Snow?

[trev]

They cancelled last nights game because of some snow. I know, it's a blizzard. The Chargers and Cinci had to play in the Ice Bowl. What the heck is up with the NFL? Don't they play games in any kind of weather, except lightning? I think it's bogus that they postponed a game.

[Shoalzie]

They could play in the weather they had but it's probably more about getting all the fans to and from the game safely. Travel was nearly shut down in the Philly area because of the weather. I suppose you could play the game with a small crowd but with it being a primetime game, I don't think they wanted to see an empty stadium or have reports of numerous wrecks on the road on the account of fans fighting the elements to getting to and from the Linc. It's a case of playing on the side of caution. Weather conditions should be better by Tuesday and the fans should be able to get there safer than they would have on Sunday. With it being the sandwich week between holidays...you wonder how many of these fans are even working this week and the kids are off from school also. It's not that bad of a situation for the fans plus we get bonus football on Tuesday...no Thursday, Saturday or Monday night games in Week 17.

[trev]

I'm more than happy to have a game on Tuesday. But to postpone a game because of weather is not NFL. It's pussy NFL.

[indyfrisco]

It's all part of the Favre drama. Since he knows he won't be playing next year, he's using up his remaining time to retire each week only to come back the next. The NFL insisted they push it to Tuesday so he could heal up enough to come back just ONE MORE TIME!

[OCmike]

I'm more than happy to have a game on Tuesday. But to postpone a game because of weather is not NFL. It's pussy NFL.

A San Diego resident with a snow take? Really? :?

Anything less than six inches (sup Irie's dealer) and I'd agree. But that area was slated to get 1-2 FEET of snow. This is not about being tough, it's basic common sense. Just getting cars into and out of the stadium lot would have been a logistical and safety nightmare.

[trev]

I grew up in Ohio. I know about snow and freezing temps. The frreezer bowl was about as dangerous as anything. Pretty soon it'll have to be clear, sunny and 30 degrees for the NFL to play.

[OCmike]

Crap, I guess you get a weather waiver then.

Still, this was a blizzard, not some tame, average December storm. Its no different to me than when they clear the stadium when there are lightning strikes nearby.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Pffft. Blizzard. I'm with trev on his one. Pussies, the lot of them.

[Shoalzie]

There's a major difference between heavy rain and heavy snow. Rain moves after it falls...sometimes it moves other things with it (my best to those in SoCal dealing with the mudslides and flooding)...snow falls and it just piles up and it can pile up quickly and you have to move it so you can move anywhere.

Via weather.com


Looked like a hell of a storm. My sister just moved to Princeton, NJ this spring and is town for the holidays until Wednesday. She could driving back through all that mess. Philly got (only) a foot compared to the 2-1/2 feet Elizabeth got and the foot and a half in Central Park.

[jiminphilly]

They city declared a state of emergency thereby forcing the hand of the NFL to postpone the game. As much as I would have preferred to see the game played in the snow, all it would have taken is 1 fan to get killed driving home for there to be an outcry about how the game should have been postponed.

What's bogus is that the NFL should have made it a 4pm game today instead of a tuesday night game.

[Shoalzie]

Governor Rendell rips the NFL

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdo ... nfl-300773

[indyfrisco]

Governor Rendell rips the NFL

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdo ... nfl-300773

Can't believe you didn't quote the governor's comment:

We're becoming a nation of wussies

However, the NFL is taking heat for games being played in the cold. Press coming on about concussions being caused by frozen turf. City declares state of emergency. NFL folded its hand.

I agree with the governor. We're becoming a nation of wussies. Blame the press and the limp-wristed pansies who think kids should never be spanked, personal responsibility should never exist and Oprah will be President someday. Oh, and PETA.

[OCmike]

Shoalzie, with rare exceptions, the mudslides in SoCal take out multi-million dollar homes that idiots build on stilts or in flood plains. Though I don't wish anything bad on anyone, not only can they afford to rebuild, but if they had an ounce of sense, they wouldn't have built where they did in the first place.

[Dinsdale]

There's a major difference between heavy rain and heavy snow. Rain moves after it falls

I can remember at least one Trailblazer game being cancelled for rain (lots and lots of it, making local travel near-impossible).

[Shoalzie]

There's a major difference between heavy rain and heavy snow. Rain moves after it falls

I can remember at least one Trailblazer game being cancelled for rain (lots and lots of it, making local travel near-impossible).

I'm not familiar with the exact topography of Oregon...you have mountains and valleys (highland and lowlands)...is there typically a lot of flooding up there due to how much rain the northwest gets? I'd assume with the changes in elevation, there are places where you'd see flooding. Over here, it's flatter than flat...we'll get flooding if there's a lot of rain and you happen be near a river or stream.

[trev]

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/2 ... stmas.html

The Wimps Who Stole Christmas

THERE IS NOTHING more magical than football in the snow.

