Posted on 01/05/2014 8:27:31 PM PST by Dave346
Perhaps you've heard it's going to be cold during today's Green Bay Packers game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Perhaps you've also heard that "cold" is an understatement. Weather.com says it will feel like -17 degrees during the heart of the game.
In weather like that, the beer in the stands can freeze before it's consumed. In weather like that, your hands go numb, your chest tightens, and just breathing the air can cause a burning sensation. It's just not weather designed for human beings.
And, yet, they will play football in this weather, because the NFL doesn't cancel games that are too cold.
And crazier still, many of the people playing in today's game will be out there in short sleeves, thin spandex pants, a jock strap, some pads, a t-shirt, a helmet, socks, shoes, and nothing else.
Why do NFL players refuse to wear sleeves, even when it's dangerously cold out?
Former Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has a great story up at Fox about he dealt with the cold weather.
Here's his explanation of why players don't wear sleeves:
One of the game-day rules for the Bears and Ravens -- and I would imagine any mentally tough team -- is that there are no long sleeves allowed under your jersey. That reinforces a mentally tough state of mind and it also is used as an intimidator to the opposing team, like a gorilla pounding on his chest in jungle saying "look at me I don't need sleeves in the cold."
But, let's just say you're not an insane person. You're not scared to wear sleeves. What happens to you? You'll probably get crap from some teammates. But at least you won't freeze to death.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
IIRC there are products to slather onto exposed skin and protect against frostbite.
I think I saw more Packers in long sleeves than Niners! Vince Lombardi would never have approved of that!!!
I think the 85 Bears started it. No way Hampton..Singletary...The Fridge..were going to wear long sleeves.
There was a fairly long piece on youtube (can’t find it anywhere now) about the old Vikings playing in the cold. (Early 70’s??)
One of the guys said that they would come out in the freezing cold and pick at the scabs on their elbows so the blood would be running down their arms when they lined up for the first play!
And “about the middle of the third quarter, like clockwork, the wind would start to blow coming in from the north. Our bench would start chanting “Odin. Odin. Odin” (the Norse god of war) as the cold wind picked up.”
Ha! The Refer! I had not thought of that guy in a long time. What a great personality he had, how could ya not love him!
Da Bearse!!! (remember the SNL skit?)
Naw, when you’re playing football in frozen weather, your body can endure it. It is generating much heat.
Vaseline.
My son played high school football and I asked him about the cold and he said they don't notice it. I also asked him about when people in the stands make a lot of noise he said they never heard it.
So, that means he never heard my cowbell I bought just for him.
In the AFC championship game played in January 1982 the wind chill was something like -55. There were icle floes in the Ohio. The Bengals offensive linemen did not wear shirt sleeves. They said it was so the Chargers defenders could not grab the sleeves and control them.
The Chargers lost.
“Slush Bowl” of 1967, anyone?
That said, I guess today’s win by the Forty Niners pretty much blows out of the water the notion that teams from warm weather cities can’t win in cold weather stadiums against cold weather acclimated teams.
And I’m a Packer backer, d@mnit!
Or wear Pink crap on the field.
Imagine telling mean Joe Green to put on pink shoes, your proctologist would need a week to extractate that illconsidered suggestion from ones backside...
New Orleans can’t win road playoff games.
The Saints can’t win in cold weather.
The Uggles will whip them.
Oh, wait a minute-————
State Farm remembers. Good to see George Wendt with a sausage pillow in the latest ads.
You needed more cowbell.
Looks like the Chargers got their revenge today.
They eliminate all loose clothing that the opponent can grab and hold onto.
If you are wearing sleeves the opposing lineman can grab and hold on.
It’s tough to grab onto a 20-inch bicep lathered with vaseline.
Yeah, an extra one for the other hand. Man, I loved those Friday nights.
These really aren’t dangerously cold games. Players are out for a few minutes, then they sit on heated benches with huge propane heaters spewing hot air next to them. Trainers have hot capes waiting on the sidelines.
Even the Packers game was about +5 degrees, not -20. The players had chemical hand warmers and training staff to keep them warm.
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