National Football League

2014 Super Bowl logo features snowflake

Published Sep. 27, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Roger Goodell noticed the snowflake in icy blue-and-white, centered before the George Washington Bridge, during the debut of the host committee's logo for the 2014 Super Bowl.

''I think that's great,'' the NFL commissioner said Tuesday. ''A little snow would be great for us. But whatever comes our way, we're going to be prepared for it.''

The game at MetLife Stadium will be the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather venue. Although the lowest Super Bowl kickoff temperature has been 39 degrees, average February temperatures at East Rutherford, N.J., are 24 to 40 degrees.

''It's football like it was meant to be played — in the open, exposed to whatever winter throws our way,'' the new print advertising campaign for the game states.

Goodell is hoping for light snow and maintained the organizers will be prepared for foul weather.

''We're coming and playing in the winter, and I think that would be great,'' he said. ''Some of our most memorable games were played in unusual weather circumstances. Winter and cold are part of football, and snow is also.''

Given the venue, it figures to be a unique Super Bowl. The logo and advertising were unveiled at an 8 a.m. ''power breakfast'' news conference at The Modern, a restaurant in the Museum of Modern Art.

The print campaign starting Wednesday and a broadcast advertisement that debuts Sunday are brash, with a deep voice proclaiming: ''A game so important, an event so monumental, a Super Bowl so historic it takes two states to host it.'' The campaign and logos were designed by Source Communications in New Jersey.

Both New Jersey and New York are featured. The TV ad includes the Statue of Liberty with shoulder pads, and yard lines on a field on the GW Bridge. The logo has an ''NY'' and ''NJ'' flanking the flake at the span's base.

''We thought it would be both fun and direct to put the snowflake right into our major symbol,'' said Al Kelly, the former American Express president hired in April as chief executive officer of the host committee.

The NFL said an additional game logo will be released in the year before the event.

Kelly said fans should expect ticket prices above the $600 and $1,200 charged for this year's game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

''I expect our ticket prices will probably be the most expensive ticket prices of any Super Bowl that's been held,'' he said, ''but I think that's a decision that sits with the NFL, and it's a decision that hasn't been made yet.''

NFL owners awarded the game to the $1.6 billion venue in May 2010, just as the stadium was opening.

Kelly said 22 businesses had signed up as sponsors and will pay a minimum $1 million each. Among the co-chairs representing the sponsors are Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs & Co.; Janet Robinson of The New York Times; Massimo d'Amore of PepsiCo Beverages Americas; Gerald Hassell of BNY Mellon; Robert Kapito of BlackRock; and Michael Kowalski of Tiffany & Co.

''The world will be waiting for us to probably screw up on this because this is the first cold-weather Super Bowl,'' New York Jets owner Woody Johnson said. ''It was very courageous of our commissioner, Roger Goodell and our fellow owners to vote yes on this — albeit on the fourth or fifth ballot.''

On other subjects, Goodell said management still is pushing to start testing for human growth hormone. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has said his members question the safety and reliability of the blood test.

''It's our intention to do it as soon as possible,'' Goodell said. ''We're waiting to hear back from the union.''

Goodell wouldn't state an opinion on whether Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick should have continued playing last weekend despite an injured hand.

''I think that's for the doctors. Doctors make those decisions,'' he said.

Goodell also said the NFL would not consider a Super Bowl outside the United States for now, such as London's Wembley, preferring to concentrate on the stadiums of teams in the league.

Having reached a labor agreement with players during the summer that ended a four-month lockout, Goodell said he hasn't given any recommendations to NBA Commissioner David Stern, in the midst of his own lockout.

''I talked to David yesterday. I don't give him any advice,'' Goodell said. ''He's the dean. He gives us advice.''

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