Patriots To Practice Next Week At Air Force Academy

[Rusty Coupe]

The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will make Air Force their temporary football practice home the week following their Sunday night matchup against the Denver Broncos, an academy spokesman and NFL source confirmed to The Denver Post.

The Patriots are holding over in Colorado Springs rather than to returning to Massachusetts as part of their preparations for a Nov. 19 game against the Oakland Raiders in Mexico City. Beyond team-building prior to an international trip, the move also allows the Patriots to train at altitude. The Air Force Academy is located 7,258 feet above sea level, just shy of Mexico City at 7,382.

Air Force Academy to host New England Patriots football practice next week – The Denver Post

 

[JoeSixPat]

Altitude and air pressure are involved

I fully expect Roger Goodell will somehow botch up the math and physics once again and take away another draft pick

 

[Patriot Missile]

Love that. Spent a year and a half in Colorado Springs while in the Air Force myself. Saw a Few Fighting Falcons games as well including a Notre Dame matchup.

Gonna be a lot of happy Airmen from New England trying to steal peeks of their favorite team.

Great idea Bill.

 

[signbabybrady]

The Navy Wants their Bill back.

 

[denverpatsfan]

 

[FourierSeries]

They'll be playing the Raiders. They could take the entire week off and still win that game by 50.

 

[turkeyneck]

I wonder where the Raiders will be acclimatizing?

 

[SammyBlueCat]

They'll be playing the Raiders. They could take the entire week off and still win that game by 50.

Really?

 

[FourierSeries]

Really?

Really.

 

[Wheelman]

So this is better than practicing in Santa Fe, New Mexico that was suggested? Nice! I hope it helps with conditioning.

It's perfect too! So really short bus trip from and to the plane. They can just land right there with the private plane! This is excellent!

 

[Pats1989]

Dumb ( Likely) question: Why don't the Patriots ( and others) always fly to Denver on a Tuesday instead of Fri or Sat? It gets them use to the thin air. Unless it's to do with hotel bookings.

 

[1960Pats]

 

[Gumby]

Dumb ( Likely) question: Why don't the Patriots ( and others) always fly to Denver on a Tuesday instead of Fri or Sat? It gets them use to the thin air. Unless it's to do with hotel bookings.

I think it is a matter of managing players personal lives/attitudes along with the professional preparation of home facilities versus the important, but limited issue of altitude.

Look training/work at altitude is no **** an issue. But at the same time for conditioned athletes it is lessened and it is primarily in the first couple weeks of acclimatization an ENDURANCE issue. What is the AVERAGE DURATION of NfL plays?? . . . 4 seconds? What is max?? . . . 10-12 seconds. In that span of time, you don't usually notice the issue.

I think most coaches are just willing to forego the threat the home team runs unendless no-huddle to wear them down in order to keep their players happy and healthy (with home-base trainers-therapy).

 

[BelizePats]

I love the idea and I really like how this team does things.

 

[fxmallon]

A good move to stay in Colorado. Back-to-back west coast trips against potentially (I don't care about their records) very tough opponents, esp given where the games are being played, could easily work against us.

Mile High is always a huge challenge for us, and who to hell knows what Mexico City could bring. My guess is that the latter game against Oakland will be the tougher of the two.

 

[CutiePie]

i love Colorado springs

the springs.....as they call it

have family there......beautiful town

broadmoor is great....garden of the gods....manitou......air force academy

 

[obgod3]

C141...rode those a lot...didnt really like it LOL

For folks asking about coming out here early to play in Denver, everyone is different, altitude can effect all of us differently. Some guys will notice right away and others will take days, weeks or never to notice it...so coming out early really makes no difference.

 

[VegasGuy]

It's a great idea. From what I understand it generally takes a week or so to get used to that elevation.

I was recently at over 8,000 ft and I was occasionally sucking wind just watching tv.

 

[KoolAid]

I live 10 minutes from USAFA. Wonder if I can sneak a peak at practice.

 

[borg]

C141...rode those a lot...didnt really like it LOL

For folks asking about coming out here early to play in Denver, everyone is different, altitude can effect all of us differently. Some guys will notice right away and others will take days, weeks or never to notice it...so coming out early really makes no difference.

Altitude used to crush me. Staying at 8-9000 ft in the Colorado ski towns was miserable. Headaches, accelerated heart rate, dry air....I'd have insomnia for the first few nights guaranteed. The remedy......start taking Motrin 48 hours before arriving....and don't stop until you depart. Skiing at 12,000 feet became enjoyable and the fatigue factor disappeared.