NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is putting his money — or more accurately the rest of his body — where his mouth is. After repeatedly insisting football was intended to be played in the elements, and sitting outside during cold games before, that’s what he’ll do for the Feb. 2 Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium.
Goodell, like the overwhelming majority of fans at the game, will be sitting outside for the first northern cold-weather outdoor Super Bowl, according to the league. He’ll likely be wearing a coat, hat and gloves, but the NFL said Goodell will brave the weather, rain, shine or snow, as he usually does.
He sat in the stands for the Vikings’ 2010 outdoor tilt after the Metrodome roof collapsed, and he even sat at a game in Chicago, where he said his beer froze. It won’t be the first time a league commissioner has braved the cold in a Super Bowl, although it likely will be the coldest.
Ex-commissioner Pete Rozelle sat outside at Super Bowl VI, which was the coldest Super Bowl on record. Dallas beat Miami 24-3 on June 16, 1972, in front of 80,591 at Tulane, when the temperature was 39 degrees. Still, next month’s Super Bowl between Denver and Seattle promises to be even chillier.
Seahawks loquacious cornerback Richard Sherman drew a lot of attention to himself after Seattle beat the 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Championship, and on Monday none of the Broncos who will face Sherman and the Seahawks in the Super Bowl would bite on criticizing him.
“He’s an All-Pro cornerback, first and foremost,’’ Denver tight end Julius Thomas said. “He’s done a great job ever since he’s been in this league. He likes to have a little bit of fun out there; I don’t necessarily think there is anything wrong with that.”
Asked what the Denver receivers need to do to get open against Sherman, who Sunday had the game-clinching pass breakup that led to an interception, Thomas said: “I haven’t had the opportunity to study him on film yet. He’s not an All-Pro corner for no reason. He’s definitely going to have a lot of talent and be good at certain things, so they’re going to have to look at that and see what they need to do to get open.”
Broncos head coach John Fox called Sherman “a terrific player, a great cover guy” and praised “his length and great instincts.”
“He’s been operating at a pretty high level for some time [and] consistency is part of being a great player,’’ Fox said.
Fox called the game veteran cornerback Champ Bailey played Sunday “his best performance of the season.’’ Bailey, in his 15th season and going to his first Super Bowl, has battled injuries all season and appeared in just five regular-season games.
“It’s been good to get him back,’’ Fox said. “Obviously he brings a lot to the table from experience. He was doing a lot of things in the meeting rooms and those types of things, but he’s gotten healthy. He’s gotten back in the flow of playing.’’
Fox updated two injuries that occurred in Sunday’s game. Running back Knowshon Moreno, who left the game in the second half with a rib injury, had X-rays and the results were negative, leaving him “day-to-day when we form back up [for practice] Thursday,’’ Fox said.
Broncos cornerback Tony Carter, who left the game with a pinched nerve, does not have a concussion, Fox said. “He’s fine,’’ the coach said.
BOLDFACE PREDICTION
Chris Rock, actor/comedian: “Seattle. Their defense, man. If they can catch up to [Colin] Kaepernick’s arm … Kaepernick’s got twice as much arm as Peyton. Just in velocity. Peyton looks great but it might be a little Chad Pennington against Seattle in my opinion.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I think it was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib; no attempt to get open. I’ll let the league handle the discipline on that play; it’s not for me to decide, but it’s one of the worst plays I’ve seen.” — Bill Belichick on Wes Welker’s hit on Aqib Talib
GET TO KNOW
Seahawks C Max Unger: Few players in Super Bowl XLVIII will have traveled as far to get to MetLife Stadium as Max Unger. The Seahawks’ 27-year-old center was born in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and went to Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela, before becoming a four-year starter and two-time All-Pac 10 player at Oregon.
He was a left tackle in college and was drafted initially as a left guard, but has worked hard enough to become a Pro Bowl center. Now, Unger — on injured reserve for the 2010 playoffs — keeps quarterback Russell Wilson upright and clears the way when running back Marshawn Lynch goes Beast Mode.