Roger Goodell says the NFL is ready for another Ice Bowl.
A year from now, when the Super Bowl is played in New Jersey, it will mark the first time that the game has been played outdoors in a cold climate. But Goodell said at a New York City press conference today that bad weather won’t be a problem.
“We’re going to embrace the weather, embrace New York and New Jersey,” Goodell said, via the New York Daily News. “We are also prepared for all alternatives, and that includes the weather, and the potential for snow and ice.”
The NFL was faced with a string of logistical problems when an ice storm shut down roads in Dallas during Super Bowl week two years ago, although the game itself was played indoors. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said his city will be well prepared for the weather during all the pre-Super Bowl activities, and he endorsed football being played in the elements.
“That’s football, it’s meant to be played outdoors,” Bloomberg said.
Vince Lombardi would agree. But as much as Goodell is saying he’ll embrace the snow and ice, he’s probably hoping that New York has a warm spell a year from now.