Week 14: Let it Snow!

MN blizzard halts football game

All day yesterday through my various social media outlets, I was communicating my sadness at missing the lovely blizzard in my hometown of the Twin Cities.  Of course friends and family still living there are not really enjoying the 16 inches of snow, but I would enjoy watching the snow falling and the hope of missing a day of work.

The normally puffy white roof has fallen in.
Courtesy of MN Public Radio.

The blizzard is hugely affecting the Vikings home game that was scheduled for 1:00 EST today.  Since the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport closed, Eli Manning and the rest of the Giants were stuck in Kansas City.  The game was postponed to Monday night to allow the Giants to arrive at the Metrodome.

Then this morning it was discovered the inflatable roof of the Metrodome has collapsed for the first time since 1986.  Two roof panels are torn so the Metrodome may not be available for several days.  The game is being moved to Ford Field in Detroit because of its proximity and there is already a crew and equipment available for a television broadcast.

Vikings locker room talk is all about preserving Favre's starting record.  It was said that Favre was not going to be ready to play today and the streak would have come to an end.  Thanks to the snow, it's allowing Brett another day to rest his shoulder and get ready for Eli.

Even though I'm still on the fence concerning my feelings toward Favre, I think it's important for him to reach the 300 game milestone.  All records are important, no matter if the guy used to be a mortal enemy.

At least tonight there won't be any fog!
Courtesy of democraticunderground.com.

The blizzard making its way to Chicago

The Patriots-Bears game at Soldier Field tonight will also be affected by the regional blizzard.  The field has a few inches of snow and is expecting more, but the biggest factor will be the cold temperatures and setting sun.  One ESPN pundit remarked that maybe Belichick will wear two sweatshirts tonight.

Today's game at Soldier Field will be nothing compared to the Fog Bowl of 1988.  The Bears hosted the Eagles for a New Year's Eve playoff game.  Fog rolled in during the second quarter and reduced visibility to 10-20 yards.  Players couldn't see anything and fans watching the game couldn't see past the fog.  The Bears won the game 20-12.

The Ice Bowl of 1967

One of the greatest games in NFL history is the Ice Bowl of 1967.  The Cowboys met the Packers at Lambeau Field for the 1967 NFL Championship.  It is considered one of the greatest games in history due to the weather conditions, the rivalry, and the players and coaches involved.

An official photo from the Ice Bowl game.
Courtesy of federalreview.com.

The game was played on New Year's Eve and is still the coldest game on record in terms of air temperature.  The official game time temperature was -13 with a wind chill of -48.  It was so cold the referees couldn't use their whistles.  When signaling the beginning of the game, the ref's whistle froze to his lips.  The band couldn't play during pre-game or half-time because the instruments froze and several band members went to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia.  The Cowboys lost the game 17-21 and Green Bay went on to win Super Bowl II.

The Freezer Bowl of 1981

The coldest game according to wind chill was the Freezer Bowl in 1982.  The game was the 1981 AFC Championship between the Chargers and the Bengals.  The air temperature was -9 but the wind chill was -59 at the time.  (I guess there's a new way to calculate wind chill which would make it -37 now).  The Bengals used their home field advantage to win the game 27-7.

Hopefully, you weren't bored by all of this NFL history.  As the wife of an avid football fan, I am learning that half of my husband's love of the game comes from childhood memories and his love of the Dallas Cowboys.  You should have seen his eyes shining as he told me about the Ice Bowl game.  He wasn't even alive and has a deep personal connection to the game.  If you are the girlfriend or wife of a football fan who loves one of the teams I mentioned, talk about the Fog Bowl or the Freezer Bowl today and maybe he'll do the dishes without one complaint!