If you grew up anywhere in the wintry half of this country, you probably have fond memories of hiking up your snow pants and sloshing around with your buddies and your Pete Rozelle-signed football in the backyard drifts - and the only thing that comes a close second to playing football in the snow is watching a classic NFL matchup in a furious downpour of the white stuff.

In 1948, the Eagles won an NFL championship at Shibe Park in a raging blizzard, a game that was never forgotten by the 36,309 die-hards who didn't think twice about braving those conditions to watch history in the making. Then there was the "Snow-Plow" game in New England and the Pats' memorable playoff victory over Oakland in a snowstorm years later, and the frigid 1967 Ice Bowl in Green Bay. To paraphrase Frank Capra this Christmas season, for a true football fan it would not have been as wonderful a life had those remarkable games never been born.

That's why the decision by the NFL and the Eagles, with input from the city of Philadelphia, to postpone last night's game because of a snowstorm that isn't really all that (we might get 11 inches in the city - not exactly Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer territory, not even close) is more than downright disappointing.

This is the height of wimpiness, and the girly-men who made this sad decision should be ashamed of themselves. The NFL has been rightfully called the No Fun League for a number of years, but this takes that to a whole embarrassing new level. In fact, let's name names here: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Eagles' owner Jeff Lurie and president Joe Banner, and Mayor Nutter - you are the Wimps Who Stole Christmas from football fans in

[Dinsdale]

I'm not familiar with the exact topography of Oregon...you have mountains and valleys (highland and lowlands)...is there typically a lot of flooding up there due to how much rain the northwest gets?

Another one fell for "how much rain the Northwest gets"?

The Coastal Plain gets a bunch of rain -- and is right at the base of the Coast Range, which leads to frequent minor flooding.

As far as the interior valleys (like the Willamette Valley, which is home to about 75% of Oregon's population) -- less precipitation than where you live. In fact, when the 50 Major Cities are ranked by average precipitation, Portland comes in somewhere around 36th (Seattle averages about 0.5" less than we do, but spread out over more days with rainfall, but they rarely get big sustained storms).

And you're obviously not too familiar with the topography -- like any place with a big mountain range between it and the prevailing winds...


The U&L (Oregon & Washington) is about 2/3rds arid desert. Sagebrush and scrubgrass. That percentage goes up if you include Idaho (which we don't). Most Dryside locales average about the same precip as Phoenix or Vegas (but don't get the summer storms the SW does).


But if it keeps any more of you Flyovers from moving here, then yeah -- it's a nonstop downpour, 24/7/365 (and IS NOT just about the driest place in the country for the summer months).

But don't let the low precip totals fool you -- from around Thanksgiving to around Valentine's Day, it's miserable here. Sun barely comes up (farther north than any major city not named Seattle -- things change quickly once you cross the 45th), the thick cloud cover barely clears the hills for a nasty-low ceiling, and the vast majority of the year's precip falls in 2.5 months, months in which 40 degrees and drizzling is the norm.

I'd assume with the changes in elevation, there are places where you'd see flooding.

Major flooding is extremely rare. Small stream and urban flooding is an annual event. When there are big floods, it's pretty much always in a La Nina winter... like the current one, for example. Been all kinds of raining and nasty.


When La Nina ends at the end of winter, like this dramatic example of La Nina is supposed to do, it often gets hot early, and stays that way for months on end. We might see a handful of raindrops between April/May-ish through November... we'll see.

[Goober McTuber]

The problem with a storm like this is that they can’t accurately predict what they’ll ultimately get for snowfall. The last snow storm we got in Madison there was 6 inches on one side of town and 9 on the other. Less than 10 miles difference.

The predictions in Philly were 12-24 inches. They wound up getting the low end but they easily could have gotten the high end. They got that and more not far to the north and east. 24 inches of snow is going to be a bitch to get around in, no chance they were going to get the streets clear, or the parking lots, or the field, or the seating.

What’s the big deal? It’s just another NFL game. It’s not like they had to postpone the Iron Bowl or the Civil War or the Old Oaken Bucket for Christ’ sake.

[Neely8]

A few years back the Patriots played the Dolphins at Foxboro just after a blizzard. The folks went to the game and had to shovel out there seats. From what people have told me they consider that one of the best games ever at that stadium. This is the one when Bruschi scored on a pick 6 and started throwing snow in the air and people in the stands followed suit. Looked like a bunch of fireworks. Bunch of pansies postponing an NFL game for weather.

[trev]

In the past you try to make it to the game. You walk in, if you have to. You play football in any kind of weather. If you don't make it to the game, you watch on TV. There comes a time when we have to say enough is enough with the pussiness. This isn't France. Men don't kiss each other on the lips here.

[BSmack]

In the past you try to make it to the game. You walk in, if you have to. You play football in any kind of weather. If you don't make it to the game, you watch on TV. There comes a time when we have to say enough is enough with the pussiness. This isn't France. Men don't kiss each other on the lips here.

Really? I heard they do all sorts of weird shit in Cali.