Dear Owner,
I am writing to express my support in the strongest possible terms for the Giants and Jets bid to host Super Bowl XLVIII. Contrary to inaccurate and biased media reports citing the possibility of a New York Super Bowl in 2014, the proposal is to play the big game in our new state-of-the-art stadium at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey!
As the Representative of New Jersey’s Ninth Congressional District, I have the distinct pleasure and great honor of representing two fantastic National Football League franchises: the Giants and Jets. These organizations are steeped in tradition and have consistently been great assets to our community both on and off the football field. They also have some of the most passionate and loyal sports fans in the country.
There are 32 National Football League franchises and each one is supported by a community of fans and patrons who cheer at the stadium, watch games on television, purchase merchandise, and become emotionally invested in their team. Any region that promotes the NFL by supporting a team should have the opportunity to host the Super Bowl, which is estimated to contribute more than $500 million into the host region’s economy. The tri-state area supports two NFL franchises; we support them through rain and shine, through seasons of triumph as well as seasons of heartbreak. Yet, the modern NFL’s championship game has never been played in our home stadium!
Located just minutes from the heart of Manhattan, the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey is an ideal location to host football’s biggest game. For decades patrons have been coming to the Meadowlands for concerts, sporting events, expositions, and other entertainment. As the only Member of Congress to represent two NFL teams, I can tell you that we know how to host a football game in northern New Jersey! Every year more NFL games are played at the Meadowlands than at any other facility in America. This season the Giants and Jets will unveil their new $1.7 billion stadium complex. This state-of-the-art facility possesses all of the luxury amenities and accessibility expected of a modern stadium. It also happens to be the most energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable stadium ever built.
With unparalleled entertainment and hospitality options, the New York / New Jersey metropolitan area has a great deal to offer as a venue for the Super Bowl. We also boast one of the country’s best mass transit systems, linking the Meadowlands to New York City, Philadelphia and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region. It is time that the world’s biggest game is finally played on the world’s biggest stage.
With all of the obvious benefits of hosting the Super Bowl in New Jersey it appears that the only thing holding us back is the weather. Now I understand that some folks from states lacking the character-building opportunities that come from seasonal temperature changes might be initially resistant to the idea of a “cold-weather Super Bowl.” But on behalf of the more than 78,000 fans who attended the last game at old Giants Stadium in January 2009, let me assure you that real football fans can take a little inclement weather!
Football is a game that is meant to be played in tough environments; it is a game of endurance, played in heat, rain, wind, and snow. Why should we forever relegate the season’s ultimate contest to either a sterile dome, or a place where “weather” is an abstract concept? Some of the greatest NFL games ever played were epic clashes amid fierce winter conditions, like the NFL Championship “Ice Bowl” in 1967, the 2002 AFC Divisional playoff game between Oakland and New England in the snow at Foxboro, or the Giants and Packers at frigid Lambeau Field in the 2007 NFC Championship game. The next three Super Bowls will be played in domed stadiums, so I think by 2014 football fans across the country will be more than ready for an outdoor game.
When you vote on the location of Super Bowl XLVIII next week, you will have a very clear choice. You can choose to host yet another football game in Florida or you can do something extraordinary, something bold – and vote to allow New Jersey to host the first cold weather outdoor Super Bowl! I urge you to vote in favor of the Giants and Jets bid to host the Super Bowl in 2014.
Sincerely,
Steve Rothman
Member of Congress
