Will the Super Bowl be postponed? It's an incredibly remote possibility, and here's whyBy Frank Schwab2 hours ago
MetLife Stadium after a snow storm earlier this week (USA Today Sports Images) Since 1932, when the NFL moved its championship game between the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans inside to Chicago Stadium, only one other game has been moved because of snow. That came in 2010, when a regular-season game between Philadelphia and Minnesota was moved to Tuesday. A couple other games in Miami have been moved because of hurricane forecasts. A few others have been moved due to stadium issues that arose from snow storms, fires or earthquakes. But in the 81 years and one month since the Bears and Spartans moved inside, only one other game has been changed due to snow with no extra stadium issues involved, like when the Metrodome collapsed a few years ago. And that Vikings-Eagles game in 2010 was a regular-season game, not the league's most important day of the year with a massive television audience and advertising money that could match the GNP of a small country lined up. Could the Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, get moved to another day because of weather? Sure. Also, you might get hit by lightning tomorrow. Your Powerball numbers might come up. Anything is possible. The NFL presumably has contingency plans for all Super Bowls. But it doesn't speak often about those plans if, say, an earthquake hits California when San Diego hosts a Super Bowl, at least not as much as it's entertaining the possibility of moving this game because of winter conditions. Again, that has happened in the NFL all of once in more than 81 years. But the NFL, by speaking often about the possibility, has created an odd panic about the situation. "Super Bowl Saturday (or another day) a possibility if weather doesn't cooperate," a USA Today headline said. "Super Bowl XLVIII: Date subject to change," said a headline on the Chicago Tribune's website. "Super Bowl weather: What if this storm happens on game day?" the Star-Ledger asked when a snow storm rolled through the New York/New Jersey area earlier this week. The NFL has kept this story alive by continuing to talk about contingency plans. “We are advising teams to prepare in case a contingency plan goes into effect,” Eric Grubman, NFL vice president of business operations, told The Denver Post this week. “If there is a schedule change, both teams will be notified simultaneously in a conference call.” The thing is, the NFL didn't schedule this game for the North Pole. The Weather Channel's 10-day forecast predicts a high of 36 degrees and a low of 27, with an 80 percent chance of precipitation, in the form of a wintry mix of rain and snow. Uncomfortable, sure. And it could mess with the game, as far as something like slowing down Denver's offense. But is that enough to mess with the plans of everyone involved (including the audience at home, which was more than 108 million last year) to make it the second game changed due to winter weather in more than eight decades? Ummmm, no. So why does the league want this very, very, very remote possibility alive as a story heading into its biggest event? A couple possibilities come to mind. First, perhaps it thinks that this is "any publicity is good publicity." There usually isn't much issue in getting attention on the Super Bowl, but playing up the possibility of a massive storm might add to the intrigue of the unique venue. "We are embracing the weather," commissioner Roger Goodell said, according to the Sports XChange. "Football is played in the elements." The other possibility is the league is keeping alive the possibility of postponing the game because it figures weather will affect the game in some on-field way, but by getting everyone talking about the (very unlikely) worst-case scenario for two weeks, whatever does rain or snow on the Broncos and Seahawks on Feb. 2 won't seem so bad. Hey, at least the game went on as scheduled, this cold weather Super Bowl idea was OK after all! Or maybe officials just want to hold the "We told you this was a possibility!" card if that one in a million chance hits and the storm of the century comes through East Rutherford, N.J. at exactly the wrong time. Just remember as you hear about contingency plans over the next week, that it would take a really rare storm for them to come into play – and even then one would assume if the teams can get to the stadium and the TV equipment works, they'll play as planned. Grubman told some outlets, including NorthJersey.com, that the game would have gone on as scheduled if it were earlier this week when 13 inches of snow fell on the area. So make your Super Bowl Sunday plans. If the game is moved due to weather, it will be because of something much more disruptive than anyone could reasonably predict right now. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/why-nfl-embracing-remote-notion-weather-might-postpone-184201793--nfl.html
Play on. They should of considered all this before they scheduled the game up there. They should have 4-5 stadiums that host the Super Bowl on a rotational basis. Like Tampa, San Diego, Miami. San Fran. The Rose Bowl.
