NEWSLETTER
The tandem of bitter winter air, yesterday’s wintry mix falling, and having to wake up and shovel that stuff had me audibly groaning. And then I randomly thought to myself: I bet this is how some players feel when they go outside on gameday for the first time and are greeted with the Chicago winter.
So maybe it was fate that this came across my timeline when I got back in the house:
The pros are just like us!
Here I am thinking the only thing Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and I had in common is that we were both lucky enough to hit on a SNKRS drop of Cool Grey Air Jordan 11s. It turns out we both don’t love the infamous Bear Weather™️. Are we willing to endure it? Sure. But do we have to love it? Absolutely not.
And Fields’ explanation (as transcribed by NBC Sports Chicago) has me relating to a Bears quarterback so hard right now:
“Yes, it is very difficult to adjust to it, especially with the wind,” Fields said about adjusting to colder weather being from the south. “That’s what I found out. That’s what it’s all about, is the wind. It can be cold. It can be 10 degrees. But, with no wind you’re fine. But with that 15 mile per hour wind, that 20 mile per hour wind, you can’t fight it, it’s tough.
“When it’s that cold, you have to bundle up. I feel way slower in that cold. It’s hard to stay warm in that weather.”
Of course, Fields wants a dome. Who can blame him? Fields publicly wishing for the Bears next stadium to have a dome makes sense. He is a quarterback. And as a quarterback, he probably looks forward to the most pristine conditions so he can sling that pigskin all over the field. For what it’s worth, all Fields has to do is point to his numbers and it helps explain why he feels adamant about wanting some cover:
Those are respectable numbers. And they’re better than his overall numbers outdoors (284/480, 59.2%, 3,404 passing yards, 18 TD, 19 INT, 76.9 rating). So, in the end, the math checks out. Thankfully, for Fields, the Bears’ Arlington Park project and the city of Chicago’s re-imagined Soldier Field proposal both present dome options. All in all, having these options ahead counts as a win-win scenario. Both for Fields’ desire to play in Chicago and stay warm.
Sure, Fields’ running exploits in the snow would make for some epic pictures and highlights. But if all things were equal, wouldn’t you rather have him in a climate-controlled environment that shields him from the elements? I’d like to think the answer is yes, even if I love the visuals that come with snow games. Then again, that is probably easy for me to say as someone currently writing this from a place where a heating duct is blowing right on me and keeping me warm.
