Cold-weather Super Bowl

[BB73]

I think that's a little bit of an outdated idea. Green Bay, New England (#1 offense in NFL in 2008), Philly and the Bengals all have/have had successful air attacks in cold weather cities. Buffalo's best years came not through power running (although Thurman Thomas was quite good) but when Jim Kelly was flinging the ball around in the K-Gun.

Didn't Dan Marino famously say "If it's snowing, I'm throwing" ??


***Understood that this takes us away from the "Big Game/Cold Weather discussion and into a tactical/ X's and O's discussion.

And Dan Fouts and the Chargers high-powered offense scored 7 points in the playoffs in below-zero Cincinnati in January 1982, 8 days after scoring 38 (plus an OT FG) to win in Miami.

But that was in 1982, so it's outdated.

 

[matcar]

And Dan Fouts and the Chargers high-powered offense scored 7 points in the playoffs in below-zero Cincinnati in January 1982, 8 days after scoring 38 (plus an OT FG) to win in Miami.

But that was in 1982, so it's outdated.

Meh, Steelers seem to win a lot of Stupid Bowls in spite of being a cold weather team. No thanks to cold weather bowls.

 

[BigWoof31]

And Dan Fouts and the Chargers high-powered offense scored 7 points in the playoffs in below-zero Cincinnati in January 1982, 8 days after scoring 38 (plus an OT FG) to win in Miami.

But that was in 1982, so it's outdated.

It certainly isn't THAT outdated BB - but if you're going to cite an example of Cold Weather effectiveness, an argument that doesn't include the AFC champions and one of the best teams in the history of the Cincinnati franchise is probably stronger.

1981 Cincinnati Bengals Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com


Was SD's lack of points because of the AFC champion Bengals defense or the cold weather?
If you can show me quotes of Fouts and the Chargers listing the weather as the main deterrant - then I'll bow and drop it.


Your Tampa Bay stat was a good one - I remember that record going down against the Eagles in 2002. I believe Dome Teams has a equally poor record in SuperBowls.

 

[Buckeye86]

If the argument is turning into "cold weather doesn't matter" isn't that even more reason to start having some cold weather Super Bowls?

 

[BigWoof31]

If the argument is turning into "cold weather doesn't matter" isn't that even more reason to start having some cold weather Super Bowls?

Fine by me - convince the sponsors, the league and the players union and get it done in Chicago, NYC, or Boston.

 

[BB73]

It certainly isn't THAT outdated BB - but if you're going to cite an example of Cold Weather effectiveness, an argument that doesn't include the AFC champions and one of the best teams in the history of the Cincinnati franchise is probably stronger.

1981 Cincinnati Bengals Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com


Was SD's lack of points because of the AFC champion Bengals defense or the cold weather?
If you can show me quotes of Fouts and the Chargers listing the weather as the main deterrant - then I'll bow and drop it.

Your Tampa Bay stat was a good one - I remember that record going down against the Eagles in 2002. I believe Dome Teams has a equally poor record in SuperBowls.

The Bengals gave up 21 and 26 points in their other playoff games that year (and yielded 19 per game), so they weren't exactly the '85 Bears.

The Chargers had led the NFL in scoring that year, at 29.9 per game.

"I had frost bite on my big toe because of that game and I still feel it in my right thumb when it's cold." -- Winslow on the Freezer Bowl.

espn

Fouts threw for only 185 yards and had two interceptions. He had trouble gripping the ball, and Winslow blamed the loss on his quarterback's poor grip. Fouts chose not to wear gloves because they were too thick and did not give him much feel for the football.

 

[BigWoof31]

The Bengals gave up 21 and 26 points in their other playoff games that year (and yielded 19 per game), so they weren't exactly the '85 Bears.

The Chargers had led the NFL in scoring that year, at 29.9 per game.


espn

Good enough for me! Rep for the research and thanks for some good points.

 

[jlb1705]

Curious about the cold weather proponents. Help me understand your logic.

Are your reasons:


1. We live up here and we never get to host an event! We need the revenue from hosting a big game!
2. My favorite team is a cold weather team! If we make it - I want us to have an advantage!!!3. I hate traveling to Florida, New Orleans, Arizona, California for big games! It's so far!4. Football is at it's most pure when it is played outdoors!
5. Harf Harf Harf! We're so tough because we live where it is cold outside 4 months of the year and everyone else is a pussy!

