So in case you haven’t noticed, which is pretty much impossible, it’s been pretty cold around the US the past week or so. Like arctic cold, the kind of cold where TV news runs stories about how quickly a bottle of water freezes kind of cold. There were a lot of cities that had a minus sign in front of the temperature, and that’s in Fahrenheit. Which is worse. So, it goes without saying, this past weekend was not the best to hold outdoor sporting events unless they involved a dog sled.
Unfortunately, that was not an option for the NFL, as least not a good one. That’s because this past weekend was the wildcard round of the NFL playoffs, where twelve teams play in six games to bring us to the final eight. Four of those games were played in either domed stadiums or warm weather cities. Two of them weren’t. Those two were Kansas City and Buffalo, towns that were at the epicenter of some front that felt more fit for the Canadian tundra. It was -4 at kickoff Saturday in Kansas City, which actually wasn’t nearly as warm as it sounds with 25 mile an hour winds and a -27 wind chill. The Chiefs beat Miami, who were probably on the plane to go home before the game ended. And for the Chief’s effort, they have the privilege of heading to Buffalo next weekend. Buffalo had to move their game from Sunday to Monday because there was some two feet of lake effect snow coming down, much of it still in the stands during the game. But at least it was balmy 17 degrees when they played. Either way, as much as the NFL playoffs bring countless storylines, like Dallas losing like clockwork or the resurgence of Baker Mayfield in Tampa, this past weekend, Mother Nature stole the headlines.
Of course, anyone who’s ever played a sport not contested entirely indoors thinks a lot about weather. As a former track and cross-country runner, I spent every bus ride thinking about how cold or hot or wet it was going to be and whether or not you needed to coat yourself with olive oil before the race – this was before Under Armour. And maybe the first thing you’d do after a bad performance was to blame the conditions – too dehydrated, hate running in the mud, whatever. And in some cases, the critique had merit – not that it made you slower than anyone else, but that truly adverse conditions changed the entire nature of the event. And even if you’ve never competed in an outdoor sport, you may have watched your kids play soccer in some end of the weather spectrum. Which suggests that as bad as it is for the athletes, it’s just as bad for the fans.
Which begs the question, what, if anything, should be done to prevent games in extreme weather, especially if they compromise the sport. You’d probably get a wide spectrum of answers, from Bills fans who’d wear a t-shirt in a blizzard, to corporate executives that entertain clients in luxury boxes. But beyond those tail ends, there’s a lot of people in the middle who spend a lot of money to be miserable for 3-4 hours. And a whole lot more watching on TV who expect to see elite athletes doing super human things – not huddle around space heaters hoping to avoid hypothermia. As much as the Ice Bowl makes for great mythology, I’d argue it makes for less great football, especially compared to the same game played on artificial turf in a controlled setting. Which is why I’ve always assumed the NFL would mandate closable roofs in cold weather towns, something we largely see in new facilities – minus New Jersey – but don’t have in legacy stadiums like Arrowhead or Buffalo. It’s not only good for the sport, but largely good for business, something the US Open decided when covering Arthur Ashe Stadium. Admittedly, tennis isn’t played in foul weather. But it’s still not a bad thing for all athletes and fans to feel their fingers.
Will the NFL change policy to require livable playing conditions, or are they simply playing the long game on global warming? It’s hard to say, although remember the Bills have long toyed with a move down south for a better home facility. Perhaps you can’t take the cold out of the Bills, but could take the Bills out of the cold. Until then, expect Mother Nature to be one of the NFL’s most dominant stars.
Keith Strudler is the director of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him at @KeithStrudler
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.