# 2010 NFC North Discussion Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 16, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471 "2010-08-16T23:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/401 "2010-12-16T16:55:37Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > 'Nuff said. To be fair, August 17th 2010 and December 14th 2010 are about fifty years apart in NFL terms. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/402 "2010-12-16T17:06:26Z")
Two or 3 teams are down to third string QBs. The league is pushing for 2 more games. Does it make sense? They will have to expand the rosters. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/403 "2010-12-16T19:13:37Z")
It means more money for the NFL owners, that’s the only thing that makes sense. The owners get rid of two meaningless preseason games, in return the season starts in mid-to-late-August. I always figured once they hit upon the post-Labor Day weekend start the the NFL had hit its scheduling sweet spot, and now they are going to throw that away. And yeah, they’ll certainly have to expand the rosters (some of that extra money will be lost in the wash) and probably add a 2nd bye week to get the Players Association to get on board, which stretches the season out even further. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/404 "2010-12-16T19:35:48Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > There’s wrong. There’s dead wrong. And then there is Dio wrong. I wrote that prediction before it was known that Sidney Rice would miss most of the season and that Favre would be playing on a broken foot all year. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/405 "2010-12-16T19:38:27Z")
By the way. We’ve now seen what the Packers are if you take away Aaron Rodgers. I wasn’t that off, I just underestimated Rodgers’ ability to carry them. I admit he’s panned out to be a better QB than I though he would. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/406 "2010-12-16T19:41:26Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I wrote that prediction before it was known that Sidney Rice would miss most of the season and that Favre would be playing on a broken foot all year. C’mon. Everyone knew Favre had an ankle injury and was old, and we all knew Rice would be missing a big chunk of time. I also raised your “prediction” because it emphasizes how overdramatic your posts about football seem to be. Either the Vikings are the best or they couldn’t beat a college team. It’s manic or depression with your fandom. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/407 "2010-12-16T19:43:29Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > By the way. We’ve now seen what the Packers are if you take away Aaron Rodgers. We saw a little over a half from a backup QB who hadn’t played in the NFL before, and without the teams #1B receiving threat nor their #1 RB to take the load off of him. > [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I wasn’t that off You make this too easy. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/408 "2010-12-16T20:02:27Z")
I have a question about the Bears-Vikes game that’s caused so much agitation that maybe somebody here can answer: The University of Minnesota stadium where they’re talking about rescheduling the game appears woefully under-prepared for December football. [The Bears are talking about protesting the move](http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/16/bears-may-reportedly-protest-playing-at-tcf-bank-stadium/?ncid=txtlnkusspor00000002) because, among other things, the field isn’t heated. I can say from high-school experience that having your head bounce off hard-frozen ground isn’t pleasant, and I can’t imagine how much worse it would be at an NFL level. That sounds like a recipe for concussions, something teh NFL is supposedly trying to cut down on this season. The Golden Gophers season [is over already](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/schedules/team/2010/minnesota-golden-gophers/), but it lasts well into late November. Large snowfalls and freezing temps aren’t exactly rare in Minnesota at that time of year, so why the poor planning? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/409 "2010-12-16T20:23:45Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > C’mon. Everyone knew Favre had an ankle injury and was old, and we all knew Rice would be missing a big chunk of time. I’m not talking about Favre’s old ankle injury. He sustained two new fractures this season. We also did not know that Rice would be getting the surgery. At the time that prediction was made, Rice was saying he intended to start the season. > [@](#): > > I also raised your “prediction” because it emphasizes how overdramatic your posts about football seem to be. Either the Vikings are the best or they couldn’t beat a college team. It’s manic or depression with your fandom. All I predicted was that they would win the divison. Since they won it handily last year, and were expected to be fielding essentially the same team, that was not a radical thing to predict. As for beating a college team now - they don’t have a quarterback. I don’t mean they have a _bad_ quarterback, I mean they don’t have anybody who can play the position. Their starter this week is a 3rd string, 6th rounder drafted to be a wide receiver who has never started an NFL game and only taken snaps in the one last week, and who also has a hamstring injury. After that it’s Patrick Ramsey, a guy plucked off his couch who hasn’t been in the League since 2008. I don’t think I’m being overly pessimistic. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/410 "2010-12-16T20:33:08Z")
