Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., could be viewed as a test subject when it comes to entertaining bids to host the annual championship from cold weather markets.
The list of watchful eyes includes team owners, such as Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.
Jan 22, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; A general view as stadium workers clean snow from stands during the Super Bowl XLVIII stadium preparations press conference at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
“Well, New York has a long history of hosting big events and they’re going to put on a great show,” Hunt told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. “I have every confidence that it will be one of the best Super Bowls ever from many different angles.”
Of course, there are numerous logistical considerations when planning an event of this magnitude.
But arguably the biggest concern for Sunday’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos surrounds the elements, a point Hunt mentioned during his on-camera interview.
“Clearly, the one wild card that’s sitting out there is what the weather will be?” Hunt said. “And I would say probably the thing that will influence the owners in terms of making a decision about a future Super Bowl for New York – or frankly for another open-air, cold-weather market – will be does the weather behave on Sunday. If it does, I think it’s likely that a game goes back to New York and perhaps elsewhere as well.”
It appears the owners could get their wish when it comes to the weather cooperating.
Sunday’s forecast calls for temperatures in highs in the low 40s and lows in the upper 20s with a 0 percent chance of precipitation, according to weather.com.
Good news, too, considering the snow in the Northeast is forecasted to arrive the day after the Super Bowl.
In the meantime, if logistical aspects for the Super Bowl run smoothly as projected, the door could be open for Kansas City, Mo., to potentially make a bid to host a Super Bowl at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Clearly, having an open-air stadium would make it a challenge,” Hunt said. “But we all said when New York got the game that they’re really going to lay the foundation for what happens next. And if there is an opportunity to bid on a Super Bowl, I would expect that Kansas City would be in that mix.”
