Is It Time...

[W7XF]

In light of the forecast WX conditions in Green Bay for today's Wild Card game between Green Bay and the SF 49ers (forecast to be 0º F at kickoff..falling to around -10º)...

Is it time for the NFL to implement a "Ice Bowl" rule to require postponement and/or moving of NFL games for extreme cold and/or frozen precipitation of any kind?? Thoughts always welcomed.

[W7XF]

My response is multi-point:

postponement/relocation in heavier snowfall, freezing rain, icy conditions, or sub-zero temps.
AND
an NFL ultimatum for all teams in the Snow Belt to build domed stadiums.

[K7SGJ]

When the officials can't blow their whistles cause their peas per frozen, well that's just that's damn too cold.

[WX7P]

My response is multi-point:

postponement/relocation in heavier snowfall, freezing rain, icy conditions, or sub-zero temps.
AND
an NFL ultimatum for all teams in the Snow Belt to build domed stadiums.

If it's as crappy in Wisconsin as it is here, I would stay home.

It's about 19 F and with the blowing snow feels like 12 below.

[WØTKX]

NO! Football is a winter game. High Tech Underwear. Electric socks and vests for the fans.

Dress for it, Dammit. :rant:

[W9JEF]

NO! Football is a winter game. High Tech Underwear. Electric socks and vests for the fans.

Dress for it, Dammit. :rant:

What he said.

My brother and I witnessed the original Ice Bowl, a 1963 playoff at Lambeau,

where the Packers beat the old Baltimore Colts. Temp of around 10F below.

I wore multiple layers, 3 pair of socks w/foil to reflect the body heat.

And a flask of blackberry brandy antifreeze. :)

http://sinfl.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/ice-bowl-lambeau-field-green-bay-packers.jpg?w=600&h=425

Here in NW Arkansas, it's a balmy 20 degrees with falling snow (2" so far).

[KG4CGC]

If the fans can't GET to the game ...
In the case of Wisconsin, snow removal is not what it used to be before Walker came to office as governor.
Suddenly because he is in office there is no money for keeping the roads clear in THE state that had one of the best reputations of making sure that life went on even when the snow got deep.

The job they do now is mediocre as they may run the plows through at a fractional percentage compare to pre-Walker times.

[N2NH]

If the fans can't GET to the game ...
In the case of Wisconsin, snow removal is not what it used to be before Walker came to office as governor.
Suddenly because he is in office there is no money for keeping the roads clear in THE state that had one of the best reputations of making sure that life went on even when the snow got deep.

The job they do now is mediocre as they may run the plows through at a fractional percentage compare to pre-Walker times.

The people have spoken. They had a chance to kick his ass out, and refused to. So, you gets what you asks for.

As far as the game? Heck no. Football was made to be played in snow and cold. It's all part of the game. If a team complains, they're being wussies.

Case in point:

The 1967 National Football League Championship Game between the Western Conference champion Green Bay Packers and the Eastern Conference champion Dallas Cowboys was the 35th championship game in NFL history. The game was held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin on December 31, 1967. The winner of the game would meet the champion of the American Football League in Super Bowl II. Because of the adverse conditions in which the game was played, and its dramatic climax, it has been immortalized as the Ice Bowl (though it was not a Super Bowl) and is considered one of the greatest games in NFL history.

On the weather...


Weather

Dubbed by the sports media as "The Ice Bowl", the game-time temperature at Lambeau Field was about −15 °F (−26 °C), with an average wind chill around −48 °F (−44 °C); under the revised National Weather Service wind chill index implemented in 2001, the average wind chill would have been −36 °F (−38 °C). [28] Lambeau Field's turf-heating system malfunctioned, and when the tarpaulin was removed from the field before the game, it left moisture on the field, which flash-froze in the extreme cold, leaving an icy surface that got worse as more and more of the field fell into the shadow of the stadium.[29] The heating system, made by General Electric, cost $80,000 and was bought from the nephew of George Halas, George Halas Jr.[citation needed] On the sidelines before the game, some Dallas players believed that Lombardi had purposely removed power to the heating coils.[30] The heating system would eventually be given the moniker Lombardi's Folly.[citation needed] The prior convention to prevent the football field from icing up was to cover the field with dozens of tons of hay.[31]

