CommuteCommando

I don't even watch the stupid game on TV. I'll be up off the damn couch riding my bike that day.

I-Like-To-Bike

What stupid stuff do you prefer to watch on your TV or computer? Are your choices less or more stupid than anyone else's entertainment fare?

Dahon.Steve

Believe it or not, one of the best days to ride a bike is during the Superbowl! It's almost like riding on a Sunday morning without much just before noon. Unfortunately, it's going to be real cold this January so I won't be riding that day!

B. Carfree

It's even better if you live in the home region of one of the teams that will be playing. Way back when the raiders and then the forty-niners were regularly appearing in the SB, I lived in the Bay Area. I really enjoyed the playoffs for the hours of low-traffic cycling they gave me.

CommuteCommando

Cycling seems to be the last bastion of this. Superbowl Sunday used to be a great day to escape crowds at Amusment parks and such. Now that nearly everyone can take the game with them on mobile devices this is no longer the case.

I wonder what ILTB had to say. I am not seeing it since he's on my ignore list, but I'm betting it's negative.

dynodonn 

I can hear the DOT engineers now, "Design roads for people who want to walk or ride their bicycles, to the stadium?" (slight pause, then a loud chorus of laughter can be heard in the back ground)

I-Like-To-Bike

The opposite of the dead silence coming from the SuperBowl ticket holders clamoring for bicycle access to this year's game in NJ.
But there is heard a slight murmur from aggrieved cyclists wailing about lack of access to a game for which they express zero interest in attending or even watching on a TV.

dynodonn 

With a cyclist's friend, NYPD calling the security shots, fat chance in anyone saying anything to the contrary.

Far cry from the 2013 SB, in this rental ad depicting walkability.

https://superbowlhouserentals.com/sup...to-super-dome/

I-Like-To-Bike

What does the NYPD have to do with this year's SuperBowl? Do I or you need a lesson in geography?

dynodonn 

My apologies to NYPD and to BF members for my poor reading in deducing that NYPD's security measures for the Super Bowl bonanza in Times Square were anyway connected to the activities at the Met Life stadium in New Jersey.

B. Carfree

So, the folks renting houses to attendees of the last Super Bowl saw a market for people who wanted to walk to the game, but this market is assumed to not exist in New Jersey. Perhaps oddly, I suspect the attendees are going to be many of the same people this year as last year.

I-Like-To-Bike

How many of this year's Super Bowl attendees do you think are looking for a house rental in East Rutherford, NJ in order to walk to and about the local tourist attractions?

B. Carfree

I don't think it matters how many people I think are looking for housing close enough to walk to the game or the local shooting gallery. What matters is that the folks putting on the game are attempting to normalize dependence on motor vehicles.

Here's something that may illustrate why I think this matters: A decade ago, my son decided to play in the scholastic national chess championship tournament. It was held in Nashville, TN. A large number of other players, including many of his friends, were staying at the same hotel as we were which was less than a mile from the playing site. The first day, which involved an odd game of double chess called bughouse, we were the only people who walked from the hotel to the playing site; everyone else drove. Later that evening, a few other players joined us to walk over for the blitz tournament. By the end of the four-day event, almost everyone at our hotel was walking back and forth several times each day.

People are mostly sheeple. They will go along with whatever seems normal. Since my son was the best player from his state in attendance, the other players who knew him were happy to follow his lead. If the playing site were to prohibit pedestrian access, then none of us would have been able to enjoy the means of transportation that has been the default means of mobility since before humans were humans: walking.

Roody

Good illustration. I think all public attractions and venues should be accessible to walkers, especially those funded by taxpayers, many of whom do not drive.

One exception would be the Statue of Liberty.

I-Like-To-Bike

It "matters" to you and maybe somebody else who hasn't the slightest interest in the game, let alone attending.

