NFL owners vote Tuesday on NY/NJ Super Bowl bid
Giants quarterback Eli Manning poses with Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez after the official signing ceremony of New York/New Jersey's 2014 Super Bowl bid at New Meadowands Stadium. (May 12, 2010) Credit: AP
DALLAS - It's a good thing Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis isn't on the committee pushing for a New York/New Jersey Super Bowl in 2014. With officials from the Jets and Giants lobbying to get the nation's biggest professional sports spectacle on the world's largest stage, Ellis remains skeptical.
"I'm definitely rooting for it, but I don't think it's going to happen," the Jets' longest-tenured player said recently.
The biggest stumbling block, according to Ellis?
"It's too cold during that time," he said. "Who'd want the Super Bowl to be affected by cold weather?"
That's not to say Ellis wouldn't jump at the chance to play in the first outdoor Super Bowl in a northern city. "If I'm playing in it, I wouldn't care,'' he said. "If you're in the Super Bowl, you'd play on concrete."
Fortunately for those working in an official capacity with the New Meadowlands Stadium bid, there is a greater sense of optimism about getting the game.
No one's willing to say it's a shoo-in that the NFL owners will vote Tuesday in Dallas to award it to New York/New Jersey, which is competing with Tampa and South Florida. But there certainly is a feeling that the goal is within reach.
"The reaction I've gotten is positive," Giants treasurer Jonathan Tisch said. "We think our bid is compelling. To hear owners think it's a good idea makes us feel we're doing something that will benefit the league, and that owners will benefit from having the Super Bowl in New York City."
Of course, the one thing that Tisch and others affiliated with the bid worry about is Ellis' concern: weather.
"We're going to hear a lot of that in the next 24 hours," Tisch said, "but as we've said many times, some of the greatest games in the history of the NFL have been played in difficult weather conditions. There is no better area to deal with what is thrown our way than the New York City/New Jersey area. We don't consider the weather to be a problem."
It is expected that today's first ballot will knock out the bid receiving the fewest votes. The consensus indicates South Florida has the least support, partly because the Super Bowl was staged there in two of the last four years, but also because the NFL wants improvements made to Sun Life Stadium. Tampa, host of four Super Bowls, is seen as a fairly strong contender.
But the momentum seems to be with New York/New Jersey, partly because of the buzz from the selection process. The awarding of Super Bowls generally is not considered a major news event; this time, NFL Network will broadcast it live starting at 3 p.m. to cover the voting.
"I think it's something different," Jets linebacker Bart Scott said. "It's not like you can push an outdoor Super Bowl every year, but it helps that the city hosting the game is probably one of the best cities in America. There's plenty of entertainment and star power, no matter what. A lot of places can't say that."
Said Jets coach Rex Ryan: "You've got the best city in the world. Why wouldn't you want to hold the Super Bowl there? I don't see how it's not played here. The game should be played here."
Giants quarterback Eli Manning agreed.
"That would be a dream come true," Manning said. "This year, we hope to be in Dallas. But in 2014, if we have an opportunity to play in our home stadium, it would be perfect. And if it was a Giants-Jets game, that would be a lot of excitement. New York would be rockin' that weekend, for sure. That year, there would be extra motivation to get to the Super Bowl and play one in your home
stadium. To win one in your home stadium would be pretty awesome."
