How would you like to be able to drive to the Super Bowl? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seemed to indicate Wednesday, during a visit to Redskins Park, that Washington’s FedEx Field could be a host of an upcoming Super Bowl.

But it could be a while. Goodell says the NFL will wait to see how the Super Bowl goes in New York City first but he expects the 2014 Super Bowl in New York (New Jersey actually) to be a success. Both stadiums are open air and are in cities that are cold that time of year.

Unlike most coaches (apparently) in the NFL, Goodell says he likes the idea of playing football in the elements. I do too. A great team should be able to play in all sorts of weather, not just a climate-controlled dome. Plus, it makes for a more interesting game.

“The fans here are terrific, and I have no doubt that it would be successful,” Goodell said. “We took a big step this year in awarding the Super Bowl to New York.”

Redskins owner Dan Synder, evidently a budding meteorologist, is pushing to host the Super Bowl and says that the weather will be fine in New York for the Super Bowl. “I think people will be surprised by the weather,” he said. “It’s not going to be a problem.”

It wouldn’t bother me if it snowed but I know they like to have a fun experience for the fans the days leading up to the Super Bowl. But frankly, FedEx Field, which is actually in Landover, Md., doesn’t have a lot around it. Baltimore would actually be better as far as people being to walk from their hotels and walk to eat, etc.

But much of the push is related to two things – the fact that Washington is our nation’s capital and that Washington was the other city most affected by 9/11.

Regardless of that, I’d rather see all football games in open-air stadiums. Talk about old school.

(As a reminder, the Triangle area of North Carolina, as proven by a DirecTV study, has the biggest contingent of Redskins fans outside the D.C. area. So, you’ll see me chat about the Redskins on occasion even though they aren’t physically located in the Triangle. By the way, the photo above is former Redskins’ coach and NC native Joe Gibbs hoisting the Super Bowl XVII trophy, one of three he earned with the Skins.)

Taylor Zarzour, on his Sports Drive radio show Tuesday, asked his listeners to give their favorite golf course in North Carolina. And one listener called in and said, “Sequoyah.”

Sequoyah? I’d never heard of it. But all you have to do is go to the website, sequoyahnational.com, and you’re like, “Ah, I get it.” Sequoyah is located near Cherokee, in the Smoky Mountains, and mountain golf courses are just great.

Sequoyah, 45 minutes west of Asheville, is a Robert Trent Jones II course that measure 6,600 yards and is a par 72. Summer rates aren’t exactly cheap – $85 per round Monday through Thursday and $110 Friday through Sunday.

My favorite is a mountain course, Linville Ridge. And while I’m not much of a golfer, one look at Sequoyah makes me want to go grab the clubs.

Zarzour’s list of favorites, by the way, is 1, Grandfather Golf and Country Club; 2, Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte; 3, Pine Needles Golf and Lodge in Southern Pines; 4, Pinehurst #4 at Pinehurst Resort; and 5, Raleigh Country Club.

This isn’t good. Receiver Hakeem Nicks is missing practice time with the New York Giants because of a hyper-extended right knee, The New York Times reports.

Nicks, the former North Carolina star, injured his knee in practice Tuesday, and the Giants are waiting for the results of an MRI. He was already recovering from a toe injury, The Times reported.

Nicks had 47 catches for 790 yards and 6 touchdowns last season as a Giants rookie.

During a previous chapter in my life, today would have been busier than anyone could imagine.

From 1997-2001, I worked for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., as the New Orleans Saints/NFL beat writer. The Saints were my main responsibility. But Brett Favre was responsibility 1a since The Sun Herald was Brett’s hometown paper and had covered him since high school.

Back to today. The Saints are in training camp, coming off their first Super Bowl win. Favre is pondering retirement. Get the picture?

I offer no first-person insights to No. 4 today, but I can offer some perspective. The AP reported today that Favre had informed the Vikings that he wasn’t returning. Other news outlets, Fox, ESPN and others, have reported that Favre sent text messages to friends saying his body isn’t ready for him to play this season.

My former colleague and still friend, Al Jones, has known Favre for decades. Al still writes for The Sun Herald and posted this story to their website today that Favre’s family says no decision has been made one way or the other.

I lean toward that being true. We all know that Favre is a classic waffler and giving up football is the hardest thing he’s been through. (And that says a lot, considering the sudden death of his father, his wife’s battle with breast cancer and his own demons — Vicodin and alcohol.)

Back when Favre retired the first time from the Packers, I contributed to a book The Sun Herald put together on his career from youth football to the NFL. As part that, several reporters who dealt personally with him were asked to give their opinions of him.

I wrote that Favre was real, recalling a conversation I had with him on his property near Hattiesburg, Miss., one May day. He was sitting on a tractor, having just moved some trees that a tornado had felled earlier in the week. I challenge anyone to name another millionaire who would do such work himself on a sweltering, humid south Mississippi day.

