Richard Sherman on snowy SB

[everlong]

I’ve never played in the snow myself. Neither has our quarterback, Russell Wilson, who told me the only time he’s ever done it was during a practice at Wisconsin. Yet I still feel confident we would have an advantage over most teams in the snow, no matter the stage, because we run the ball well and we defend the run. Do both of those things, and your offense can run play-action and catch a defense on bad footing—and your defense forces the other team into passing situations with cold hands. Plus, I like the idea of quarterbacks with frozen fingers throwing off target and wide receivers dropping footballs.

But I still think hosting a Super Bowl in New Jersey is a big mistake.

I saw the early portions of the Detroit-Philadelphia game in Week 14. It wasn't much to watch. The offensive and defensive lines were moving in slow motion. The receivers and defensive backs were slipping around the field.

I personally could not agree with him less. Playing in the snow is something players and teams learn how to do. Second as Sherman notes the offensive and defensive lines move in slow motion. This hurts the Hawks who play best when they're playing fast. This also hurts the running game more than the passing game. It also makes it hards for the Hawks defensive backs to be aggressive. If they are and fall down it's 6 points. Seattle should root for wind not snow.

If the Pats somehow get through I would be praying for snow vs the Hawks.

Richard Sherman: The NFL's cold-weather Super Bowl is a big mistake | The MMQB with Peter King

 

[Rob0729]

If the Pats make it to the Super Bowl, they will definitely have a weather advantage over all of the most likely NFC opponents. Brady is the best bad weather QB in league history. You see other QBs being grounded by wind and snow. But other than torrential downpours in Cincy this year, I have never seen a weather condition slow Brady down.

 

[MassPats38]

As a Pats fan, I love the decision to play in NY because the Pats have a decided advantage over every team except the NY's, Bills, Chicago, Denver, Baltimore, Packers, and Eagles. Cold and snow can definitely affect the play of other teams (how many snow blowouts can you recall?).

As a NFL fan, I think it is a lousy decision because the game should be played without real weather factors on a neutral field for the championship. It would really suck to watch a team slip-sliding its way to a loss if all you wanted to watch was a good game. The cold weather gear, spikes and gloves have reduced the effect, but it is definitely still there and experience in the elements is huge.

 

[everlong]

As a Pats fan, I love the decision to play inn NY because the Pats have a decided advantage over every team except the NY's, Bills, Chicago, Denver, Baltimore, Packers, and Eagles. Cold and snow can definitely affect the play of other teams (how many snow blowouts can you recall?).

As a NFL fan, I think it is a lousy decision because the game should be played without real weather factors on a neutral field for the championship. It would really suck to watch a team slip-sliding its way to a loss if all you wanted to watch was a good game. The cold weather gear, spikes and gloves have reduced the effect, but it is definitely still there and experience in the elements is huge.

I think the Pats have an advantage over nearly all the cold weather teams you named as well. They went into Chicago and blasted them 36-7 or something like that the last time in the snow.

You're basically calling for it to be in a dome every year. Why should the dome team's get the advantage? Certainly teams like NO and Indy have advantages playing inside even if it isn't at home so just by putting it in the sterile environment you've given them an advantage.

 

[terabthia2]

U mad about that snow, bro? :hurt:

 

[Luke Skywelker]

Love the idea of a NY Snowy Super Bowl - has a hunger games, adapt to your environment quality to it. I wouldn't want it every year, but for sheer entertainment purposes, it's going to be fun. It's going to be interesting to see how NYC stages this one as well. It's a bit of an experiment, but one I'm looking forward to. Contrary to Richard Sherman, I despise Dome games. Football is not a sport that is meant to be played under a roof in contained environments. It's not artificial, one of the reasons I think the Saints are so soft. Why the Manning/Colts were so soft. With a week to prepare(2 in this case), it's not like a baseball game and you have time to prepare for the elements as part of your game planning.

When you go to war, it's not in a sunny predictable environment. Football is not meant to be played around palm trees.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I think it's overrated. Every team has players that are accustomed to playing in warm and cold climates.

There is no question that maybe with the exception of Bart Starr the Pats have the greatest cold-weather, bad weather QB of all-time.

Russell Wilson, Cam Newton and Colin K. have big hands which make it a bit easier to grip a cold ball. They also have the ability to scramble well which if it snows will be an advantage. Both have above-average arm strength and throw good spirals which penetrate the wind better than those that do not.

 

[resdubwhite]

wonder if any of the Seattle players try to snort it, given their less than glorious recent history.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

You COLD, bro?

 

[MassPats38]

I think the Pats have an advantage over nearly all the cold weather teams you named as well. They went into Chicago and blasted them 36-7 or something like that the last time in the snow.

You're basically calling for it to be in a dome every year. Why should the dome team's get the advantage? Certainly teams like NO and Indy have advantages playing inside even if it isn't at home so just by putting it in the sterile environment you've given them an advantage.

I agree the Pats are better in the snow than even the cold weather teams. With that said, at least they are used to the conditions.

I didn't say domes exclusively because that is not the history of the Super Bowl. California, Florida, dome or comparable environment. Teams have significant difficulties in the snow and cold, far greater than any dome advantage for dome teams (the Rams in 2001 were a better fast track team, but the Pats were not checking their cleats in trying to figure out how to move on the dome surface).

