Super Bowl 48: Bring It On!

Even if you are not a football fan, join with me in this moment. The Super Bowl in 2014 -- God willing and the creek don't rise -- will be in the new Meadowlands stadium, with shared hosting by New York and New Jersey. Granting this locale the game represents a return to some kind of reality: A game in late January or early February does not have to be played in Florida or some other sunny clime. If it snows during Super Bowl 48 in our outdoor stadium, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! These big guys can play real football in all climates. They don't need coddling in guaranteed sunny weather. As NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg said, "This isn't beach volley ball. It's football, for god's sake!"

I'm sure other bidders on the game were looking at dollar signs. But we are, too. This region should make billions on the game. And players and thousands of fans and tourists alike will benefit from all that we have to offer -- the vices and the virtues, the wild side and the tamer side, our multiculturalism and, of course, the culinary variety that will take their breath away (but hopefully not too much of their waist sizes!).