For the owners of metropolitan New York's NFL franchises, the first cold-weather Super Bowl counts as a triumph.
Flash forward to the present. Super Bowl XLVIII -- now just six days away -- will be held at MetLife Stadium, the shared home of the Giants and Jets.
The Denver Broncos will use the Jets' Florham Park, N.J., facility all week, while the Seattle Seahawks will practice at the Giants' facility at the Meadowlands. Johnson said it was "bittersweet" to have other teams in their buildings.
"It could have been worse, though," Mara quipped, a nod to a Patriots-EaglesSuper Bowl that would double as the Jets and Giants' apocalypse.
Asked specifically if he's relieved the Patriots aren't involved this week, Johnson acknowledged (via ESPN.com) you'd "rather not have a team in your division."
As for the cold-weather future of the Super Bowl, Mara said he'd be open to Chicago hosting the game but added "that would be rough with their weather." Mara said the only place he'd rule out? Green Bay, though the issue is a matter of logistics rather than frigid temps. There aren't enough hotels to handle the influx of people.
"Paper Valley Inn isn't big enough," Mara said, via the New York Post.
If the week leading up to the game is successful and the game goes off without a hitch, it would nearly guarantee more cold-weather Super Bowl sites in the future. There's a lot riding on this week -- Johnson and Mara aren't the only ones monitoring the situation.
*We handed out awards for the 2014 coaching class and talked all the latest headlines in the latest "Around The League Podcast." *
