National Football League

Steve Largent gives cold shoulder to location of Super Bowl

Published Jan. 27, 2014 4:22 p.m. ET

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The greatest player in Seattle Seahawks history is pulling for his old team Sunday, but he's not thrilled about the advantage the NFL has seemingly handed them.

“Bad weather always favors the team with the best defense and running game,” Steve Largent said.

He is a Hall-of-Fame receiver and former U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma. More impressive, Largent's jersey No. 80 hangs at CenturyLink Field next to No. 12, which signifies Seattle's 12th Man.

Many in that fan contingent are probably grateful the Super Bowl will be played in New Jersey. With Marshawn Lynch and the NFL's top-ranked defense, the Seahawks are built for bad weather. Forecasts call for temperatures in the mid-30s and kickoff, then quickly dropping into the mid-20s for most of the game.

Winds are expected to be 5-10 mph. That's not terrible weather by Polar Vortex standards, but it should favor Seattle over the Broncos' passing style.

“I would have loved to play in it anywhere, anytime,' said Largent, who retired in 1989 after 13 seasons with Seattle. “But the truth is this is the Super Bowl.

“What fans expect and what players and coaches expect is to go to warm-weather climate and have a good game. I don’t think you want to have the weather deciding who the best team is.”

The Super Bowl has been to Minneapolis, Detroit and Indianapolis, but all those games were played indoors.

“If it rains in Miami or something like that, you can’t help that,” said Largent, who's now the president of CTIA, a trade association that represents the wireless industry. “You’ve got to go with it. But the chances of a warm-weather game in New York in February are zero.”

And the chances of the Seattle winning are better because of it. Largent's pick:

Seattle 24, Denver 14.

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