I still believe he’s the genuine item, even today after all this retirement, unretirement business. Football is all Favre has known. Giving it up would mean he has to take a hard look at himself and redefine who he is so he can enjoy the rest of his life.

And, for the record, I still think he’ll throw a pass for the Minnesota Vikings this season.

Russell Wilson is turning from baseball to football as fall drills start at N.C. State, but the Wolfpack should consider using him at a position other than quarterback at least in some situations.

Wilson is a brilliant college quarterback, and led the ACC in touchdown throws last year with 31. But he’s just not likely to make the NFL as a quarterback at 5 feet 11.

It’s true, as Wilson pointed out to reporters Monday, that Drew Brees is a top NFL quarterback and stands only 6 feet. But Brees was a pocket passer at Purdue and overcame any questions about his height once he arrived in the NFL.

Wilson is an efficient passer and has a great arm, but he still does much of his damage when moving out of the pocket. He won’t do that in the NFL, with 235-pound linebackers just as quick as him flying into the pocket. Or if he does it, he won’t do it long. You can’t dodge NFL defenses for 16 games.

What’s surprising about Wilson, when you stand next to him, is how strong he is across the shoulders and arms. He has the strength and explosive ability to convert to cornerback, where his size would be a natural fit in the NFL. And he might be able to make the transition to receiver as well.

Years ago, UNC moved running back Torin Dorn to defense and he wound up playing in the NFL for seven seasons. More recently, former Carolina star Ronald Curry was switched to receiver by the Oakland Raiders, and he played seven seasons in black and silver and caught 193 balls.

UNC’s Darian Durant, meanwhile, stayed at quarterback – and stayed in the CFL. Durant, now 27, is the starting quarterback for Saskatchawan, and you can bet the NFL isn’t beating down his door.

And of course, Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards is switching to receiver with the Carolina Panthers this season.

The rise of Mike Glennon gives N.C. State some options at quarterback. If State wants to get both Glennon and Wilson on the field, it’s worth considering Wilson at another position, even if it is only in special situations. Wilson could be tried as a slot receiver or nickel back on defense.

It might sound far-fetched, but it’s not. Giving Wilson some experience at other positions may well be in his best interest.

ACC NEWS RELEASE – Led by the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time career rushing leader in NC State’s Ted Brown, Georgia Tech’s only three-time first-team All-America in Randy Rhino, and one of only five players in ACC history to have been named ACC Player of the Year twice in Clemson’s Steve Fuller, the ACC Tuesday announced its Class of 2010 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Legends.

The Legends will be honored at this year’s Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will be honored at the ACC Night of Legends event on Friday, Dec. 3, will also be recognized during ceremonies at Bank of America Stadium for the 6th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship, which has a 7:45 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 4 and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

Joining the three mentioned above as 2010 ACC Legends this year are Boston College’s Tony Thurman, one of the leading pass interceptors in college football history; Maryland’s Darryl Hill, a standout wide receiver who was the first African-American football player in the Atlantic Coast Conference; and a trio of some of the best defensive linemen to ever play college football in Florida State defensive end Peter Boulware, the 1996 ACC Defensive Player of the Year; Miami defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, an eight-time NFL Pro Bowl performer; and Virginia Tech defensive end Cornell Brown, who was named National Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 by The Football News.

Completing this year’s Legends Class is a quartet of running backs any coach would love to have on their team in Duke’s Jay Wilkinson, the 1963 ACC Player of the Year; North Carolina’s Ethan Horton, chosen by the Associated Press as the ACC’s 1984 Player of the Year; Virginia’s Barry Word, the 1985 ACC Player of the Year; and Wake Forest’s Larry Hopkins, who led the Deacons to the 1970 ACC Football Championship and then led the ACC in rushing in 1971.

You heard it here first – and it’s been verified by Durham-based Baseball America’s archives – Roberto Martinez, the winner of the Bachelorette “competition,” apparently is 29 years old and not 26 as promoted on the show and as listed in all the stories you see.

Martinez, the suave Latin lover, was picked by bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky, 25 (we think), on last night’s finale of ABC’s Bachelorette TV show. Martinez is moving from his adopted hometown of Charleston, SC to San Diego to live with Fedotowsky.

Roberto Martinez is not the younger Roberto Martinez who played for the San Francisco Giants a couple of years ago. While both Robertos are Dominicans, this Roberto Martinez was born May 2, 1981 in Bonao, Dominican Republic. Both were pitchers but this older Roberto Martinez is a right-hander and didn’t get closer to the majors than the Savannah (Ga.) Sand Gnats of the Class A South Atlantic League.

Martinez, who played in the Dominican Summer League for the Devil Rays organization in 2000 before being cut, was drafted twice – once by the Rockies in 2001 and then by the Twins in 2002 – but the later-round pick chose to continue playing for the University of Tampa (Fla.) He eventually wound up in the Expos organization but after pitching in 17 games for Savannah in 2003 and posting a very high ERA at 8.03, his baseball career ended.