The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (then Wisconsin State University–La Crosse) Marching Chiefs band were scheduled to perform the pre-game and half-time shows. However, during warm-ups in the brutal cold, the woodwind instruments froze and would not play; the mouthpieces of brass instruments got stuck to the players' lips; and seven members of the band were transported to local hospitals for hypothermia. The band's further performances were canceled for the day.[citation needed] During the game, an elderly spectator in the stands died from exposure. [32]

Prior to the game, many of the Green Bay players were unable to start their cars in the freezing weather, forcing them to make alternate travel arrangements to make it to the stadium on time. Linebacker Dave Robinson had to flag down a random passing motorist for a ride. The referees for the game found they did not have sufficient clothing for the cold, and had to make an early trip to a sporting goods store for earmuffs, heavy gloves, and thermal underwear.[33] Packers quarterback Bart Starr attended an early church service with his father, who had visited for the game, and as Starr later said, "It was so cold that neither of us talked about it. Nobody wanted to bring it up."

The officials were unable to use their whistles after the opening kick-off. As referee Norm Schachter blew his metal whistle to signal the start of play, it froze to his lips. As he attempted to free the whistle from his lips, the skin ripped off and his lips began to bleed. The conditions were so hostile that instead of forming a scab, the blood simply froze to his lip. For the rest of the game, the officials used voice commands and calls to end plays and officiate the game. At one point during the game, CBS announcer Frank Gifford said on air, "I'm going to take a bite of my coffee."

The Ice Bowl (1967) Cowboys vs. Packers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_NFL_Championship_Game)

This is why I used to play Baseball, Soccer and Cricket instead of Football.

[kb2vxa]

I can't answer the poll because my opinion is not included. I've seen games in snow, no problem. What IS a problem, extreme low temperatures. It's well known that exposure causes frostbite and numbness of the affected areas. Numb hands fumble the ball and it causes among other things, drowsiness, disorientation and confusion which obviously hamper play, so I wouldn't call it a fair game. It could be interesting, call it the Zombie Bowl.

[KC2UGV]

Being a Buffalo person, I would say: Only in the case of NOAA weather alerts, which I believe, while there is no rule, if there's a driving ban, games are canceled.

[W9JEF]

Prior to the game, many of the Green Bay players were unable to start their cars in the freezing weather,
forcing them to make alternate travel arrangements to make it to the stadium on time. Linebacker Dave Robinson
had to flag down a random passing motorist for a ride. The referees for the game found they did not have
sufficient clothing for the cold, and had to make an early trip to a sporting goods store for earmuffs, heavy gloves,
and thermal underwear.[33] Packers quarterback Bart Starr attended an early church service with his father,
who had visited for the game, and as Starr later said, "It was so cold that neither of us talked about it.
Nobody wanted to bring it up."

Sometime in the early sixties, while at my bank, there was Bart Starr
endorsing a stack of $100 checks from Brunswick (I was that close). :)

I asked him, being from Alabama, what he thought of our cold Green Bay climate.
The answer was, that it didn't bother him at all. Yeah, right. ;)

[W9JEF]

What he said.

My brother and I witnessed the original Ice Bowl, a 1963 playoff at Lambeau,

where the Packers beat the old Baltimore Colts. Temp of around 10F below.

I wore multiple layers, 3 pair of socks w/foil to reflect the body heat.

And a flask of blackberry brandy antifreeze. :)

http://sinfl.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/ice-bowl-lambeau-field-green-bay-packers.jpg?w=600&h=425

Here in NW Arkansas, it's a balmy 20 degrees with falling snow (2" so far).

Well, it turns out, my memory isn't what it used to be...never was.

Fact is, the Packer - Colts playoff game was played

at Lambeau in 1965, and the temp was in the 20's.

Still pretty cold, or maybe I'm just a wuss.

