Bears-Vikings game proves safety is secondary (NFL WHINE ALERT)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | Dec 20, 2010 05:24AM | RICK MORRISSEY rmorrissey@suntimes.com

[Chi-townChief]

Old-time football players like to say they would’ve played for free in the parking lot, such was their love for the game.

It might be the hyperbole of men who watched too many grainy Knute Rockne clips, but you want to believe that they believe it. You want to believe that they were so tough and so committed to the game that they would’ve sacrificed the skin on their elbows to make a tackle near the third parking stall on the left.

You want to believe in someone who loved the raw violence of a sport so much that he would’ve been willing to sacrifice body and paycheck to play it. You want to believe in his craziness and passion.

You want to believe mostly because it wasn’t your body or your brain or your skinned elbows.

That might explain the gap in emotions between the public and Bears and Vikings players heading into a game tonight that very well could be played on a skating rink.

The players are worried and angry about the possibility of injury at the University of Minnesota’s football stadium, which was jarred out of its winter slumber by a caved-in roof at the Metrodome eight days ago.

The public? Not so worried. Or, if fans are worried about players’ injuries, it’s not for humanitarian reasons. It’s for playoff reasons.

[southphilly]

No they did not need heating for the field, because they don’t play there after November.

[21twelve]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUk16I4Vg5w

Here’s a video about the 1969 season, episode is about playing in the cold and snow. (Bud Grant, no heaters, etc.)

The old Metropolitan Stadium didn’t have any heaters in the field.

“..With only the thought of Victory keeping them warm.....”

[Personal Responsibility]

I still can’t believe Favre threw that last interception. It was RIGHT TO HIM!