Yesterday, we brought you word of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, who seemed mildly confused as to why anyone would play a Super Bowl in New York in February.
As you might imagine, former Bears coach and Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka had a stronger opinion.
“The weather’s going to be a problem,” Ditka told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “They made a big mistake. The game shouldn’t be there. I mean, it’s stupid.”
Ditka’s no stranger to playing in harsh conditions, but his concern was more with the chance the weather affects the product on the field, and the people who are paying big money to watch it.
“First of all, it’s not fair to the players,” Ditka said. “It’s not going to be fair to the fans. It’s not going to be that enjoyable.
“I mean, I understand it’s the Super Bowl and it’s a privilege to play in the Super Bowl. It’d be nice to be playing in Miami or San Diego or New Orleans or somewhere the weather is conducive to guys being able to show their talents. . . .
“I’m just saying, if you get extreme cold or you get snow during the game, then it’s unfair to the fans, to the players, to everybody. You’re not going to be able to perform at near the level you’re used to. And the element of luck comes into it, and it shouldn’t happen in that game. That game should be based on the people on the field who make the plays.”
That’s a quaint belief, and one that went out the door the league started hanging Super Bowl sites as carrots in exchange for money for new stadiums, opening the door to the kind of situation we have here this week.