Bears to face Vikings in Frozen Tundra II game?
By DeCon
This is so much more fun than Gramps-watch, isn’t it? I mean who wouldn’t want to talk about the venue of the Bears next game versus an old washed up QB who texts pictures of the contents of his Wrangler jeans to unsuspecting young girls?
Here is where we’re at gang. Looks like the Beloved will be playing on an unheated turf field during a frigid Monday night in the land of 10,000 lakes at the Univ of Minnesota. All because the ViQueens are so hell bent on playing this game in front of its fans to celebrate their 50th Anniversary…well nearly all of its fans. You see, this college stadium holds about 50,000 fans and the ViQueens have nearly 55,000 season ticket holders. So in addition to 5,000 season ticket holders, another 8,000 or so fans who would have been at the Metrodome (capacity of the Metrodome is 63,000) will also be left out in the cold…literally…or perhaps they will be left in the warm since they can stay indoors to watch this ice rink game. The latest from Dan Pompei can be found here.
What I don’t get is that the league talks about player safety all the time and they will fine Haloti Ngata for a little slap of Big Ben, yet they will subject players to conditions like this when other options are available? I mean, this field has NO heating and it was NOT built for games in the winter. The turf will be frozen and should a player hit his head on the turf, it will be like hitting it on concrete. Concussion much?
This doesn’t seem to faze the ViQueens Vice Preseident for Public Affairs, Lester Bagley, who had this bit of bulletin board material for the Bears as if they needed it,
"“We’re confident that we’re going to have a great experience,” Bagley told the AP. “It’s our celebration of our 50th season, and we’re going to end it the way we began. We beat the Bears in our first game, and we’re going to beat them again this year.”"
Regardless, the game will be played there and the Bears will have to deal with it. There are rumors (out of Minnesota) of a Bears protest of the game, which Bears Player Rep, Robbie Gould, denies. This may be a way the ViQueens can save face in case the NFL pulls the plug on this ice rink idea some time in the next couple of days.
"“Our biggest concern is playing in a safe environment,” Bears player rep Robbie Gould said. “If that is the safest place to play and they want to keep the game there and they find the field conditions are up to the standard of the NFL to play on, then that is where we’re going to have to play. We’re just getting ready for the Vikings. Hopefully, the field isn’t frozen.”"
Well Robbie, hope all you want, but with temperatures in single digits on Monday night, I don’t see any way the field will not be frozen. At least if the game is outdoors, I doubt Gramps will suit up with his purple arm for “one more rodeo” against the Bears, so we will have rookie Joe Webb or QB castoff Patrick Ramsey to keep us warm. One thing is for certain, if the Bears have to play on this field and clinch the division on Monday night, no one can say they didn’t earn it!
CAN I GET AN AMEN?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
The DeCon has spoken, so let it be written, so let it be done…