From Thursday's USA Today:
NFL officials on Wednesday conceded that contingency plans call for the championship game to be played at any point between Friday, Jan. 31 and Monday, Feb. 3 at MetLife Stadium.
The good news is Eric Grubman, the NFL's vice president for business operations, said if the kind of storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on most of New Jersey on Tuesday is forecasted for Super Bowl Sunday, the game would likely go off at its scheduled kickoff time of 6:30 p.m.
In other words, it would take an even bigger storm to alter the kickoff time for the first cold-weather Super Bowl played at an outdoor venue.
"What goes into whether deciding to (move) it, first of all, is public safety," Grubman said Wednesday in a news conference at MetLife Stadium, where thousands of workers removed snow from the bleachers and field.
"Unless it was a state of emergency which affected public resources in a way that made it impossible to get the resources here, or any kind of declaration by any of the authorities from the states involved that made it difficult to travel safety to and from the stadium, we would absolutely respect that.""
The economic impact to the New York and New Jersey metro area could be staggering because the revenue expected from the tourists, players and others has "phenomenal" written all over it and weather will not stop the flow of money, and instead, will boost hotel and restaurant receipts as fans could be forced to stay an additional day or two.
Having the game here is an experiment for the NFL to consider future games in open, cold weather stadium cities like Foxboro, Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago and of course, the home of the famous "Ice Bowl", Green Bay.
To the real football fan, football is supposed to be played in snow, ice, and wind generally, in challenging conditions. While playing the games in domed stadiums and warm weather sites may be good for TV and fan convenience, isn't that why the Pro Bowl is played in Honolulu?
The State of New Jersey and Met Life Stadium employees had a dress rehearsal this week and passed the test with flying colors. The field was prepared, the seats were cleared, the parking lot and roads around the stadium were plowed for easy traffic flow.
The NFL will be giving a "goody bag" with all sorts of stuff for fan convenience and comfort. Of course, these souvenirs will be taken home by those who attended to prove they were actually there.
So, fans, let's not get all worked up over some snow. I am sure the fans who attend will have something to talk about for years to come. For those of us who have to watch the game from the warmth of our living rooms, well, isn't that the best way to enjoy the game?
To the media, just give it a rest. This is one time where bad weather will be good for something. The people of New York and New Jersey think so. The NFL thinks so. The players think so. No matter what, history will be made.
Have a chili dog and a cold one for me!
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