Posted on 12/15/2010 10:25:44 PM PST by OneVike
Faced with the prospect of playing on a frozen field Monday night at TCF Bank Stadium and so far not given a voice in the decision, Vikings players shared some of their concerns on Wednesday.
"I just hope it's a safe environment to play in," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "That it's not going to be hazardous to the players when it comes to field conditions."
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf expressed optimism that the game against the Chicago Bears can be held on the University of Minnesota campus, but nothing has been made official and there clearly are obstacles and concerns that have to be overcome.
Among them is the fact that the FieldTurf at TCF Bank Stadium is not equipped with heating coils in the sod, as cold-weather venues such as Soldier Field in Chicago or Lambeau Field in Green Bay are. That means that even with the plan to remove all the ice from the field before Monday, there almost certainly will be areas that freeze again once the game begins.
The National Weather Service calls for a high of 17 on Monday with a slight chance of snow and then a low around 5 degrees at night. Another forecast calls for the low to be zero.
"Is that really a home-field advantage for us? That's the question," Shiancoe said. "But at the same time, we have to go out there and play, and we'll play hard."
Linebacker Ben Leber, one of the Vikings' assistant player representatives, said he has not been asked about the choice of venue.
"They haven't consulted us, and to my understanding they haven't consulted anybody," Leber said. "I talked to a few guys, and nobody has been asked what our opinion is.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
boy, how football has changed...
Well, they did schedule a SB for the new Giants Stadium. A lot of fans raised hell about it.
How about the 1948 NFL Championship where the Eagles beat the Cardinals 7-0? Played in a snow blizzard at Shibe Park and also the first NFL championship to be televised.
http://www.threedonia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/vanburen1_sw_580.jpg
“When the Vikings played home games outdoors, they went to four Super Bowls. Since they moved to the Metrodome, they’ve been to none.”
That’s right. In addition, all the NFL dynasties (Packers, Steelers, 49ers, Cowboys, and Patriots) played in the open air.
Watched it. Good one.
...as you prepare to watch the game from your living room, a throw across your lap and a log or two on the fire.
Me, I'll be watching the game with all the windows in the house wide open wearing a t-shirt and shorts. No blanket. No coat. Heck, I might even take my shirt off.
Since this is going to be a throwback ‘70s game, watching in high definition will be a no-no. Ideally, it should be viewed on a period TV.
http://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss33/RCADimensia/?action=view¤t=PA250344.jpg
Why can't they just let Brett throw interceptions with his one good arm?
They don’t have any good choice for QB in this game.
Favre probably won’t play, although he hasn’t ruled himself out.
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You had a TV?
When I was a kid there were no worries about what to where or how cold it was going to be at a Redskins game. Could never get tickets. Every year, year after year all the tickets were spoken for before the season started.
Moved away in 1979 and haven't tried since.
Busted nose, busted foot....stayed in the game and the Steelers won it.
Since this is going to be a throwback ‘70s game, watching in high definition will be a no-no. Ideally, it should be viewed on a period TV.
http://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss33/RCADimensia/?action=view¤t=PA250344.jpg
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what are those knobs for?
lol
A Monday Night game outside in MN? No thanks!
Wouldn’t they otherwise be playing on Astroturf? A thin plastic mat over concrete? How much harder can a frozen field be?
another consideration is how good they can look while making a play
sort of like they ended the ‘ double dribble ‘ call in basketball so they can show off slam dunks easier
“The United States has become a place in which professional athletes and entertainers are mistaken for people of significance”
Robert A. Heinlein
Yeah he's Ambidexterous....lol
With a black population of 10-12% it sounds like discrimination to me!!
Where's the ACLU and the Affirmative Action plan for the white-man in football
On one stretch of road where they're putting in a new sewer system, there was a guy on his knees with a bucket of grease who was greasing up the edges of the new sewer segments that were going to go into the ground. I thought to myself those are tough dudes who do that kind of outdoor work in the winter....
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