With the exception of a trio of trips to cold-weather states, the Super Bowl has overwhelmingly been held in warmer locales throughout its four-plus decades of existence. I can imagine some cold-weather fans might feel slighted, but then again, they may not mind the trip down south or out west to get away from all that cold and snow up north.
But that doesn’t mean that the cold-weather folks don’t get to have their fun in the prior playoff rounds, because many a great game has been played in unfavorable and unforgivable conditions. Coors Light and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (which announced its 2009 class today, by the way – more on that in another post) have put together a list of the 10 best cold-weather postseason games of all-time.
If you were fortunate enough to catch the revealing of the results at NFL Experience After Dark on Thursday night, then you already know how the list shakes out. And even if you haven’t seen the results yet, if you call yourself a football historian, then you can name several of these games off of the top of your head, I’m sure. And hey, if you were a spectator at any of the below games, comment or e-mail with tales of your experiences.
I’m sure you have a pretty good idea as to what game is tops on the list, but check out the complete list anyway. I know my warmth-loving self wouldn’t have made it if I was in the stands at #1 and #2, but I’m sure it was worth it for those whose teams were on the winning side.
And in case you’re planning on being out at Raymond James Stadium tomorrow evening, it’s safe to say that you won’t have to worry about Super Bowl XLIII being anywhere near one of these lists, unless the coldest of cold fronts sneaks up on Tampa out of nowhere. Not completely impossible, but almost.
#10 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10), Jan. 19, 2003
· Temperature: 26 degrees / Wind Chill: 16 degrees
#9 – Tennessee Titans (14) @ New England Patriots, (17), Jan. 10, 2004
· Temperature: 4 degrees / Wind Chill: -10 degrees
#8 – Oakland Raiders (17) @ Denver Broncos (20), Jan. 1, 1978
· Temperature: 18 degrees / Wind Chill: N/A
#7 – New York Giants (7) @ Green Bay Packers (16), Dec. 30, 1962
· Temperature: 13 degrees / Wind Chill: N/A
#6 – Oakland Raiders (13) @ New England Patriots (16), Jan. 19, 2002
· Temperature: 20 degrees / Wind Chill: N/A
#5 – New York Giants (23) @ Green Bay Packers (20), Jan. 20, 2008
· Temperature: -4 degrees / Wind chill: -24 degrees
#4 – Oakland Raiders (10) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (16), Jan. 4, 1976
· Temperature: 11 degrees / Wind Chill: N/A
#3 – Los Angeles Raiders (23) @ Buffalo Bills (29), Jan. 15, 1994
· Temperature: 0 degrees / Wind chill: -32 degrees
#2 – San Diego Chargers (7) @ Cincinnati Bengals (27), Jan. 10, 1982
· Temperature: -9 degrees / Wind chill: -59 degrees
#1 – Dallas Cowboys (17) @ Green Bay Packers (21), Dec. 31, 1967
· Temperature: -13 degrees / Wind chill: -48 degrees
It’s no surprise that Green Bay is on the list multiple times, including last season’s overtime NFC Championship Game thriller (what should’ve been Brett Favre’s last game). It’s also no surprise that the Ice Bowl comes in at #1, because it fits the bill both as a freeze-fest and as a great game. And in case you don’t know how that one ends, well, you haven’t watched NFL Films or ESPN Classic enough.
If you’re a big fan of the Coors Light coach commercials (and who isn’t?), you can check out the latest ones at http://coorslight.com/SuperBowlXLIII.
