Ice Bowl questions

[Mark L. Ford]

I guess it depends on WHEN a decision would have been made to move the game to a neutral site. Unless there had been a general rule that winter (i.e. playoff) games could never be played in Green Bay, it's not a decision that could have been made too far in advance. It's one thing to schedule a neutral site months before the event, and another to abruptly shift a game after more than 50,000 people have bought tickets and made reservations. If it had been 5 below zero in New Jersey this past February 2, the Super Bowl wouldn't have been postponed or moved. As Joe Robbie said in his appearance in the movie "Black Sunday", "Cancel the Super Bowl? You might as well cancel Christmas!"

[Bryan]

Some years, I'm all for cancelling Christmas, too.

[BD Sullivan]

Considering the fact that the NFL now goes out of their way to schedule late season night games in colder climates, I wouldn't hold my breath that they're going to make any such effort.

[Gary Najman]

I guess it depends on WHEN a decision would have been made to move the game to a neutral site. Unless there had been a general rule that winter (i.e. playoff) games could never be played in Green Bay, it's not a decision that could have been made too far in advance. It's one thing to schedule a neutral site months before the event, and another to abruptly shift a game after more than 50,000 people have bought tickets and made reservations. If it had been 5 below zero in New Jersey this past February 2, the Super Bowl wouldn't have been postponed or moved. As Joe Robbie said in his appearance in the movie "Black Sunday", "Cancel the Super Bowl? You might as well cancel Christmas!"

One example was this year, when the Bills had to play a game at Detroit due to the local snowstorms.

[Mark L. Ford]

True, sometimes a game has to be moved (another example is the Chargers game years ago that had to be moved to Arizona because of the smoke from fires) or postponed, like the Vikings game that was moved to Tuesday night because of a blizzard. And, of course, World Series games get postponed when it rains and the fans are fine with rain checks. But the Commissioner moving a league's championship game would be outrageous. There were a couple of occasions where the host team changed the site (including the Packers, when they played the 1939 title game closer to Milwaukee because they could sell more tickets in West Allis than in Green Bay, or George Preston Marshall deciding to take his Redskins to New York because he was tired of Boston's apathy). I think that at the time of the 1967 NFL Championship, Rozelle's memories of 1963 were still fresh.

[Bryan]

True, sometimes a game has to be moved (another example is the Chargers game years ago that had to be moved to Arizona because of the smoke from fires) or postponed, like the Vikings game that was moved to Tuesday night because of a blizzard. And, of course, World Series games get postponed when it rains and the fans are fine with rain checks. But the Commissioner moving a league's championship game would be outrageous. There were a couple of occasions where the host team changed the site (including the Packers, when they played the 1939 title game closer to Milwaukee because they could sell more tickets in West Allis than in Green Bay, or George Preston Marshall deciding to take his Redskins to New York because he was tired of Boston's apathy). I think that at the time of the 1967 NFL Championship, Rozelle's memories of 1963 were still fresh.

The 1932 NFL title was decided by a game that was moved to Chicago Stadium with special rules to adjust to the less-than-legal field space. Super Bowl IX was moved to icky Tulane Stadium (replete with gusty winds and gray flannel skies). I thought the recent Dallas Super Bowl had a similar contingency plan where the game would have been moved if Jerry Jones' stadium wasn't finished. I guess my point is this...which is more outrageous and not keeping with the best interests of the game...moving a league championship game or playing a league championship in -13 degrees on an ice rink?

[Ronfitch]

I think that at the time of the 1967 NFL Championship, Rozelle's memories of 1963 were still fresh.

Interesting point made, Mark.

Also, the forecast for game day was single digits to mid-teens above zero (I've read this in multiple places, but one is here: http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ ... l-28094024). The temperature unexpectedly dropped 30+ degrees overnight and the turf was still all warm and cozy the morning of the game ... until they pulled the tarp and it flash froze.

[Reaser]

which is more outrageous and not keeping with the best interests of the game...moving a league championship game or playing a league championship in -13 degrees on an ice rink?

The best interests of the sport is to always play the game. "Football games don't get postponed/moved/cancelled!" is more myth than fact - as there's a long list of games being postponed, moved, cancelled, etc ... at all levels of football. Though I don't think it should ever have been a myth, or be a myth moving forward. Where/when the game is scheduled, it should be played at that time in that stadium. Outside of various natural disasters that are close to a stadium site, terrorists attacks, or in cases where the stadium is literally falling apart. Other than that, if a game is scheduled, men play it.

Maybe that attitude is just from playing football or where I grew up? I had the pads on three days after 9/11 (for a game, practice the two days after), I've played on a field where there was no sign of grass or that it ever had grass and it was just mud that you sank into every step, I played on a astroturf field that had arguably the biggest crown in the history of football fields, and so on. If a game is scheduled, you be a man and you show up and play. You don't cry about the weather or the field conditions, you just play, especially if any sort of championship is on the line.

My thoughts, at least.

[Mark L. Ford]

Reaser said that better than I could, and I agree totally. Football is a sport of tough men and zealous fans who live for Sunday at their home stadium; neither rain, nor sleet nor snow keeps letter carriers or NFL players from making their appointed rounds. A warm weather site is understandable for the Super Bowl. Like the Olympics, it's an event that's prepared for, well in advance, by the host city. But for a conference championship or the old league championships, bah. I think that the only game where there should be a guarantee of a warm weather location for the players and fans is the Pro Bowl.

[Ronfitch]

Only adding to the lore of the Ice Bowl ...

"It was so cold during Cowboys-Packers Ice Bowl, they had to sell beer in the bathroom"
http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/2015/ ... room.html/