Bring a Jacket...

Hopefully this global warming phenomenon warms things up considerably by 2014, or else the NFL is in for a rude awakening. On Tuesday, the league gave the new Meadowlands Stadium in north Jersey Super Bowl XLVIII in four years. After first going to a northern city in Detroit in 2005, followed by a bid to our very own Indianapolis in 2012, the NFL has now thrown all caution to the wind. For those of you that haven't been to the New York area the first week of February, it's absolutely frigid.

According to NY.com, the average temperature in February is 33 1/2 degrees - hey, at least we know it won't snow! Actually, there's a very good chance for snow during Super Bowl XLVII, considering that a record 39 inches fell just this past February.

What I love about the Super Bowl is that it is the most neutral of neutral atmospheres. Generally it's played in a warm climate, so weather is not a factor. It's a corporate atmosphere with a small number of actual fans, meaning that there is no homefield advantage. By rolling the dice for a NY/NJ Super Bowl, the NFL is putting the neutrality of the site at risk. Can you imagine if the Colts (an indoor team) had a rematch against the Bears (a cold-weather team) again? It would give Chicago an unfair advantage. Teams are affected by playing in the cold/snow - there's no such thing as a cold-weather team (i.e. Chicago, Minnesota, either New York squad) struggling in 70 degree weather.

The cons far outweight the pros. Really, the only "pro" I can think of is the fact that it would be pretty cool to see a Super Bowl in the snow, and being played in the world's biggest market (New york), or at a place like Lambeau Field. The cons (weather issues, fan experience, traffic, etc.) could spell disaster for America's greatest sporting event.