What a sight, wouldn’t you agree? On this beautiful February day in Seattle we’re experiencing slightly cloudy skies with a temperature of 59 degrees. As the sun begins to set it puts the city in a nice warm glow of golden rays. It really is a nice reminder of what a great city we live in. Don’t believe me? Check out Exhibit A on the left. I literally took that picture 10 minutes ago! Just don’t ask the NFL what they think. As we approach one of the biggest weekends for football I’m always reminded that no matter how nice of a stadium we build, how great our fans are in Seattle, or how much money we throw to the NFL Super Bowl selection committee, a Super Bowl will NEVER be played in Seattle.  Forget about it…not going to happen. There’s a general guideline that cities need an average temperature above 50 degrees to host a Super Bowl in a stadium not covered by a dome.

So, while we’re enjoying the amazing February weather in Seattle, the actual site of the Super Bowl, Miami is getting  dumped on by rain. How ironic is that? Please witness Exhibit B on the right. That looks like fun, doesn’t it? By the way, how hard does it have to rain to require a poncho/umbrella combination? Miami joins New Orleans and Los Angeles as the most frequent sites for the Super Bowl.

So why? Why is there a requirement on temperature? The reason I’ve heard most often is cold weather can have a negative impact on the outcome of a game. That might be the most ridiculous argument I’ve ever heard. Divisional and Championship Playoff games are played in stadiums with average temperatures below 50 degrees and those games are every bit as good as the Super Bowl. Some say it’s because the fans deserve not to be placed in cold weather. This is a little more valid of an argument but really? Come on. NFL fans can handle a bit of the cold. They’re the same fans living in Green Bay, Chicago, Boston and New York.

It’s time for the fans to fight back! As the rule stands, the Super Bowl will never be featured in the NFL shrines that are Lambeau and Soldier Fields. Markets like New York, Boston and Seattle will never see the spectacle. Does that sound right? I say we do something about it. I’m proposing a full-on grassroots campaign where we tell the NFL to “Chill Out!” Cities will combine to hold rallies, pass-out flyers, write local politicians and team owners, all with the single goal of Super Bowl selection equality. Cities should not be judged by their temperature, but the qualification for holding a championship game. We CAN do it and the NFL should listen. We want the NFL Championship in our own backyard. Join me, in the fight for equality!

As a former high school wrestler I have an appreciation for the sport. An appreciation that only those who participated could have. I love to read stories about local wrestlers who are so successful they break the barrier of the mainstream media to tell their story. Recent local stories include Martin Mitchell from Tonasket (my home town!), Burke Barnes from Lake Stevens, Brandon Sitch from Kelso and Jimmy Belleville from Black Hills (my alma mater), all of which recently won four state titles a piece during their high school careers.

Unfortunately, the level of success required for the media to sell the story is extremely rare. Five times in the history of high school wrestling in Washington State has a participant won four-straight state titles. For a sport that requires a great deal of mental focus paired with physical strength and conditioning it just doesn’t get covered too often. That’s why when I see stories in The Seattle Times about wrestlers like A.J. Leitch I’m encouraged by not only the progress of the sport, but the determination and heart shown by athletes like Leitch.

A.J. Leitch is a 103-pound wrestler from Sammamish High School, but unlike Mitchell, Barnes, Sitch and Belleville, he  has a condition known as thrombocytopenia-absent radius (TAR Syndromes), meaning he was born without kneecaps and the ulna and radius bones between his wrists and elbows. Leitch’s condition makes what he does on the mat even more impressive.  Throughout my career as a wrestler I encountered several people who participated in the sport despite physical disabilities that made it difficult, but not impossible. I watched kids wrestle with only one leg or arm, some who were deaf and some who were even blind.

I watched these athletes with admiration for their accomplishments in such a difficult sport despite their disabilities. I couldn’t help but notice though, some people underestimated these wrestlers, especially opponents. However, it was quickly apparent that underestimating these kids would undoubtedly lead to defeat and opponents and spectators alike quickly realized the physical skill exhibited and noticed less of the physical disabilities.

It’s athletes like these, like Leitch, who are great examples of what the human body is capable of and a testament to the human spirit. Although the sport of wrestling may never make it into the mainstream media as a heavily popular sport, it’s nice to see a piece like the one about Leitch that tells the story of overcoming great difficulty to succeed.

Like the article mentioned, Leitch might not win every match, but he wins people over by competing.