraid to try new things (see that same draft’s format). The old saying is “if you ain’t growing, you’re dying” and the NFL under Goodell has taken that approach. A Superbowl in the shadow of the New York City skyline will be one heck of spectacle, and I for one can't wait.