As the week leading up to the Super Bowl XLVIII rolls on, you’ll hear grumblings of how the quality of play will be diminished because of the cold weather in the New York/New Jersey area.
But the truth is, cold weather will be little more than an excuse for the losing team’s fan base.
First, let’s not act like the Super Bowl has never been played in cold weather before. When the Dallas Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI in 1972 outside at Tulane Stadium, it was 39 degrees. They played the Super Bowl at Tulane again three years later, this time in 46-degree weather.
Super Bowls have been affected by other outside forces as well. Peyton Manning’s only Super Bowl win, in Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears, was played in a torrential downpour. But, for some reason, I don’t recall anyone talking about “quality of play” after that game.
And let’s not forget last season when, after a power outage paused the game for 34 minutes, the San Francisco 49ers nearly pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. I’d be shocked if cold weather affects this Super Bowl as much as that blackout affected the last one.
Some might argue the cold weather is disadvantageous to the fans who will have to sit in the cold, but what exactly did those fans expect for a game played in New Jersey in early February?
You don’t buy cotton candy and then complain that it’s too sweet, and you don’t buy tickets to an outdoor event in the North and then complain about the cold.
But the biggest thing most pundits fail to realize is this: the rules put in play the last few seasons that have progressively made life easier for quarterbacks around the league. As the issue of concussions has become more and more serious, the league has protected the position with the most superstars.
The first rule changes seemed to come with good intentions. But each new season seems to bring a new rule with it, and it’s gotten to the point where defensive linemen probably have nightmares about breathing on the quarterback the wrong way.
Several rules have changed to make things advantageous for receivers as well. Pass interference and defensive holding are easier to commit than ever, and the importance of positions like linebacker and safety has lessened significantly.
Nowhere are the rule changes more evident than in the history books. Before 2011, only two players had ever thrown for more than 5,000 passing yards in one season. In the last three seasons, we’ve seen six players reach that milestone.
People complain about how steroids ruined the history books in baseball, but what’s happening to passing records now isn’t that different. Maybe more people will care when Matthew Stafford passes John Elway on the all-time passing list in 10 years.
With the cold weather, Denver’s Manning and Seattle’s Russell Wilson may have some struggles throwing the ball. Suddenly the playing field becomes more even, and the game begins to resemble a league we saw 15 years ago.
So if a little cold weather and wind affects the ease a quarterback has to throw the ball, I’m in favor of it. The weather might shine light on some of the other great players in the game, such as Richard Sherman, Knowshon Moreno and Marshawn Lynch.
This game is played with 22 players on the field, not just one. It’s about time the game starts recognizing that.
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