Watching NFL Network - Quite a game

[Ian]

Chargers at Cincinnati in a playoff game from years ago (1981 AFC Championship game I believe), and it's -57 with the wind chill. It's a 140+ degree differential for the Chargers who played in Miami the week before. -57 is just nuts, that's incredibly cold, and makes the Tennessee game years ago look pretty warm.

Chris Collinsworth is actually playing for the Bengals, while Dan Fouts is the QB for the Chargers. A classic matchup

 

[mosslost]

This is just insane. People shouldn't be outside in those conditions, let alone playing football with skin exposed hitting one another.

 

[Kontradiction]

This is just insane. People shouldn't be outside in those conditions, let alone playing football with skin exposed hitting one another.

Yes they should. :rocker:

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Yes they should. :rocker:

With all due respect, Kontra, from a health standpoint, no, they really shouldn't.

 

[Kontradiction]

With all due respect, Kontra, from a health standpoint, no, they really shouldn't.

And what of the guys in Miami and the University of Florida (who call their stadium "The Swamp" for a reason) who see field temperatures of over 100 degrees with smothering humidity regularly? They play in horrid conditions as well. It's football. An outdoor, any weather sport. Did anybody die during or after that game from either team?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

And what of the guys in Miami and the University of Florida (who call their stadium "The Swamp" for a reason) who see field temperatures of over 100 degrees with smothering humidity regularly? They play in horrid conditions as well. It's football. An outdoor, any weather sport. Did anybody die during or after that game from either team?

The human body is more adaptable to heat than to cold.

And I would argue there are conditions when those teams shouldn't be playing, either.

 

[Kontradiction]

The human body is more adaptable to heat than to cold.

And I would argue there are conditions when those teams shouldn't be playing, either.

In playing conditions, the human heart and body are more likely to give out during cases of extreme heat than extreme cold. Maybe you might have a point in -57 degree weather, but that's a rare condition. Even then, if the NFL begins postponing games (especially playoff games) because of temperature, then where will that end? At what point does the NFL say that the tempurature is just warm enough to play a game? Technically, freezing temperatures begin at 32 degrees. If we're worried about human health in cold weather games, and looking to end games that are played in that cold of weather, then many of the best games in NFL playoff history would be cancelled. Immediately, you would have to cancel some of the great Patriots games such as the Snowl Bowl game against the Raiders and the AFC Championship against the Colts (two games which we won at least in part due to the weather). All time great games such as the Ice Bowl would have had to been cancelled or postponed. Where would it end? At what point would we say "yeah, they could play in those conditions, but not those". Any northern NFL team entering the playoffs would either have to construct a dome, postpone their games (good luck finding acceptable weather conditions down the line in December and January), or move their games away from their home stadium to a warmer southern climate.

In all, at what point do we stop ****ifying the game? To my knowledge, there hasn't been a slew of deaths in the past related to the weather. Why would we try to control it now? The game would immediately lose some of it's playoff lore. And, after all, who DOESN'T like watching a snow game?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

In playing conditions, the human heart and body are more likely to give out during cases of extreme heat than extreme cold. Maybe you might have a point in -57 degree weather, but that's a rare condition. Even then, if the NFL begins postponing games (especially playoff games) because of temperature, then where will that end? At what point does the NFL say that the tempurature is just warm enough to play a game? Technically, freezing temperatures begin at 32 degrees. If we're worried about human health in cold weather games, and looking to end games that are played in that cold of weather, then many of the best games in NFL playoff history would be cancelled. Immediately, you would have to cancel some of the great Patriots games such as the Snowl Bowl game against the Raiders and the AFC Championship against the Colts (two games which we won at least in part due to the weather). All time great games such as the Ice Bowl would have had to been cancelled or postponed. Where would it end? At what point would we say "yeah, they could play in those conditions, but not those". Any northern NFL team entering the playoffs would either have to construct a dome, postpone their games (good luck finding acceptable weather conditions down the line in December and January), or move their games away from their home stadium to a warmer southern climate.

In all, at what point do we stop ****ifying the game? To my knowledge, there hasn't been a slew of deaths in the past related to the weather. Why would we try to control it now? The game would immediately lose some of it's playoff lore. And, after all, who DOESN'T like watching a snow game?

My point is simply this: there comes a point at which the risk of weather-related injuries becomes too high to justify risking the health of the players and the fans. I think that point, in terms of cold, comes somewhere before -57°F wind chills.

I am not saying that there should be a narrow set of limits, because there is a fair amount that can be done to protect the players at both ends of the spectrum, but I sure as hell would not want to see the Patriots playing on a day like that.

 

[TrueBeliever]

This is just insane. People shouldn't be outside in those conditions, let alone playing football with skin exposed hitting one another.

In all fairness, from what I saw of the game, only the faces of the players were exposed - everything else was bundled up.

