Bears-Vikings to be played outdoors

• gorocks99

  

  At Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium. Should be interesting to have a home Vikings game, in late December, outdoors. Bud Grant would've wanted it this way.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  Sweet. Both teams are used to it, so makes sense.
  Two straight cold games for the Bears.
• End of Line

  

  This is great. First time in a long damn time for Minnesota to have a home game outside.
• se-alum

  

  ptown_trojans_1;601209 wrote:Sweet. Both teams are used to it, so makes sense.
  Two straight cold games for the Bears.

  Not sure how Minnesota is used to playing in the cold??
• WebFire

  This is the way it should be all the time.
• Sonofanump

  se-alum;601597 wrote:Not sure how Minnesota is used to playing in the cold??

  
  Having Green Bay & Chicago in the same division?
• se-alum

  

  Sonofanump;601756 wrote:Having Green Bay & Chicago in the same division?

  So maybe they play two cold weather games a year, on average? This year they played @GB in late Oct. and @Chicago in early November. Neither of which were cold weather games.
• Sonofanump

  My post was a question searching for a valid answer, not a statement.
• Fly4Fun

  

  Hell, if anything it appears that Chicago has no freaking idea how to play in a cold weather game... the Pats have it down to a science though. I think Northern teams that play in the domes are taking away a huge advantage they would have over southern teams if they manned up and just learned how to play in the cold. Practice in the snow and rain because you might play in it... football is a game of the elements. Embrace it and beat those who don't.
• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  I have AP on my fantasy team, and I am going against Cutler. I would think that this move to outdoors is a win-win for me, in theory anyway, right?
• ts1227

  

  Anyone in the Minneapolis area have some free time? The University of Minnesota will take any willing and able volunteers to help shovel snow.
  
  http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5922532
• september63

  

  Stadium seats 50,000 and Vikings had already sold 64,000. No beer sales allowed in college stadiums, so no tap systems set up.
• WebFire

  http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Preparing-a-snowy-college-stadium-for-the-NFL-is?urn=nfl-296384
• Laley23

  

  This is a disaster. They should be moving this game to an NFL stadium. Give those that miss the tickets a ticket to this same game next year, and give those with season tickets their money back for the game.
• Ironman92

  

  -18 degrees
• september63

  

  Bears and Vikings players, along with their union, are asking the venue be switched. Seems the field doesnt have underground heating coils and the players are worried about a rock hard playing surface. WTF!! How did the guys play back in the day? Game is likely moved to Atlanta!!
• WebFire

  Bunch of pussies.
• thedynasty1998

  

  As a union, you have to represent your players, and I'm sure there is not one player on either roster looking forward to playing this game outdoors. So you would expect the union to fight to get it indoors.
• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  Why not just sweep the snow off the roof and keep the game at the Metrodome? If you are going to play outdoors anyway, who cares if there is a hole in the roof?
• tk421

  

  BigAppleBuckeye;603155 wrote:Why not just sweep the snow off the roof and keep the game at the Metrodome? If you are going to play outdoors anyway, who cares if there is a hole in the roof?

  That's just too simple, the NFL is no place for that.
• se-alum

  

  BigAppleBuckeye;603155 wrote:Why not just sweep the snow off the roof and keep the game at the Metrodome? If you are going to play outdoors anyway, who cares if there is a hole in the roof?

  I doubt anyone wants to be sweeping snow off one of those panels when it gives way...lol!!
• SnotBubbles

  Go Bears!
• gorocks99

  

  BigAppleBuckeye;603155 wrote:Why not just sweep the snow off the roof and keep the game at the Metrodome? If you are going to play outdoors anyway, who cares if there is a hole in the roof?

  
  You'd have to remove the whole roof. It's sagging onto the field right now and the only way it stays up is with air pressure. Giant hole in the roof = not enough air pressure to keep it up.
• gorocks99

  

  From the Vikes website:
  
  

  Eden Prairie, MN (December 16, 2010) The Minnesota Vikings have announced the ticket policy and game logistics for the upcoming Monday night Vikings-Bears game at TCF Bank Stadium.
  
  All ticket holders will use their Vikings-Bears game tickets for Mall of America Field at the Metrodome to enter TCF Bank Stadium and seating will be general admission by lower and upper levels.
  
  Mall of America Field at the Metrodome Lower-Level Ticket Holders (100 level)
  Ticket holders with lower-level tickets (100 level) will get lower-level seating access at TCF Bank Stadium (general admission) UNTIL SEATING IS AT CAPACITY. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. for those 100 level ticket holders with line queues starting at 4:00 p.m. The value of all lower-level tickets will be considered to be $77. If the face value of the original 100-level season ticket is greater than $77, a credit for the difference will be applied to the Season Ticket Owners account toward 2011 season tickets. For single-game purchasers, a credit will be applied via Ticketmaster.
  
  Mall of America Field at the Metrodome Upper-Level Ticket Holders (200 level)
  Ticket holders with upper-level tickets (200 level) will only have upper level seating access at TCF Bank Stadium (general admission). Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. for those 200 level ticket holders. The value of all upper-level tickets will be considered to be $29. If the face value of the original 200-level season ticket is greater than $29, a credit for the difference will be applied to the Season Ticket Owners account toward 2011 season tickets. For single-game purchasers, a credit will be applied via Ticketmaster.
  
  Unused Season Tickets for Mall of America Field at the Metrodome
  Season Ticket Owners that do not use their tickets will receive full credit on their account if the ticket goes unused AND is mailed to the Vikings Ticket Office (425 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415) POST-MARKED by Saturday, December 18.
  
  IMPORTANT: This is a first-come, first-served event. The Vikings anticipate this game to be well-attended and having a valid ticket does not guarantee admittance into TCF Bank Stadium. In the event that some ticket holders are turned away on game night due to capacity, only the original ticket account owners will receive a full refund.
  
  Game Logistics
  The Vikings and the University of Minnesota have agreed no alcoholic beverages will be served. No outside food or beverages will be allowed into the stadium. Game parking details will be announced in the coming days.
  
  This is a difficult situation with no easy solution, so we greatly appreciate our fans patience in this process, said Steve LaCroix, Vikings Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer. We are making every effort to accommodate as many Vikings fans as possible and play a home game here in Minnesota. We're excited about celebrating the 50th season with a return to outdoor football.
  
  Steve LaCroix will be available for interviews today beginning at 4:00 p.m. from the Vikings Ticket Office; to arrange, please contact Vikings Assistant Director of Public Affairs Jeff Anderson at 612.247.4482.

• dazedconfused

  

  if they are dead set upon playing it outdoors and can't get tcf playable, we got a stadium in cleveland....just saying