The Frozen Tundra"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Lambeau_Field_bowl.jpg/250px-Lambeau_Field_bowl.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lambeau_Field_bowl.jpg) http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.23wmf8/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lambeau_Field_bowl.jpg)
An empty Lambeau Field.



The stadium's nickname (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickname) was spawned by the Ice Bowl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_NFL_Championship_Game) between the Packers
and the Dallas Cowboys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_Dallas_Cowboys_season), played on December 31, 1967. The game was played
in temperatures of –15°F (–26°C) with sharp winds. Journalist Tex Maule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex_Maule)
associated Lambeau Field with the term tundra in his article summarizing
the game in Sports Illustrated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_Illustrated).[26] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-The_Old_Pro-26)

Lambeau Field is alleged to have gotten its nickname, The Frozen Tundra,
from The Greatest Challenge, the Packers' authorized version of the highlight film
written by Steve Sabol.[27] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-Davis.2C_2008.2C_p._159.-27) In the Cowboys' authorized version of the highlight film,
A Chilling Championship, also written by Sabol, Bill Woodson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Woodson) used the term
the Frozen Tundra when narrating the film to describe Lambeau Field.[27] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-Davis.2C_2008.2C_p._159.-27)[28] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-Woodson_Was_First_With_.27Frozen_Tundra.27-28)
Prior to the 1967 season, an underground electric heating (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under-soil_heating) system had been installed
but it was not able to counter the effects of the cold front that hit Green Bay
at the onset of the Ice Bowl. The field had been covered overnight with the heater on
but when the cover was removed in the sub-zero cold
the moisture atop the grass flash-froze.[29] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-Branch.2C_John-29)

The underground heating and drainage system was redone in 1997 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_NFL_season),
with a system of pipes filled with a solution including antifreeze
replacing the electric coils. After the 2006 season (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_NFL_season), the surface,
heating, and drainage system was replaced. The new grass surface
has synthetic fibers woven into the sod.[30] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-30) Even the new video boards,
installed in 2004 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_NFL_season), have been influenced by the field's nickname,
being called "Tundra Vision". These video displays, installed by Daktronics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daktronics)
out of Brookings, South Dakota (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookings,_South_Dakota), measure more than 25 feet
(7.6 m) high by 46 feet (14 m) wide.[31] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-displays-31) An artificial lighting system,
based on technology used in Dutch rose-growing greenhouses,
was tested in 2010 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_NFL_season) and purchased for use in the 2011 season (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_NFL_season).
It operates 24 hours a day from October to early December
to extend the growing season for the field's grass.
The system is also used in some soccer stadiums
where shade from stands and partial roofs are a problem for the turf,
not the cold and short growing season found in Green Bay.[29] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field#cite_note-Branch.2C_John-29)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeau_Field

[NQ6U]

I know naught of this cold, snow and ice of which you speak.

BTW, people in Cincinnati were confident that the Bengals would beat the Chargers yesterday because "teams from warm places can't handle the cold." The Chargers proved them wrong.

[W9JEF]

I know naught of this cold, snow and ice of which you speak.

BTW, people in Cincinnati were confident that the Bengals would beat the Chargers yesterday because "teams from warm places can't handle the cold." The Chargers proved them wrong.

Ditto for San Francisco at Green Bay, yesterday.

Bitter cold seems to be an "equal opportunity" play spoiler.

BTW, I remember a July baseball game in Frisco.

Several of us Hancock sailors from Wisconsin went to see

the old Milwaukee Braves play the Giants at Candlestick.

Even though we buttoned the top buttons of our peacoats,

the cold wind was a bit much, so we left during the 7th inning.

[kb2vxa]

"...if there's a driving ban, games are canceled."
Of course, when fans can't get to the game there's no sense playing with no one in the stands.

"And a flask of blackberry brandy antifreeze."
That was smart, alcohol nullified insulation provided by multiple layers, 3 pair of socks w/foil to reflect the body heat. In other words, it only made you colder than without it.