Isn't that game still the record-holder for coldest game time temp or something?

And one other thing, seems whenever I talk to a Bengals fan on the Net (course it's not like I talk to any in person) it seems the subject of Ken Anderson and why he isn't in the HOF comes up. So it was kinda neat to actually see him playing some.

And one other other thing, it had to be fun for Cincy in that game. Usually when you think of the Super Bowl, you're thinking, "Great, if we win this game we get to go spend two weeks in warm, sunny Miami!" (or New Orleans, etc.) But after pulling off a win in subzero temperatures in Ohio, their reward was two weeks in Detroit in January. :ugh:

 

[RobertWeathers]

In all fairness, from what I saw of the game, only the faces of the players were exposed - everything else was bundled up.

Isn't that game still the record-holder for coldest game time temp or something?

And one other thing, seems whenever I talk to a Bengals fan on the Net (course it's not like I talk to any in person) it seems the subject of Ken Anderson and why he isn't in the HOF comes up. So it was kinda neat to actually see him playing some.

And one other other thing, it had to be fun for Cincy in that game. Usually when you think of the Super Bowl, you're thinking, "Great, if we win this game we get to go spend two weeks in warm, sunny Miami!" (or New Orleans, etc.) But after pulling off a win in subzero temperatures in Ohio, their reward was two weeks in Detroit in January. :ugh:

For those of us at the divisional game vs Tenn in 03 (Jan 04 actually) that was brutal- but worth it!!

 

[InRodWeRust]

For those of us at the divisional game vs Tenn in 03 (Jan 04 actually) that was brutal- but worth it!!

I was at that Tennessee game and I was well prepared . . . in fact a little too over prepared. I had some chemical foot warmer soles in by boots and I had about 10 layers on topped off with an Alaskan pipeline parka. From my walk from the train to the stadium I had to stop because I was boiling hot and sweating and had to start peeling off some layers Needless to say I was perfectly comfortable throughout the whole game.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Chargers didn't play in those conditions.

Regards,
Chris

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

I watched a small portion of that game on NFL Network. The ground must have been frozen solid, the equivalent of playing on cement.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I watched a small portion of that game on NFL Network. The ground must have been frozen solid, the equivalent of playing on cement.

Riverfront Stadium had old fashioned AstroTurf, so it was ALWAYS like playing on cement.

That was a fun team to watch-- Bill Walsh had put in the West Coast offense, designed around Kenny Anderson, years before but he left when he was passed over for head coach, and then that offense finally got to the Super Bowl to lose to... Bill Walsh and the Niners!

 

[Ring 6]

Riverfront Stadium had old fashioned AstroTurf, so it was ALWAYS like playing on cement.

That was a fun team to watch-- Bill Walsh had put in the West Coast offense, designed around Kenny Anderson, years before but he left when he was passed over for head coach, and then that offense finally got to the Super Bowl to lose to... Bill Walsh and the Niners!

Actually he designed it around Greg Cook. Many say Greg Cook wold have been Montana before Montana if he hadn't injured his arm.
There is a NFL Network program about it (might be part of one of the top 10s) that is very interesting.

I remember both the SD/Miami game and the SD/Cinci. The first was much more memorable, with a great comeback by Miami (hook and ladder play, Strock coming in AGAIN) the Winslow kick block, and being helped off the fied at the end totally exhausted.
The AFCC was kinda anti-climactic after that, but was one of those cases of the tough guys beating the finesse team so the the weather fit in well.

 

[TrueBeliever]

That was a fun team to watch-- Bill Walsh had put in the West Coast offense, designed around Kenny Anderson, years before but he left when he was passed over for head coach, and then that offense finally got to the Super Bowl to lose to... Bill Walsh and the Niners!

Years later Walsh said that Paul Brown was very pyst about his leaving. He claimed Brown called other teams trying to get him blacklisted so he'd have to return to Cincy, which of course didn't happen. That's just part of NFL lore... unless of course Belichick did it, in which case people would be calling for him to go to the electric chair and his house burned to the ground.

The irony continues... when SF and Cincy met up in the Super Bowl again towards the end of the decade, the Bengals were coached by Sam Wyche, who had been mentored by Walsh. And as we all remember, the student came within minutes of beating the teacher.

 

[efin98]

Actually he designed it around Greg Cook. Many say Greg Cook wold have been Montana before Montana if he hadn't injured his arm.
There is a NFL Network program about it (might be part of one of the top 10s) that is very interesting. .

It wasn't built around him either, it is about nine years older than that...Walsh adapted it from Al Davis who learned it from Sid Gilman. Gilman used it in San Diego which had John Hadl, Davis used it in Oakland with Tom Flores, then Paul Brown used it in Cincy after he got Walsh to come over using it with Cook and Anderson...