Roody

Not true. The last Spartan game I attended, my friend and I rode to the stadium on our bikes. The entire trip was on a riverside trail, until we got to the beautiful campus and switched over to their bike path system. There were bike racks within a few yards of the stadium entrance, and probably about 100 bikes there. Admittedly that's a very small number of bikes for almost 100,000 attendees, but still. It would be easy to walk to the stadium, and the city bus service also goes directly to the stadium. The bus is always crowded on game days, so I know some people use that service. It would save a TON of money for parking, probably enough to purchase your overpriced refreshments. Most people who drive end up taking a shuttle bus anyway.

I think it would be great fun to have a bicycle tailgate party, but I don't know if that would be allowed. There's nowhere as exciting as a Big 10 campus on game day!

I-Like-To-Bike

Take note, the Spartan games or any other peewee, high school, college or NFL game are not the issue. The OP expressed his agitation over walking/bicycling restrictions to a specific game, in a specific place, on a specific date; and a game which he specifically pointed out that he has absolutely no interest in attending by foot, bike or electronically.

Roody

Peewee?

I-Like-To-Bike

Youth leagues, pre high school, mostly elementary school age.

ironwood

Next they won't let you walk or bike to a NASCAR race track.

I'll make a Superbowl prediction. I don't know who'll be playing, but the game will still be in doubt until the last minute, or if they follow the script correctly, the last seconds. Why? Advertisers won't pay for spots if they aren't guaranteed an audience for the whole game

Ekdog

Not all Super Bowl matches have been close games and many of them have been downright boring, so I suspect your conspiracy theory has little to back it up.

runningDoc

its more of a security thing would be my guess. I remember reading somewhere that one of the scariest things in the world to Israelis and Palestinians in their metro areas are unattended bikes (because of bomb threats).

as was mentioned before by Dahon.Steve that area is just a huge mess of ramps and expressways. there is a lot of adequate public transportation (especially coming in from NYC - which is less than 10 miles away). In fact the public subway/train/bus route is pretty affordable even on game day. sure there are overpriced shuttle buses but there are affordable public transport options as well.

the whole area is a "sports complex" which also has a large indoor stadium IZOD Center (where the NBA Nets used to play), a racetrack, and other things.

there is the irony of having the two "New York City" NFL teams (the Jets and the Giants) playing in new jersey, but then again it does bolster the fan base.

when the Super Bowl was originally announced to be in New York City! there was a ton of backlash, because the venue itself is in fact in New Jersey. Kudos to the organizers who eventually started sharing some of the limelight.


other than the football teams, the NYC baseball, hockey, and basketball teams (and soon to be Islanders as well) have stadiums which are very accessible by foot, bike, and most importantly public transport. i think the worst way to get to Madison Square garden or Barclay's center is by car. Hell even those driving to citi field or yankee stadium coming in from CT or NJ end up doing some sort of park and ride method (because savvy fans know you can street park in queens/bronx for free and just walk or take a quick subway ride to the stadium).

in NYC even millionaires take the subway and buses and ride with the masses. especially if it means easy/quick access to the stadium to which they are attending a game/event. so for $2.75 you can get to a yankees game all the way coney island.

i personally have ridden my bike to barclays to watch a Nets game (its a 25min easy ride from williamsburg). you can pretty much ride from manhattan to brooklyn using 95% bike shared streets or bike lanes (including the bridges).

I've also personally have gone to Jets games at met life, and some concerts at the Izod center and its just easier to take a car (because taking a subway from brooklyn would be almost two hours having to transverse manhattan). Even if the meadowlands sports complex were to be super bike accessible, its still quite a trek (because its essentially in an industrial wasteland).

remember these stadiums are used for other things too (if you don't like football). music concerts, other sports.

ironwood

There were some games in the past that were runaways and hence the term Superbore. A lot of viewers switched off. As a result advertisers were not willing to pay for ads at the end of the game. I have a feeling, without any proof, that the the NFL and the networks decided to guarantee an audience for the advertisers. The way to ensure an audience is to guarantee a close game. After all, why would a business pay for ads no one watches?

Whether my prediction is right or wrong we'll find out

Roody

By what means would they guarantee a close game?

I-Like-To-Bike

Station sharpshooters on the Grassy Knoll near the stadium?