When you think of a classic football game, you might think of a snow-covered field and fans huddled in sub-zero temperatures in the stands.
But the Super Bowl, like this year, is almost always played in either a warm weather or indoor location – and the players we spoke with generally approve of that tradition, though for a mix of both football and personal reasons.
The Super Bowl comes at the end of a six-month season, starting in the blistering summer heat of training camp in July and ending in the mid-winter tundra of playoff football in January.
“By the time the Super Bowl rolls around, I don’t want it to be miserable,” said former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth.
Schlereth should know all about Super Bowl weather. He played for the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins and won three Super Bowl titles in the 1980s and 1990s. He's currently a broadcaster and analyst with Fox Sports and 104.3 The Fan in Denver.
When an Alaska born-and-raised offensive lineman like Schlereth tells you they like the warmth and tranquility of typical Super Bowl weather, you know it’s probably the real deal.
Since the NFL came into existence in the late 1960s, every Super Bowl is either in an indoor or warm weather location, except for Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey in 2014.
We asked a handful of players about what kind of Super Bowl weather they’d want to play in, and the feeling was nearly unanimous.
“It was just perfect outside,” said 15-year NFL wide receiver Brandon Stokley.
Stokely caught a touchdown with the Baltimore Ravens during Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa.
“We were in Baltimore," said Stokley. "It was cold all winter and then we got to Tampa Bay [for the Super Bowl], and it felt so good.”
Stokley’s and Schlereth’s similar affinity for the warmer weather of the Super Bowl comes both from a professional and personal standpoint. Teams usually arrive a week before the game, and friends and family members typically accompany players and staff for the festivities leading up to it.
“It’s better for the game and it’s better for the family,” Schlereth said. “For the family, it’s a mini-vacation, and it just makes it easier on your people.”
Schlereth played in Super Bowl XXV at the old Metrodome in Minnesota, and while the game itself was indoors, the week leading up to it was, well, Minnesota in January.
“It was awful,” Schlereth recalled of the lead-up to Super Bowl XXV. “It’s a pain in the [rear]. I [later] played in one in San Diego and one in Miami. Much better.”
But from a professional standpoint, the advantages are also clear. With only one game to determine the NFL champion, players prefer Mother Nature sidelined so the best team can win without snow, rain or wind potentially interfering.
Two-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Nalen, says he’d prefer to play the Super Bowl in far colder temperatures.
“If I had my preference I would play in the cold. Not too cold, though,” said the former offensive lineman.
Nalen is a Massachusetts native who played college football at Boston College.
“[I’d like it in the] 30s, and not windy," said Nalen. "Cold is fine, but you throw in any sort of wind or precipitation, then it gets [messy].”
But Nalen’s personal preference for colder weather also highlights the fact that nobody wants rain, wind or snow involved after a long, grueling season. And most players are grateful the Super Bowl is almost always played in a warm place like Tampa.
“I think most people would probably agree with that,” Stokley said. “Your body just feels better when it’s warm outside.”
