Broken Laptop Sports

Last night, we watched a pair of electric conference championship games with entirely different styles of play. The NFC Championship nightcap was a game for all types of viewers, with big plays and an over total in somewhat clean conditions at an electric Lumen Field. The first game of the day, the AFC Championship in Mile High was quite the opposite. The fans were still great, but the style of play was drastically different due to suffocating defenses and maybe more importantly, the blizzard-like, snowglobe conditions. 

In the ever-evolving landscape of the NFL, one thing seems to be getting left in the past (besides no one knowing what a catch is), and that’s outdoor stadiums in cold climates. LA (both teams), Vegas, Minnesota, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Arizona, and Indy are the current indoor teams. A few new ones are on the way, including Jacksonville, Tennessee, Cleveland, and Washington, not including all the rumors with the Bears moving/building an indoor stadium too. This is a massive issue for football purists and chaos lovers alike. The outdoor stadium is something to be treasured and revered. The toughest games are played in the blistering cold or driving rain, and looking at the recent statistics, these conditions give the outdoor home teams a distinct advantage (unless you’re the Bears). Road teams in the playoffs are 1-14 in temperatures under 40 degrees. Yes I know the home teams are higher seeds but dome teams are also 11-13-2 ATS in cold weather road games since 2024 playoffs. Overall, road teams in the Divisional rounds have a win percentage around 0.23 and they have a win percentage of 0.27 in Championship rounds. The dome teams fare statistically much worse here than the average.

There are tips and tricks that these organizations can use that others might not know about or fully understand, which kicks ass. And for the most part, the legions of fans who still attend games in person love it too. Imagine if you, a Green Bay Packers fan, gets an Arizona team from warm and sunny Scottsdale. They play with a retractable roof stadium JUST IN CASE the weather is so nice, they need to enjoy it. You don’t think it would be fun to drag them into a physical, run-heavy game at 7 degrees below? Screaming at them after twelve Spotted Cows in your obnoxious yet beautiful cheesehead about how they don’t have the balls to play with this Green Bay squad. Now imagine this being a divisional round if the Cards can ditch Kyler and get a competent coaching staff. Just a dream, man.

Teams like Green Bay should always use their climate to their advantage. Looking at the teams that have indoor stadiums, I also think Indy and Minnesota would be able to capitalize on this too, they are soft for not. And Cleveland getting a dome is just a huge mistake considering the conference they play in. Burrow can light it up in the cold and the wind, imagine him on fast turf with Chase and the crew playing catch like its recess in the Land… good luck. Just know that Cleveland is ending the child-like joy that Jameis had in that magical game against the Steelers.

Inclement cold weather brings football fans together like few things in sports. Whenever there is a snow game on, while the Bills fans are clearing the seats of their foot of snow, I am texting every football fan in my family “Oh shit, we got a snow game!” hoping to see the likes of Jamies, Shady McCoy, DeSean Jackson, or whoever else wants to be the snow game hero next. Hosting a Super Bowl and Foo Fighters concerts are overrated, keep the snow in the game.