Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl, but the Dolphins’ loss to the 49ers on Jan. 20, 1985, at Stanford Stadium couldn’t be blamed on cold weather. And Marino isn’t a fan of this year’s game being played at MetLife Stadium.
“To me, I know everyone is excited about it being in New York, but it should be in Miami every year,” Marino said Tuesday at the Sheraton hotel in Midtown. “You work so hard to get in that position and then for weather to be a factor, that’s tough. We all know it’s part of football, but it’s not ideal. I guess I’m biased.”
A Super Bowl ring is the only thing missing from Marino’s storied career, and some still consider him the greatest passer of all time, believing he was hurt by the lack of a great running game or defense when he played for Miami.
Peyton Manning will try to cement his legacy with a second championship when his Broncos face the Seahawks outdoors as the Meadowlands. Despite Manning’s occasional issues with the elements, Marino believes the Denver quarterback can overcome them. The forecast for Sunday has improved in recent days, so the league should be able to avoid having to play its biggest game in a storm.
“The hardest thing to do is to throw in wind, snow, sleet, that kind of weather,” Marino said. “Those are tough conditions. I think they should be able to handle everything else. It’s not supposed to be below-zero out, so Peyton should be fine. And Russell Wilson has proven he can play in tough conditions in Seattle where it’s rained a lot.”
Marino was outperformed by Joe Montana in that 38-16 loss to the 49ers in his second season in the NFL. It ended up being the only trip Marino made to the Super Bowl.
“You never know how many chances you’re gonna have,” Marino said. “So to see something happen because of the weather, I don’t think that’s the best scenario. Maybe if I wasn’t a quarterback, I’d see it differently.”