By: Jacob Christner
If you watch any NFL game on Thursdays, Sundays, or Mondays, every fan understands the history of the shield. No league’s fans respect history’s players more.
Listen to MLB fans and they are going above and beyond to make Shohei Ohtani the greatest ever. Most of these are philosophical, and political reasons, of course, but as the years go by, one generation after another forgets the black and white era. Our generation had our Dads and Grandpas telling us stories of the old timers, and we had This Week In Baseball with Mel Allen. Our Grandpas are 2-3 decades gone, and so is Mel Allen. Hell, a lot of us are 40-45 ourselves.
The NBA fans of this era are debating on who to replace as the new logo, and our heroes of the bygone era are now trophies. Larry Bird is the ECF trophy, Magic Johnson is the WCF trophy, Michael Jordan is the MVP trophy, and Bill Russell is the finals MVP trophy. A matter of time before the logo is replaced. I have my choice, but that’s for another day.
It goes on. NHL fans RESPECT Wayne Gretzky, but they are ready for Alexander Ovechkin to be the new goals champ, and he’s two years away. Track and Field once celebrated a four minute mile generations ago, and now high schoolers blow that away.
But as much as the NFL players have changed, they are still such a pro tradition sport. The Super Bowl trophy is the Lombardi Trophy, the NFC Championship Game Trophy is the George Halas Trophy, and the AFC Championship Trophy is the Lamar Hunt Trophy. We still have debates about if the 70s Steel Curtain or the ‘85 Bears defenses could survive in this era(short answer is no, long answer comes up in another column). There are always the obligatory still shots and videos of Ray Nitschke, Dick Butkus, and YA Tittle bloody, cold, and taped up, and beaten half to death during and after every ball game.
Most of all, we see images and stories of the Ice Bowl, the convict who moved excessive snow to help set up a Field Goal, the humidity game starring Kellen Winslow, followed by the game in Cincinnati that was -9 with a -32 wind chill. You also can’t forget the Fog Bowl in Chicago in 1988, a game the Bears do not win without that assistance as Randall Cunningham had 407 yards. If he could see, those 3 INTs would have been TDs.
For all the aforementioned history, most that will stand the test of time, the extreme weather games are heading out, and there is nothing we can do about it. Truthfully, only fans 40-85 will care about this development. How do you get Gen Z to care about going to an extreme weather ballgame when they have grown up on climate controlled thermostats, air conditioning, and constant comfort? It’s the same with 12 Angry Men. Hard to write a proper play in this era where a secondary character is excessive heat and humidity, and you had to ask permission to take your heavy wool coat off.
Whether the Chicago Bears move to the suburbs, or stay in the city, an indoor stadium is coming. It might be a roof on Soldier Field, or a whole new stadium in Arlington Heights or Naperville. A lot of the older Bears fans aren’t happy…they fell in line with the “Bears weather” delusion long ago, a delusion long past its shelf life as the Bears are only around .500 in inclement weather at home. It’s a change that is necessary for the future of the franchise. The league is a passing heavy league, and the Bears still have never had a 4,000 yard QB. For all the annoyance I have with Bears fans for turning Justin Fields into their own Taylor Swift, and constantly lying about his progress, there is a desperation behind hoping he succeeds, and he is the franchise. If Bryce Young succeeds, he’s in North Carolina for a home playoff game. If CJ Stroud succeeds, he’s in an indoor climate for a home playoff game. If Fields succeeds, he’s in eight below in the middle of January. That weather doesn’t bring high quality offensive firepower.
There is an exception, for now. Patrick Mahomes plays in excessive weather, he wins in excessive weather. He also has Andy Reid and a pretty heavy guarantee of a top notch game plan. When Reid retires, the top offensive minds in the league are in Miami, Los Angeles(both teams), Jacksonville, potentially Houston, Atlanta, Minnesota, Tampa, San Francisco, and Seattle. The only two exceptions are Cincinnati and Philadelphia. How long before the high powered offenses are in all climate controlled or warm environments? When Reid retires, Zac Taylor and Nick Sirianni are it for the cold weather offenses.
College won’t be any different. Iowa’s defense is practically world renowned, and their offense is an absolute joke. How many 4 and 5 star QBs will pick Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, or Minnesota over USC or UCLA in the next 5-10 years? If you are a WR, do you pick Notre Dame or Georgia? Iowa or USC? You notice how the SEC has the opening game against a non-conference power in the Mercedes Benz stadium? The SEC title game is there also. Georgia and Florida is always in Jacksonville. Alabama gets Texas immediately. It goes on.
You used to be able to recruit on tradition. Not anymore. It’s clout and NIL now. Why else would you go to Colorado if not for Deion Sanders? He brought his own guys in, and future recruits are paying attention. Would they be paying attention for a 1-11 team otherwise? It’s Coach Prime! He has the highest of expectations for you, but if you come through, just imagine the celebrities, the clout, the big time pros you will meet as a Freshman.
Do you think you are getting that at Minnesota?
There will be no choice. The major conference moves will have caused all this. One road trip to Southern Cal will rev up the transfer portal faster than an F1 car on the straightaway in Monte Carlo.
The B1G title game is in Lukas Oil Stadium, so there is that, but that won’t last long. Over the years, the Midwestern schools will have to promise more indoor games at NFL stadiums or build their own facilities, which means a roof and climate controlled. Your Great Grandpa that remembers Notre Dame tradition is 87 or dead. They haven’t won a national title in thirty five years, and when they do make a playoff, they get curb stomped. They have that decision to make also.
You can be the tough guy, or get an immediate bag in the NFL.
So in the next 8-10 years, it’ll be a choice between corn fields or South Beach. Snow or palm trees.
And that’s not even fair.
