Cold Weather Football

There’s a big freeze over most of the country, so what better time than now to talk about the weather and football. Today’s high in Denver is supposed to be -3 degrees with a wind chill of -30. As I sit here now, I’m listening to the siren of an ambulance that sounds like it’s even having trouble getting its “voice” heard through the cold air.

It’s a good thing that the Super Bowl teams arrived in Dallas, TX Monday rather than today. Even the Big D is getting pelted with sleet and snow causing the unsuspecting roadways to become icy, and forcing DFW’s airport to close for a period of time.  A Super Bowl in New Jersey in 2014 isn’t looking so outrageous anymore, is it?

The Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are obviously accustomed to playing in harsh weather conditions. Their fans and players are top-tier hardy, but let’s face it – most of the people sitting in the stands at the Super Bowl are used to spas and fine dining more than cold weather and brats on the Barbie thanks in large part to the limited amount of tickets sold at sky high prices.

The memory of my coldest football game still haunts me like the crippling air  haunted the vitality of my limbs. It was December 21, 2008 and the Broncos were hosting the Buffalo Bills. By the fourth quarter, the temperature dipped down to 3 degrees under a brightly lit moon. While the Bills (and their fans) still considered Denver a sauna, it was difficult to read the scoreboard through the breath of 75,000 people in the stands. The Broncos ended up losing by a touchdown, making the long walk back to the car that much more miserable. However, there’s nothing like sitting through a game like that, staying until the end, and witnessing the devotion that of thousands of fans have for your favorite team.

There was a similar game that I attended in the Meadowlands in December of 2005 when the New York Giants hosted the Kansas City Chiefs. I don’t remember what the temperature was, but I was kept somewhat warm by the heated breath of  loudmouth (also read: passionate) New Yorkers. I turned into one of them since obviously they were playing the Chiefs, and I took great joy in seeing the men in red lose by 10.

Leave a comment below telling me about your coldest football game ever as a spectator or as a player. It doesn’t have to be a Broncos game or even a professional game. Cold is cold and sitting through those kinds of games will put hair on your chest, or if you’re a woman, it will boost you up a notch on the respect-o-meter. Let’s hear your stories.

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