The last two weeks has been an utter disaster for the Minnesota Vikings. Brett Favre’s consecutive games streak was snapped, backup Tarvaris Jackson got hurt and ended up on injured reserve, the
Even though the game will be a quasi-home game for the Vikings, there still have been some problems. In addition to beer not being available for fans at the college stadium, the stadium had become “winterized,” meaning it was covered in snow. It took tons of work to get the field ready for a game on short notice but that doesn’t mean the conditions will be safe.
Vikings punter Chris Kluwe went through a walk-through at the stadium with his team and had immediate concerns about the playing field. He tweeted “Serious time – All respect to the people that cleared the field and got it ready, you did an amazing job. That being said, it’s unplayable. The field is as hard as concrete an hour and a half after they took the tarp off, and anyone that hits their head is getting a concussion. I find it interesting that the NFL can claim an emphasis on player safety, and then tell us the field is fine. It’s beyond hypocritical.”
The NFL says they’ve been informed by the grounds crew that the field is in good condition. As bad as the conditions have been around the NFL for most games the past two weeks, the playing field in Minnesota has the potential to be the worst. TCF Bank Stadium does not have field heaters unlike many other stadiums, and the weather is expected to be in the 20s with snow. That’s a recipe for disaster if you ask me, not to mention Kluwe.
(Pictured: TCF Bank Stadium ground courtesy of Visanthe Shiancoe)
