Rant #263: The Super Bowl IS NOT Coming To New York

All the talk about the 2014 Super Bowl coming to New York is balderdash.

Yesterday, the 2014 Super Bowl was awarded to the New Meadowlands Stadium, which, surprising to some, happens to be in New Jersey.

The hubbub surrounding this announcement--especially in New York--is confounding. I don't understand how people think that the Super Bowl is coming to New York.

The Meadowlands is not New York.

Listen to one idiot quoted in today's Newsday, a Long Island newspaper that declared on its front page: "2014 Super Bowl Coming Here" (Long Island is in New Jersey--I didn't know that): "I want it to be in New York because everyone has a chance to see it."

Well, if it were in Miami, everyone would have a chance to see it too. Turn on the TV, dummy! And do you think because it's in "New York" that you are actually going to get tickets?

And, of course, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg--who years earlier dropped the ball on the proposed West Side Stadium, which would have been the home of the Jets, who now share the Meadowlands Stadium with the Giants--glommed onto this announcement, stating that it would be a boon to New York City's economy.

If it is being held in New Jersey, how can that be?

Here is what economist Andrew Zimbalist said: "I think this is not great news for the New York City economy. The NFL likes to pretend it is."

As long as the NFL allows the charade to continue that New York City has two football teams--the Giants and the Jets still proclaim they are from New York--this stupid idea that two New Jersey teams are actually New York teams will continue. The fact of the matter is that New York City has no--meaning zero--teams in the NFL. The only New York team is the Buffalo Bills, who play as far away from New York City as Cleveland is.

Just let me get it through people's heads again--a Super Bowl which is being played in New Jersey has nothing at all to do with New York City.

And the people who think that it does are having delusions of grandeur or delusions of gridiron or something like that.