Take away the crowd noise of a home field, and a dome is fairly neutral. I haven't run the numbers, but field turf is now fairly prevalent so I doubt that surface should come as a surprise or offer a decided advantage in and of itself. Indy and New Orleans do well at home (certainly Indy in cranking up the heat and with noise issues), but I don't know that that is as true away from home against good opponents that are also dome teams.

As stated, I love it as a Pats fan if the Pats get to that game. I can deal with the crying while watching my team hoist the Lombardi. You can bet the farm that if one opposing player hits the deck while trying to stop short while trying to catch a pass on a slick surface, then NFL fans will be screaming bloody murder on the decision to play in NY in the winter while claiming Roger loves the Pats and jobbed their team and the NFL to get BB and the Pats another Lombardi. Crazy, but true.

 

[reflexblue]

If the Pats make it to the Super Bowl, they will definitely have a weather advantage over all of the most likely NFC opponents. Brady is the best bad weather QB in league history. You see other QBs being grounded by wind and snow. But other than torrential downpours in Cincy this year, I have never seen a weather condition slow Brady down.

I said this a couple of weeks ago. If the pats make it to the Super Bowl this year they'll win. Especially against a warm weather team, and i put Seattle in that category.

 

[everlong]

I didn't say domes exclusively because that is not the history of the Super Bowl. California, Florida, dome or comparable environment.

You said you the game should be played without real weather factors .

The Colts vs Bear SB in South Florida had rain and was a pretty awful SB. There's always the potential for wind in any outdoor stadium and really high wind can limit a game more than snow or cold. The Pats played a game in Buffalo a few years ago where the temp was in the mid 30's but the wind was gusting to 45 MPH. Gostkowski went to kick a FG from only 20 something yards and it was dead center until the wind got it and it ended up not reaching the goal posts and went 20 yards wide right.

 

[MassPats38]

You said you the game should be played without real weather factors .

The Colts vs Bear SB in South Florida had rain and was a pretty awful SB. There's always the potential for wind in any outdoor stadium and really high wind can limit a game more than snow or cold. The Pats played a game in Buffalo a few years ago where the temp was in the mid 30's but the wind was gusting to 45 MPH. Gostkowski went to kick a FG from only 20 something yards and it was dead center until the wind got it and it ended up not reaching the goal posts and went 20 yards wide right.

Sorry if it came across that way as it was not what I intended. I was referring to historical SB venue decisions. You cannot precisely predict weather when outdoor venues are selected, but the intent has been to negate weather factors to the extent possible. Weather follows a typical pattern, but it is never completely predictable.

Given the number of non-dome venues, every team plays in rain, so rain is not as big a surprise. Every team plays in wind as well. Snow and cold show up for a very small chunk of the season, so it is unlikely to be as typical an environmental concern for all teams.

The rest of your post seems to support why this venue may present a problem for NFL fans. Again, I am all for it because it will have me hoping for true winter weather, as bad as may be possible, if the Pats get there. Playing the numbers on the weather in NY, it may well be that type of game. Under those circumstances, the chances of a Pats win go up significantly.

 

[SVN]

seahawks wont make it to the SB. So this is a moot point.

 

[everlong]

The rest of your post seems to support why this venue may present a problem for NFL fans.

I think it just depends on the degree of bad weather if that happens. For all the talk about it being bad it is unpredictable. It was 70 in Baltimore yesterday as an example. It could be 40 and sunny the day of the SB in NY. No matter who makes it to the SB I hope it snows but isn't overly windy. That could make for an epic game.

 

[#56300ex]

I think the Seahawks, their local media, and their fans just expect to be there. They've all been chirping about for the last couple weeks. It was nice to see them get kicked in the junk yesterday.

As far as the weather, I hope it's a blizzard

 

[upstater1]

You said you the game should be played without real weather factors .

The Colts vs Bear SB in South Florida had rain and was a pretty awful SB. There's always the potential for wind in any outdoor stadium and really high wind can limit a game more than snow or cold. The Pats played a game in Buffalo a few years ago where the temp was in the mid 30's but the wind was gusting to 45 MPH. Gostkowski went to kick a FG from only 20 something yards and it was dead center until the wind got it and it ended up not reaching the goal posts and went 20 yards wide right.

I was there. The temp was actually high 50s with 6-0 mph and 35 mph steady.

Brady did a quick kick on 3rd down that went about 20-25 yards then rolled another 40 to the 1 yard line.

 

[everlong]

I was there. The temp was actually high 50s with 6-0 mph and 35 mph steady.

Brady did a quick kick on 3rd down that went about 20-25 yards then rolled another 40 to the 1 yard line.

Thanks for the corrections and my guesses on temp of 30's and winds gusting to 45 were purely on memory. That quick kick was awesome and only surpassed by the one against the Steelers.

 

[upstater1]

I will state the obvious: there is no point to hosting a Super Bowl in New York and trying to avoid snow. The whole point SHOULD BE to play in the snow.

I compare this to soccer where the top games of the European cups are in January through March, and optimal conditions disappear after the early season. There's no doubt that you'll get better soccer in dry 55-60 degree weather, but the championships are played in 30 degree weather in very often slick or wet field conditions. I bet the weather impacts soccer a lot more than football as well as soccer players rely on footing more than football layers do.

 

[SVN]

SF is the best team in the NFC. They are going to go on a run here in the playoffs I think.