Wild Card Weekend - Wild Card Weather

[Big Turk]

6 minutes ago, SectionC3 said:

 

And yet it still will be better on Monday than on Sunday.  So what’s your solution?  Bring 70+k people to OP, force the town/county/state to plow to get them out of there (which it did NOT do during the most recent major snow events to force people to stay off of the roads to allow for cleaning), and then deal with those people and others who decide to travel on roads that are marginally plowed?  And, frankly, the reason so many people (47, IIRC) died in the last storm like this one is that many of them were out on roads and were stuck in cars during the teeth of the blizzard, which is exactly why, from a public safety perspective, this game should not be played here on Sunday.  So it’s either roll the dice on Sunday, play it on Sunday (in Cleveland, apparently), or try it here or in Cleveland/Detroit on Monday.  

This.  It’s nuts.  Unless you’ve been in it, you don’t understand.  

 

I call it the White Wall...if you are coming into a snow band from outside of it, it looks like a giant white wall and as you drive inside of it all you hear is this crazy "whoosh" sound and see snow falling in literally every direction.

 

It's surreal almost.

Edited January 12 by Big Turk

[The Frankish Reich]

Just now, SectionC3 said:

It shorts us a day of rest, but I’d rather have that than an unpredictable affair in the forecasted weather. 

Exactly. From a pure football fan's perspective, I'd like to see a game where each team's strengths and weaknesses actually factor into the result, rather than having the result dictated by a boomerang punt into the wind or a slick/frozen hands fumble or three.

[SectionC3]

Just now, SCBills said:

-2 degrees at game time now with 15 to 30 mph winds in Kansas City tomorrow night.

 

Just insane weather for these games this weekend. 

The temp really isn’t that bad.  My clothes froze during a run before the NE game.  I didn’t think I would make it through the game that night.  But the hot hands and gear are so much better now than they were years ago.  It was easily the best cold weather game I’ve attended.  Warm and fine the whole time. 

 

[SCBills]

Just now, SectionC3 said:

The temp really isn’t that bad.  My clothes froze during a run before the NE game.  I didn’t think I would make it through the game that night.  But the hot hands and gear are so much better now than they were years ago.  It was easily the best cold weather game I’ve attended.  Warm and fine the whole time. 

 

That stadium looks like it might be half empty based on the Twitter screenshots of ticket sites. 

[SectionC3]

Just now, Big Turk said:

 

I call it the White Wall...if you are coming into a snow band from outside of it, it looks like a giant white wall and as you drive inside of it all you hear is this crazy "whoosh" sound and see snow falling in literally every direction.

 

It's surreal almost.

 

And it happens so fast.  I get how people get stranded and stuck in those events.  If you’re dumb (like a woman stuck near me in one) and go out in, say, a skirt and heels, you’re in a bad way trying to stay warm when you have to clear the snow from behind the tailpipe.  

[stlbills13]

Based on the forecast I don't see how the game can be played Sunday at 1. I'm sure all of the alternatives are not appealing to the NFL though

 

- Move to Monday night? No definitely won't have 2 playoff games at once

- Move to Monday at 4? Monday afternoon isn't ideal but it is a holiday. The question is how safe/open will travel conditions be. Football weather will be fine. And roads will be better than Sunday but will they be good enough to matter? The winner of this game has substantially less rest than their opponent in the next round is a factor too. This is the easiest solution but it definitely has questions. 

- Move to a different location? Even if you found a perfectly "neutral" location, I'm sure the NFL does not want to do this to a home playoff team. Teams would be clamoring for location changes all the time

- Move to Tuesday? Can't see that as possible in the playoffs.

- Steelers forfeit? I think this makes sense. 

[SectionC3]

Just now, SCBills said:

That stadium looks like it might be half empty based on the Twitter screenshots of ticket sites. 

They don’t know how to dress for it.  I stand by the point that, if you’re not hammered, the cold is an easily manageable thing.  So is the wind (which is no fun), and the snow (which is very enjoyable, until it’s time to leave).  For the players, the combo of predicted wind and snow is terrible.  And for the public . . . This just makes no sense.   There’s no way to get all of these people in and out of there in a reasonable way if the forecast is true. 

[FilthyBeast]

2 hours ago, NickelCity said:

 

This reads like you're preparing notes in hope that they lose 😂

 

Again, it's not rocket science....if this team loses it will be because of coaching.

 

Weather has nothing to do with it no matter how many will likely rush to use that excuse why.

[BrettFavre]

It's crazy that we've had two months of zero winter and now we're set to get blasted by a storm directly on a playoff game.

 

For those who care about Buffalo's image to the outside world, this is about to be a hilariously unfair portrayal of what life's been like here lately. 

[SectionC3]

Just now, BrettFavre said:

It's crazy that we've had two months of zero winter and now we're set to get blasted by a storm directly on a playoff game.

 

For those who care about Buffalo's image to the outside world, this is about to be a hilariously unfair portrayal of what life's been like here lately. 