He was working as an insurance agent in Charleston when he became a contestant on the show, which is supposed to lead to marriage between the Batchelorette and one of the 25 men vying for her heart.

“Ali” was giddy from the beginning as the studly Martinez exited the limo to meet her. He got the “first-impression rose” with his good looks – plus his foreign language and salsa dancing skills – and it was an uphill battle for the other 24 poor souls as Ali thought he was “hot.”

Not sure what the over-and-under is on how long they’ll be together but the track record isn’t all that good for those shows. Inevitably it seems, the contestants are drawn together by physical attraction and romance while leaving the more solid, dependable and deeper person on the sidelines.

Good luck to them but the guy who came in second, Chris Lambton, 33 (yes, I checked), a Red Sox fan from Massachusetts, seemingly would have been a better choice. One online poll before the finale showed that only 25 percent thought Ali should pick Roberto.

Well, if a guy will lie about his age, what else is he lying about?

Duke’s football fortunes rose and fell last year on the arm of quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. The senior helped the Blue Devils rank No. 9 nationally as they averaged 305 yards per game.

But the Devils were dogged by an ineffective ground game. They ranked at the other end of the national rankings — No. 120 — by averaging just 63.5 rushing yards per game.

This season, with Lewis gone, coach David Cutcliffe and the Devils aim for more balance to their offense.

Cutcliffe and senior center Bryan Morgan both say last year’s offense was so one-dimensional because they were playing to Lewis’ strengths. But if Duke is to match or exceed last year’s 5-win total, Duke will need Renfree to be a highly productive passer while getting strong contributions from running backs Jay Hollingsworth and Desmond Scott.

What we don’t know is if Duke’s offensive line can handle that much run blocking. Pass-blocking is a different skill because, if a quarterback has a quick release, he doesn’t need his linemen to hold their blocks very long.

Run-blockers must pile-drive the defenders to clear holes that allow the running backs to get into the secondary for big gains.

This is an important season for Duke since they enter the start of practice with a lot of momentum. Cutcliffe’s decision to say no to Tennessee was a boost to the Devils fortunes. Strong play from their offensive line, in both run and pass blocking, would be an even bigger boost.

In watching America’s Most Wanted last night, I noticed that one accused criminal was pictured wearing an N.C. State Wolfpack sweatshirt and another was pictured wearing a Duke hat. What’s up with that? Do criminals like ACC teams or something?

The one wearing the Duke hat was a gang leader from South Carolina who was captured recently at a public library in Greensboro on charges of robbery, kidnapping and assault with intent to kill. Turns out that Duke apparel is used by the “Folks” gang whose colors are Black and Blue. For them, “DUKE” stands for “Disciples Utilizing Knowledge Everyday.”

Here’s the rub – and proof that gang members don’t get it – Tar Heels apparel is also used by the “Folks” gang. Could you imagine a modern-day “West Side Story” with Duke and Carolina gangstas fighting on the same side?

N.C. State isn’t listed on gang knowledge Web sites as being represented so the criminal wearing the Wolfpack sweatshirt might have been a run-of-the-mill criminal. Or maybe he was a member of the “Spanish Vice Lords” who wear red clothing.

By the way, the 10 most gang-affiliated hats in sports, according to complex.com, are No. 10: Oakland A’s, No. 9: Georgetown Hoyas, No. 8: Minnesota Twins, No. 7: Detroit Tigers, No. 6: Houston Astros, No. 5: Los Angeles Kings, No. 4: Chicago Bulls, No. 3: LA/Oakland Raiders, No. 2: Cincinnati Reds and No. 1: Los Angeles Dodgers. It is strange, however, that the Web site doesn’t say how they came to those conclusions plus they offer an advertising link to buy each of those hats.

Even though the Devils and the Heels aren’t in the Top 10, I imagine if you are a Duke or Carolina fan, after reading this, you might worry about wearing the colors in the wrong place at the wrong time. But according to corrections.com, there is more to it than that. Below is a description of how to identify gang-related clothing and styles.

“Shaved, bald head or extremely short hair, White oversized T-shirt creased in the middle White athletic type undershirt Polo type knit shirts (oversized) and usually worn buttoned to the top and not tucked in. Oversized Dickie, Ben Davis or Solos pants, Pants worn low, or ‘sagging’ and cuffed inside at the bottom or dragging on the ground. Baseball caps worn backwards (usually black and sometimes with the initials of the gang). Cut off under-the-knee, short pants worn with knee-high socks, a predominance of dark or dull clothing, or clothing of one particular color. Black oversized jackets, sweatshirts, jerseys, etc. Black stretch belt with chrome or silver gang initial belt buckle, oversized shirts, Clothing a mixture of gang colors, black and silver or white.”