Apparently Joe Flacco’s father was wrong about his son.
Over the weekend, Steve Flacco, Joe’s father, spoke with Scott Cacciola of the New York Times and said that his son isn’t likely to produce headline material.
“Joe is dull,” Steve Flacco said via conference call. “As dull as he is portrayed in the media, he’s that dull. He is dull.”
After three hours in New Orleans, Joe has already proven his father wrong.
When Flacco was asked by Mike Klis of the Denver Post for his opinion on playing the Super Bowl in open air stadiums in cold parts of the country in February, Flacco let one slip.
“Yeah, I think it’s retarded,” Flacco said. “I probably shouldn’t say that. I think it’s stupid. If you want a Super Bowl, put a retractable dome on your stadium. Then you can get one. Other than that, I don’t really like the idea. I don’t think people would react very well to it, or be glad to play anybody in that kind of weather.”
Phrasing something as “retarded” is a response Kevin Byrne, the Ravens Senior Vice President of Public and Community Relations probably didn’t want to deal with before he even unpacked his bags in New Orleans, but Flacco meant no harm. Flacco was relaxed and his response was genuine and echoed what many other players and fans of the NFL think.
Flacco is well qualified to speak on this matter because he’s the most successful road playoff quarterback of all time. He’s played in the cold, he’s played out of the confines of his home stadium and has had plenty of success doing so. To have to play a game where weather could be a factor in something both participating teams have prepared their whole lives for, many players agree with Flacco and want to see the game played where weather isn’t a factor.
From a fan’s perspective, playing outside in cold weather makes the burdens of your favorite team making it to the Super Bowl even more frustrating.
Big business dominates the Super Bowl and only those with a hefty savings account are afforded the opportunity to watch their team play. Ravens fans are already dealing with the fact that they’re probably not going to be able to see Ray Lewis’ final game or potentially another Super Bowl victory because of the price tag that goes along with the trip.
With the average ticket price eclipsing $2,000, even before travel and lodging costs, many can’t afford to watch their team play in a poverty stricken city in the comforts of a dome.
What will it be like next year when fans have to travel to the heavily inflated prices of New York City and surrounding areas and pay thousands of dollars per seat to sit outside in February?
It sucks for players, it sucks for fans.
It’s not “retarded,” but Flacco does have a point.
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