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Mike Ditka calls a cold-weather Super Bowl ‘stupid’

Former Chicago Bears player and coach Mike Ditka walks off the field after a Dec. 9 ceremony retiring his number, 89, at Chicago's Soldier Field.
Former Chicago Bears player and coach Mike Ditka walks off the field after a Dec. 9 ceremony retiring his number, 89, at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
(Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
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Mike Ditka has weighed in on the upcoming outdoor Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and he didn’t mince words.

The Hall of Fame player who spent much of his career playing big games in cold, inclement weather said planning the biggest game of the season in a place where such conditions could occur was a bad idea.

“The weather’s going to be a problem,” Ditka told the Detroit Free Press. “They made a big mistake. The game shouldn’t be there. I mean, it’s stupid.”

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No word on how Super Bowl XLVIII feels about the ESPN football analyst.

“I’m just saying, if you get extreme cold or you get snow during the game, then it’s unfair to the fans, to the players, to everybody,” Ditka said. “You’re not going to be able to perform at near the level you’re used to. And the element of luck comes into it, and it shouldn’t happen in that game. That game should be based on the people on the field who make the plays.”

Ditka may not have anything to worry about, based on early forecasts for the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. The Weather Channel is calling for temperatures to be in the low 30s by kickoff Sunday evening and only a 20% chance of precipitation.

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