Well, it stands to reason the Packers can even play at the South Pole in winter, Green Bay is not the warmest place. Maybe if they DID play there Anti Claus and the Nazis living underground would come out to watch the game. OH OH OH!

[W9JEF]

"...if there's a driving ban, games are canceled."
Of course, when fans can't get to the game there's no sense playing with no one in the stands.

"And a flask of blackberry brandy antifreeze."
That was smart, alcohol nullified insulation provided by multiple layers, 3 pair of socks w/foil to reflect the body heat. In other words, it only made you colder than without it.

Well, it stands to reason the Packers can even play at the South Pole in winter, Green Bay is not the warmest place. Maybe if they DID play there Anti Claus and the Nazis living underground would come out to watch the game. OH OH OH!

True, the C2H5OH, in reality made me colder.

But did I give a rat's patoot? ;)

I remember watching a Packer / Cowboy game on TV when,

owing to the blizzard, you could hardly see what was happening.

The game was being played at Dallas. :wtf:

[kb2vxa]

No, when drunk hardly anything matters. (;->) Yeah, it snows in Dallas when the Packers bring it with them. Before the TV station went dark, I watched Australian rules football (to distinguish it from soccer) from down under in summer, our summer. It looked strange watching football in snow... in July. BTW, if you've never seen it, it's a fast moving game with the ball in the air most of the time, when they're not running with it. None of this gain a yard or two, stop, stand around doing nothing, losing a yard or two, stop, stand around doing nothing...........

No, I'm not much of an American football fan. I have a passing interest, but I prefer games with action.

[W9JEF]

No, when drunk hardly anything matters. (;->) Yeah, it snows in Dallas when the Packers bring it with them. Before the TV station went dark, I watched Australian rules football (to distinguish it from soccer) from down under in summer, our summer. It looked strange watching football in snow... in July. BTW, if you've never seen it, it's a fast moving game with the ball in the air most of the time, when they're not running with it. None of this gain a yard or two, stop, stand around doing nothing, losing a yard or two, stop, stand around doing nothing...........

No, I'm not much of an American football fan. I have a passing interest, but I prefer games with action.

That's the beauty of American football.
Periods of relatively little action,
all the more time for commercial breaks. :)

[kb2vxa]

Unlike baseball where they're timed to the action on the field breaks are fairly short. When YES shows a classic the breaks are much longer like football, edited into the tape or film. What would we EVER do without commercials? Those without XYL beer slaves would have to miss parts of the game! OH NOES!

[W9JEF]

Unlike baseball where they're timed to the action on the field breaks are fairly short. When YES shows a classic the breaks are much longer like football, edited into the tape or film. What would we EVER do without commercials? Those without XYL beer slaves would have to miss parts of the game! OH NOES!

Well, there's still plenty of lulls--like when the color man

discusses how many S-es there are in Yastrzemski. ;)

[kb2vxa]

There is no S in Yaz. (;->) I remember the left fielder/first basemen for the BoSox, the team that always gives the Yanks a run for the money. Now we have TWO microphoneys babbling incessantly to each other coming up for air only when there's an exciting play. Now while fans in the stands are yelling KILL THE UMPIRE, those at home yell KILL THE ANNOUNCERS until exasperated, they kill the sound and watch the game in peace. Meanwhile the yappers are watching a monitor in an undisclosed remote location so they don't get LYNCHED by fans in the stands with ear buds before the fans throw them down in disgust.

Mister Fan is in the dugout in summer, not because he's a rabid enthusiast, not by invitation, but by demand. He keep the players cool.

[KG4CGC]

I know naught of this cold, snow and ice of which you speak.

BTW, people in Cincinnati were confident that the Bengals would beat the Chargers yesterday because "teams from warm places can't handle the cold." The Chargers proved them wrong.

The Chargers soundly thrashed Denver on Denver's home turf. Nuff said.

[N2NH]

I'm thinking 'Niners all the way, but I'm probably off base.

'Niners vs. Pats (but I'd love to see the Broncos beat them). SF vs NE in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.