> [@paperbackwriter](#): > > I have a question about the Bears-Vikes game that’s caused so much agitation that maybe somebody here can answer: > > The University of Minnesota stadium where they’re talking about rescheduling the game appears woefully under-prepared for December football. [The Bears are talking about protesting the move](http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/16/bears-may-reportedly-protest-playing-at-tcf-bank-stadium/?ncid=txtlnkusspor00000002) because, among other things, the field isn’t heated. I can say from high-school experience that having your head bounce off hard-frozen ground isn’t pleasant, and I can’t imagine how much worse it would be at an NFL level. That sounds like a recipe for concussions, something teh NFL is supposedly trying to cut down on this season. I just heard that the Bears are now denying that they are filing any protest, and claim they were just asking questions (the bears would have some nerve protesting another team’s turf anyway. They play on the worst, most treacherous field in the league). > [@](#): > > The Golden Gophers season [is over already](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/schedules/team/2010/minnesota-golden-gophers/), but it lasts well into late November. Large snowfalls and freezing temps aren’t exactly rare in Minnesota at that time of year, so why the poor planning? There are sub freezing temps and there are sub zero temps. It doesn’t really get cold enough to freeze the turf up here until December. I don’t know everything that went onto the decision not to put heating coils under the TCF field, but I imagine the cost benefit was a factor since they would seldom, if ever actually have to be used for Gopher games. Favre, in his press conference today, said the heating coils don’t really help that much anyway. He said the field at Lambeau still freezes solid even with the coils. He said they thaw out the turf for the beginning of the game, but after an hour or so it just freezes again. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/411 "2010-12-16T21:01:10Z")
That explains that, I guess. Now I’m just left wondering why, in a city that experiences tornados, derechos, and over 45 inches of annual snowfall, they decided on an inflatable-fabric dome in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/412 "2010-12-16T21:43:54Z")
It’s a lot cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/413 "2010-12-16T21:50:42Z")
Not if you have to keep replacing it and spend $300,000 to get a college replacement stadium ready it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/414 "2010-12-17T00:36:09Z")
Playing football on ice and risking frostbite does not sound like anything an athlete would look forward to doing. I feel for the players. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/415 "2010-12-17T01:20:06Z")
Oh c’mon, that’s football weather. The 2007 NFC Championship game was phenomenal. The Giants didn’t even have heated benches (the ones they brought special for the occasion didn’t work) and they did fine. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/416 "2010-12-17T02:48:31Z")
The Ice Bowl didn’t have heated anything. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/417 "2010-12-17T02:49:34Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Playing football on ice and risking frostbite does not sound like anything an athlete would look forward to doing. I feel for the players. They are EXTREMELY well compensated. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/418 "2010-12-17T04:01:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > They are EXTREMELY well compensated. So. Do you think every thing comes down to money? Injuries end being extremely well compensated. Then working conditions matter. Freezing your fingers off is not fun. Player go to northern teams confident that they will play in weather controlled dome. I get creeps every time I see the reruns of the Packers Icebowl game. That must have been horrible to play. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/419 "2010-12-17T19:52:53Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The Ice Bowl didn’t have heated anything. Somewhat, the electric field heating system failed overnight before the game (apparently the field was in “perfect” (relative to January in Green Bay) condition in somewhat mild weather on Saturday)…not sure if sure if that made the turf at Lambeau worse than if it didn’t have a heating system in the first place or not, but stories about the Ice Bowl seem to imply that it made it worse somehow. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471/420 "2010-12-17T23:22:21Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > Somewhat, the electric field heating system failed overnight before the game (apparently the field was in “perfect” (relative to January in Green Bay) condition in somewhat mild weather on Saturday)…not sure if sure if that made the turf at Lambeau worse than if it didn’t have a heating system in the first place or not, but stories about the Ice Bowl seem to imply that it made it worse somehow. Yup…Lombardi had the heating coils installed, and was proud of the system…until it failed in his last game at Lambeau. 😛 The current field-heating system at Lambeau was installed in 2007. According to the [Lambeau Field web site](http://www.lambeaufield.com/stadium_info/history/): > [@](#): > > In 2007, the Packers installed an entirely new playing surface, including a completely new drainage and heating system, bringing the latest technology in field management to the famous stadium. Chief to the new system is DD GrassMaster, a natural-grass surface reinforced with man-made fibers. All existing levels of the field were removed and the new system began with a clay sub-grade level, compacted and graded (with a .6 percent slope), including drain tile, irrigation pipe and thermostat wiring for the heating system. The second level consists of 51/2 inches of pea gravel. On top of the gravel layer is 30-plus miles of 3/4-inch tubing for the heating system which can maintain a root-zone temperature of 55-plus degrees to keep the ground from freezing during the season’s latter months. Level three consists of 12 inches of root-zone sand and Kentucky bluegrass turf. DD GrassMaster’s synthetic fibers are stitched into the surface, providing strength and stability to the field. Fibers extend approximately seven inches below the surface, are exposed approximately one inch above the surface, and are spaced every three-quarters of an inch. Approximately 20 million individual stitches make up the process. The slope equates to a crown of about 51/2 inches on the new surface. That said, IIRC, the field was still pretty much frozen in the 2007 NFC Championship Game. And, I agree with **Dio** …the Bears don’t have a lot of business slamming other teams’ fields. Soldier Field is maintained by the Chicago Park District, and it’s always been terrible. It had a terrible carpet in the 1970s and 1980s (responsible for shredding Eddie Lee Ivery’s knee on two separate occasions, among many other sins), and the grass surface, installed in the 1990s, is always completely chewed up by November. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-nfc-north-discussion-thread/550471.md?page=22)