I think its a combination of all of those for me, and then some.

Here's the deal with the home-field advantage thing: If the sites for championship games were more equally distributed geographically, you'd still have certain teams enjoying an advantage, but it would at least rotate to some extent.

I did call Pearlman a pussy in the first post, so let me address #5... I don't mean to say that anybody who doesn't live in the cold is weak, just that Pearlman is. I can't really stand high heat & humidity, so I'm sure New Orleans in August would kick my ass just like a cold winter could kick a southerner's ass. My issue with Pearlman was more that somebody has the gall bitch about the weather when he gets to go to the Super Bowl on somebody else's dime.

My main thing though is something that wasn't really on your list. It doesn't really apply to college football because they play on a different calendar than the NFL. From a purely football standpoint, why is the climate so important for the quality of play, but it apparently doesn't mean a thing for the games they play two weeks before to determine who gets to go to the Super Bowl in the first place? If weather really does adversely affect the games that much, then why does the NFL not have all their other playoff games in more hospitable climates?

I'm rooting for cold-weather Super Bowls to become a reality because I think that's the best shot for a cold-weather college football championship to happen.

 

[BigWoof31]

From a purely football standpoint, why is the climate so important for the quality of play, but it apparently doesn't mean a thing for the games they play two weeks before to determine who gets to go to the Super Bowl in the first place. If weather really does adversely affect the games that much, then why does the NFL not have all their other playoff games in more hospitable climates?

Great point and the follow up probably needs to be thrown out to the BP masses.

OSU is a massive school with thousands of graduates across America. Surely some have worked/still work for the NFL corporate office? Can we get this question answered?
Why are these games always in warm weather locations? Is it from a tradition/history standpoint - or do sponsors really command that these games be in better climates?

 

[jwinslow]

This doesn't really apply to the SuperBowl argument though? Most Pro-Teams play in both good/bad/neutral environs throughout the season and really could care less where they play.

Peyton sure plays better on a carpet than snowy Foxboro

Furthermore - it's my understanding that a rainy/wet game would effect play ALOT more than a snowy game, correct?

Your extremities still have proper blood flow & function when it's wet.

 

[Meyer]

Thank you for being honest. I suspected as much but appreciate you coming out and saying it. Rep this man!

This doesn't really apply to the SuperBowl argument though? Most Pro-Teams play in both good/bad/neutral environs throughout the season and really could care less where they play. Furthermore - it's my understanding that a rainy/wet game would effect play ALOT more than a snowy game, correct?

Honest?? Was it really that hard to say? We just want it to be fair.

It's pretty ridiculous the advantage that some of those teams get. You make it sound bad in your post but yea we do want an advantage; the same advantage that those southern teams get every single year.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Curious about the cold weather proponents. Help me understand your logic.

It's a cold-weather, outdoor sport.

 

[BigWoof31]

Honest?? Was it really that hard to say? We just want it to be fair.

It's pretty ridiculous the advantage that some of those teams get. You make it sound bad in your post but yea we do want an advantage; the same advantage that those southern teams get every single year.

I have to ask - so ding me in rep if you think its an unfair question.

But was this opinion as prevalent when the Bucks were kicking ass and taking names in the Rose Bowls/Bowl Games past?

 

[Buckeye86]

I have to ask - so ding me in rep if you think its an unfair question.

But was this opinion as prevalent when the Bucks were kicking ass and taking names in the Rose Bowls/Bowl Games past?

Ohio State is .500 in Rose Bowl games all-time (7-7) and if anything the travel factor and disadvantages that go along with it were even worse back in the day when you couldn't just hop on a plane to get places

 

[BB73]

I have to ask - so ding me in rep if you think its an unfair question.

But was this opinion as prevalent when the Bucks were kicking ass and taking names in the Rose Bowls/Bowl Games past?

tOSU lost national championships in the Rose Bowl to USC by 1 point in both the 1975 Rose Bowl and the 1980 Rose Bowl, so the feeling goes back at least that far.

It wouldn't need to go back before 1968, because before that the AP poll voted on their National Champion before the bowl games (except for 1965, for some reason). The Coaches Poll started doing that in 1974.