By Danny Cohen ’15, Staff Writer

The Super Bowl is coming to the New York/New Jersey area for the first time on February 2, 2014! This year’s Super Bowl at Met Life Stadium is the first outdoor, cold climate Super Bowl in the history of the NFL. The 47 Super Bowls prior to Super Bowl XLVIII have either been played in a warm climate or in a dome, with Miami and New Orleans leading the way having hosted 10 Super Bowls each. As a result, besides rain and mild wind, weather has never made a major impact on the game.

Though not many Newark Academy students plan on attending the game — especially since neither the Giants nor the Jets made the playoffs — a variety of people around school have offered their opinion on whether it is a good idea for the NFL to have the Super Bowl outside in New York. Soven Bery ’15 commented, “I think football is a game that is meant to be played outside, so it will be a good experience for both the players and the fans.” Of the ten playoff games that have been played this season, only one has been played in a dome, and the rest have been played in moderate to cold climates. In addition, both teams playing in the Super Bowl, Seattle and Denver, play outdoors in cold and wet climates. If regular season, playoff games, and even conference championship games can be played in the elements, then why not the Super Bowl?

One concern is that snow and extreme conditions may be advantageous to some teams’ rosters compared to others. Soven elaborated, “I think the snow would favor a running team such as Seattle, rather than a passing team such as Denver.” During the regular season, the biggest snowfall occurred during an Eagles-Lions game in Philadelphia, a game that Philadelphia won 34-20. The Eagles, who are the top rushing team in the NFL, found offensive success with their running back LeSean Mccoy who ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns. In contrast, Detroit’s third ranked passing attack struggled in the snow.

Sam Rosenberg ’15 didn’t think the conditions on Super Bowl Sunday would discourage any fans from attending the game. “For the amount of money that people are paying for a ticket, they will not miss the game because of cold, wind, or snow.” The starting price of a ticket on StubHub is $2,275, and the most expensive ticket being sold is a whopping $839,320 for a suite. That being said, if the game is out of hand and there is also bad weather, we may see people head for the exits early on in the contest.

Regardless of how the weather plays out, the NFL cannot ignore the lure of having a Super Bowl in the New York area. Scott Wright said, “I think it’s great that the NFL is having the Super Bowl in the country’s biggest city because New York has the best hotels and attractions, and the city can provide the fans with a great overall experience during their trip.” Each year, there are events leading up to the Super Bowl, and New York’s lineup will not disappoint. Some headline events include the DIRECTV Super Bowl Party lead by Jay-Z, and four nights of concerts at the Bud Light Hotel. Five days before the big game, Broadway will be closed for 14 blocks, and there will be interactive games, a virtual theatre showing highlights from past Super Bowls, an NFL clothing shop, and a large toboggan run in the area. In addition, the NBA scheduled a marquee matchup between the two-time defending champion Miami Heat and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden the night before the Super Bowl. In response to how he thinks New York will react to large crowds, traffic, and tourists that always comes along with hosting a Super Bowl, Sam said, “There is always a lot going on in New York. I think the city will be able to handle it.” If the NFL’s decision to play the Super Bowl in New York pays off, it could open a door for several cold weather cities around the country to host the game. Perhaps we will see the Super Bowl played in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, or Washington D.C. in coming years.