Photo: Courtesy of NFL.comYesterday, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks earned the right to face off against each other in Super Bowl XLVIII, which will be played at New Jersey's Metlife Stadium on February 2. With two whole weeks to go before kickoff, the hype machine has already gone into overdrive. As usual, the media is having little trouble drumming up story lines in a matchup that's just dripping with them.
The most offbeat narrative to emerge so far is the strange coincidence that the home states of both teams, Washington and Colorado, are the only ones with legalized recreational marijuana in the country. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the Marijuana Bowl. Or the Pot Bowl. Or the Weed Bowl. No matter which iteration you prefer, you can bet that marijuana aficionados won't let this go any time soon.
Marijuana advocacy groups have long been at odds with the NFL, which forbids its players to use the drug, even if it's for medical reasons. Lobbyists have urged the league to reconsider its ban, pointing out that the drug can be helpful to players suffering from serious injuries, especially concussions. Others have pointed out that the NFL's many tie-ins with the alcohol industry, a substance that's been responsible for a load of league-wide turmoil, comes off as hypocritical.
Although the league likely won't change their stance on the drug any time soon, look for marijuana activists to use all the attention to spark a national conversation in the weeks leading up to the big game. Pun intended. (Fox Sports)