It’s been a boring winter.  I’d be thrilled about the forecast if it didn’t affect a home playoff game. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

Is everyone ready for…the storm after tomorrow???

 

[Augie]

49 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Alot of us have driven in these snow bands.  One time I was driving from Williamsville to Ithaca.  I hit the band a few miles after i got on the Thruway going Eastbound, after Pembroke. It was terrifying. The only thing that saved me was following directly behind a Greyhound bus, barely seeing his tail lights and going 10mph.  I followed and drove in his tire tracks all the way to Rochester.   When we got to Roch, out of nowhere the sky was blue and sunny and the snow machine turned off. I was sweating bullets and was so happy to make it.  And this was just a snow band not 45+mph winds and a blizzard.

 

So Getting back to the Bills game.. how in the world are they gonna put 60,000+ people out there in conditions like that?!?  That would be insane.

 

I was driving from Buffalo to Cincinnati after my uncles funeral with my entire family in the car.  It’s dark, and everybody is sleeping when we hit a band of snow near Erie, PA. I can’t see anything! I’m driving by feel using those lane marker bumps. I can’t pull over because I don’t know where over is! I might be just parking in the right lane, for all I know. Trucks and cars all just trying to follow the leader without getting too close, but get too far and you have nothing to follow. 

 

So I’m doing this white knocked driving all by myself. Suddenly there is a major dip, like a rollercoaster feeling in my stomach. I’m sure I’ve gone off the road, but it’s too smooth. Then a stop sign went by and told me I had gotten off at an exit, but by the time I realized what had happened I was back on the highway! My mother woke up first and I heard “Oh ****!” About 30 minutes later we drove out of it, my father woke up and asked I if wanted him to drive. Yes please. That was the most frightening experience ever driving a car. 

 

If Mother Nature decides to make a game impossible, that is within her power. You just need the best Plan B possible. 

 

EDIT: Between unforeseeable adult stuff like that, and the stupidity of youth, I am very lucky to be here today. And I know it.

 

 

. 

Edited January 12 by Augie

[NickelCity]

3 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

Again, it's not rocket science....if this team loses it will be because of coaching.

 

Weather has nothing to do with it no matter how many will likely rush to use that excuse why.

 

This just seems to be reinforcing my interpretation of the intent behind your first post. 

[Governor]

So I’m assuming we’ll here what the options are from the league in the next few hours?

 

Whatever they decide should happen today, not tomorrow.

[zow2]

2 minutes ago, SCBills said:

-2 degrees at game time now with 15 to 30 mph winds in Kansas City tomorrow night.

 

Just insane weather for these games this weekend. 

 

That is insane, but let's face it...the heavy lake effect snow and wind (possible zero visibility at times) really makes Orchard Park unique.  We've played in cold.  The NE perfect game was really cold  (7 degrees  -5 wind chill) and a win over the Raiders way back in 1994 was the coldest game here (zero and -32 wind chill).

 

With the heavy snow band predicted and high winds,,,i have no doubt that the NFL would've moved the game out of any other NFL city by now.  

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

4 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

Based on the forecast I don't see how the game can be played Sunday at 1. I'm sure all of the alternatives are not appealing to the NFL though

 

- Move to Monday night? No definitely won't have 2 playoff games at once

- Move to Monday at 4? Monday afternoon isn't ideal but it is a holiday. The question is how safe/open will travel conditions be. Football weather will be fine. And roads will be better than Sunday but will they be good enough to matter? The winner of this game has substantially less rest than their opponent in the next round is a factor too. This is the easiest solution but it definitely has questions. 

- Move to a different location? Even if you found a perfectly "neutral" location, I'm sure the NFL does not want to do this to a home playoff team. Teams would be clamoring for location changes all the time

- Move to Tuesday? Can't see that as possible in the playoffs.

- Steelers forfeit? I think this makes sense. 

It's the only reasonable solution /s

[SoCal Deek]

Monday is a Holiday. I cannot imagine a more opportune solution. Play the game at 1pm the next day. Problem solved. 

[The Frankish Reich]

1 minute ago, zow2 said:

the heavy lake effect snow and wind (possible zero visibility at times) really makes Orchard Park unique

I'm afraid you're right. Intense cold? Probably worse in KC. Snow? Could be just as bad in Green Bay. Wind? Well, NE and Chicago can give us a run for our money any given Sunday.

All 3 at once? Now that's an Orchard Park Special.

[Big Turk]

As expected we are edging up in snowfall totals ..Buffalo expected total went from 22.2" to 23.1"

[Augie]

4 minutes ago, BrettFavre said:

It's crazy that we've had two months of zero winter and now we're set to get blasted by a storm directly on a playoff game.

 

For those who care about Buffalo's image to the outside world, this is about to be a hilariously unfair portrayal of what life's been like here lately. 

 

I thought about how misleading that is to the rest of the world with preconceived notions about Buffalo. That’s OK, let’s keep it our little secret. I wouldn’t mind a summer place in WNY to beat the heat, and it’s cheaper than the NC mountains.