Bears vs. Vikings: Snow Shovels, Field Conditions and Player Protests
Published by Derek Crouse on December 20, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The NFL has made a major mistake in having the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings play at TCF Bank Stadium. From players speaking out, volunteers shoveling snow, heat-coils on the field, and the risk of major injuries, why was this decision made?
The NFL has taken a major stand when it comes to player’s safety this season. Where is Roger Goodell now? With players tweeting and posting photos of the awful conditions of the field, will the league admit they were wrong if a season ending injury were to occur tonight? The Bears have been very healthy on both sides of the ball this year, an injury could prove disastrous to a long playoff run.
The NFL definitely had better options than putting player’s careers on the line at TCF Bank Stadium. When the Metrodome collapsed last week, the league had to scramble for an alternate site and Detroit’s Ford Field was the destination chosen.
But with over a week for the NFL to ponder a site, why wouldn’t Ford Field, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, or the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis be taken into consideration? All three fields are dome stadiums, so the conditions would be identical to the Metrodome, and NFL brass would have had the support of their players. Players on both teams have been pro-active in expressing their opinions of the league’s choice.
What makes the decision even more puzzling is the day of the game. Since the game is scheduled for a Monday night and not Sunday, the NFL could of played the game at any pro site because it would not have interfered with the regular games on Sunday. With three dome stadiums in the vicinity of both team’s cities, it seems to be so much more logical than breaking out field heaters, snow shovels, and an undersized stadium. Bears and Vikings fans would have no problems traveling to the sites.
Even the concessions stands and bathrooms are being questioned. The stadium does not serve alcohol, so the flasks will be topped off in the parking lot before gametime. The stadium’s bathrooms are only rated to work efficiently with temperatures above 30 degrees. They are setting up heating systems to keep the facilities running smoothly. The stadium is set to be dormant all winter, so these plans were never in the mix when the stadium was built just a few years ago.
When the facilities and the field are looked at under a microscope, the field should of not even been considered. Hopefully, the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will play at an NFL level on a low-level college field.
With the Bears vying for a division championship, this game could hold playoff importance for home field during the playoffs. While Lovie Smith hasn’t been at the forefront for complaints about this issue, will he sing the same song if Jay Cutler gets a concussion or Julius Peppers loses his footing on an ice patch and goes down with an Achilles injury?
If anything happens out of the ordinary, whether it is from the fans, field, or the player’s safety, the NFL will have to look in the mirror and wonder what they were thinking? TCF Bank Stadium is expecting 5-8 inches of snow Monday. For the most popular league in the country, it would seem that a better decision would have been discussed.
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