Bears-Vikings game to be moved to Atlanta?

[Da Coach]

The NFL apparently is concerned about the frozen field at TCF Bank Field where the Vikings want to move the Monday Night game. They are looking into alternatives, and one appears to be moving the game to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/bears-vikings-game-at-779089.html

The NFL inspected the TCF Bank Field last night, and were concerned that even if all the snow could be removed, the field is covered with a layer of ice, and the turf is frozen solid. Removing the ice could further damage the field. The TCF bank field has no mechanism to heat the turf like many NFL fields have. Also, all the water pipes at TCF Bank Stadium have been drained and winterized, and there is concern that with the cold temperatures, it might not be possible to have running water for the game.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1216-bits-bears-chicago--20101215,0,3856049.story

[Da Coach]

By the way- the Vikings had asked fans from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to help with the clearing of snow from TCF Bank field. Hundreds of volunteers showed up this morning, but many bailed out and left before they did any work!

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/12/would-be-shovelers-bail-on-vikings-stadium.html

Here is more about this crazy situation-

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1216-bits-bears-chicago--20101215,0,3856049.story

The Minnesota Vikings reportedly suggested the Georgia Dome. They did not want the game moved to a city in the Midwest, because there are so many Bears fans around the midwest. However, the Georgia Dome is not a sure thing either. It turns out Atlanta and the Georgia Dome have also been hit by a rare ice storm.

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2010/12/16/vikes-bears-looking-for-some-southern-hospitality-in-georiga-dome/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_falcons_blog

[Beninator]

A more recent link from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

There are 50,000 seats at the TCF stadium and 64,000 ticket holders...


and...

You may have to BYOB to the game as there are no beer taps at TCF Stadium!

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/111955574.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiU9PmP:QiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUycaEacyU

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

There will be a lot of demand for flights from Chi to Atl especially if they give away free tickets like the did in DET.

[Da Coach]

Today, the Vikings put quarterback Tavaris Jackson on season-ending Injured Reserve list, raising the possibility that Brett Favre could return as the starter for next Monday night's Bears-Vikings game.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5926169&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The Vikings only other quarterbacks are rookie Joe Webb from Alabama-Birmingham (who has been battling a hamstring injury), and free-agent Patrick Ramsey, who was just signed as a backup yesterday.
This report suggests the Vikes are leaning toward starting Webb-

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Vikings-turning-to-rookie-?urn=mlb-296707

Ramsey agrees to terms with Vikings-

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/blogs/111952849.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUoaK7D_V_eDc87DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUoD3aPc:_27EQU

[AE Braves Fan]

Bears facing a team's 2nd or 3rd stringer? What's this like the 8th time this season?

[Buesch N Chips]

The Bears travel better than any team in the league. Wherever they play there will be plenty of Bear fans.

[Beninator]

Duh Bears may file a protest to the NFL about playing in the frozen conditions at TCF.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/blogs/112001369.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiU9PmP:QiUiacyKU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

[Da Coach]

Monday Night Football is a big deal, not only to ESPN, but to the NFL. They do not want a game broadcast nationally that gets embarrassing.
From some reports, the NFL inspected the TCF Bank Field last night and agreed that it might be impossible to prepare it in time for the game. Currently the surface is unplayable. I think the Bears are more concerned about players getting injured, since they appear headed for the playoffs, than using this ploy for a better home-field advantage.

The NFL has made player safety a major issue this season. Even the NFL Players Association and the Vikings are concerned about injuries on a frozen-solid field.
Players worry about safety of frozen field

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/111969049.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUo8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

[dogsrus]

Bears facing a team's 2nd or 3rd stringer? What's this like the 8th time this season?

Not a Bears fan huh.....

Farve, Brady, Rodgers, Manning, Henne, McNabb, Vick....just off the top of my head...all starters.

[Da Coach]

Vikings fans with tickets want to see their team play in Minneapolis, so they can watch the game live. But the fans who are worried about the game being moved and who stand to lose the most are the thousands of Bears fans who paid a premium for tickets on the seconday market, and travel to watch Bears games on the road. Some even have nonrefundable airline tickets and hotel reservations. Those dedicated Bears fans might get stuck holding expensive tickets, and reservations that are useless if the game gets moved.

[ph]

Would it of really been impossible to push the snow off the playing surface then build a tent or scaffolding with plastic and run a bunch of heaters to have 80 degrees 'inside' and thaw the turf. You see that sort of thing happen all the time in construction to allow brick buildings to be constructed in cold weather....

[OrangeandBlack74]

Would it of really been impossible to push the snow off the playing surface then build a tent or scaffolding with plastic and run a bunch of heaters to have 80 degrees 'inside' and thaw the turf. You see that sort of thing happen all the time in construction to allow brick buildings to be constructed in cold weather....

It's not just the field conditions. It's also the concession stands, plumbing in the rest rooms, etc. Things that are taken for granted in an NFL stadium that may or may not be functional at this time of the year at TCF Bank Field.

[Da Coach]

Would it of really been impossible to push the snow off the playing surface then build a tent or scaffolding with plastic and run a bunch of heaters to have 80 degrees 'inside' and thaw the turf. You see that sort of thing happen all the time in construction to allow brick buildings to be constructed in cold weather....

That is pretty much what they were trying to do if you read the links above. However, they have been working at just the first step of that- snow removal- for the last 3 days, and the job is progressing so slowly that they have had to solicit and hire bunches of ordinary people to help with the shoveling. They still aren't finished removing snow from the field, and they have barely started clearing it from the seating and concourse areas which could be a bigger and more time-consuming task.
And there is still the problem that the stadium was winterized, and they need to connect all fill the water pipes again.
Plus, as they remove the snow, they are finding that the turf is frozen deeper and more solidly that they originally thought. Their plan of trying to warm and thaw the field using tarps and blowers might not even work. This field was not designed with any kind of turf warming system, common on most other NFL fields in the northern US, and was intended to be closed before the winter hit.
There are many other logistical problems even if the field can be prepared in time. The seats are all outside, as opposed to the Metrodome, and there are 13,000 fewer seats than the Metrodome has. Many fans might want their tickets refunded anyway. There are far fewer luxury suites, and the owners of them by contract have the first rights to use them for any event, includng this NFL game, even if they don't have tickets to the original game. Also, they might not have time to get the food concessions set up for the game. And the stadium, which is on the campus of the University of Minnesota, has never sold beer or alcoholic beverages. They are trying to decide what to do with alcohol sales.
I'd be surprised if they can get the field ready in time, and the NFL wants to avoid an embarrassment on their MNF broadcast, so they might just decide to move to a venue that is already prepared for the game.


BTW- the NFL is disputing a report that the Bears are planning to protest the game being played at TCF Bank Stadium-

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2010/12/league_disputes_reports_of_bea.html

And there is a report the Bears are sending their own groundskeeper to Minnesota to evaluate and assist-

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/12/bears-send-groundskeeper-to-assist-vikings-effort.html

[ph]

Didn't say it would be easy. But the right leaders would assemble the right team to get it done.

Any solution besides the Metrodome will disenfranchise ticket holders.

That said, they're probably dealing with gov't employees (UM) and that's why it looks hopeless.