I think it makes it more memorable, but a game at it's highest standard should not be influenced by the elements.
I think it makes it more memorable, but a game at it's highest standard should not be influenced by the elements.
True. If its sloppy, I would have to think that would favor the Seahawks. Skittles would have a huge day. Moreno is injured with a significant chest injury, they are calling it. So he may be out. That would be something if Percy had a huge day, and won MVP of the game. If he plays, that would be 1 game all season he played in, and he makes 16mil. I guess they won't mind paying him all that scratch if they win the game
Isn't this exactly what they wanted? A snowy Super Bowl like the olden days? Now it's an issue? You made your bed, now it's time to lay in it. Paying $2000 to go to the Super Bowl, it should be a party, not miserable. It needs to be a warm weather location.
Early forecast is 39 degrees. Non-issue.
No thats bullshit for the working class that has bought tickets but must return to work that following week. Most people that bought tickets can't just take the next week off work. Plans have been made, hotels booked, airline tickets booked. Play through the weather and learn your lesson next time around.
No thats bull**CENSORED** for the working class that has bought tickets but must return to work that following week. Most people that bought tickets can't just take the next week off work. Plans have been made, hotels booked, airline tickets booked. Play through the weather and learn your lesson next time around.
They are talking about moving it to Sat or Mon, so it wouldn't throw plans off all that much.
If you schedule a Super Bowl in a place where you have to have contingency plans in case weather factors in, you shouldn't of scheduled it there in the first place. IMO
Play on. They should of considered all this before they scheduled the game up there. They should have 4-5 stadiums that host the Super Bowl on a rotational basis. Like Tampa, San Diego, Miami. San Fran. The Rose Bowl.
There are others..... Nawleans, Arizona, Houston and Dallas come to mind.
Play on. They should of considered all this before they scheduled the game up there. They should have 4-5 stadiums that host the Super Bowl on a rotational basis. Like Tampa, San Diego, Miami. San Fran. The Rose Bowl.
There are others..... Nawleans, Arizona, Houston and Dallas come to mind.
Sure, those were just a few that came to mind, IDK about Dallas. Beautiful stadium, but it gets a bit cold there sometimes. But still nothing like the NYC metro area. Hawaii came to mind, but I don't know if they could handle the travel rush. I read something the other day, they are thinking about playing a Super Bowl in London in the near future.
No thats bull**CENSORED** for the working class that has bought tickets but must return to work that following week. Most people that bought tickets can't just take the next week off work. Plans have been made, hotels booked, airline tickets booked. Play through the weather and learn your lesson next time around.
They are talking about moving it to Sat or Mon, so it wouldn't throw plans off all that much.
Plenty of people will be arriving the day before and leaving the day after. It's a major issue.
That Super Bowl in Detroit was horrendous. Nice domed stadium. But people were complaining they had to drive a long ways for decent accommodations.In general, Super Bowl games suck in person, better on TV. At the Super Bowl, you get tons of people that don't even know the rules of the game. They are cheering at all the wrong times, its frustrating.
No thats bull**CENSORED** for the working class that has bought tickets but must return to work that following week. Most people that bought tickets can't just take the next week off work. Plans have been made, hotels booked, airline tickets booked. Play through the weather and learn your lesson next time around.
They are talking about moving it to Sat or Mon, so it wouldn't throw plans off all that much.
Plenty of people will be arriving the day before and leaving the day after. It's a major issue.
Could Hawaii handle a Super Bowl?
Play on.. They wanted it there and they knew the risk. I hope there is damn blizzard that rolls in right after kickoff. Play on!Most Regular fans can't afford to go to that game anyway, so let those execs sit out there and freeze.
