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What Will It Be Like To Play On Frozen Turf?

By Eric Nelson, WCCO-TV

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Chicago Bears would like the game to be played at a neutral sight and it has little to do with the playing conditions -- they want to take away the home field advantage.

Back in the day the Minnesota Vikings played on their own frozen tundra at Met Stadium. Chuck Foreman was part of those legendary teams that thrived in the frigid Minnesota elements.

"I think the whole mystique of the Vikings and what made them one of the toughest teams, one of the best teams was the fact they could play in this weather and not only play but play great," said Foreman.

On Monday night the Purple will play in Minnesota's great outdoors for the first time since 1981, thanks to the battering blizzard that crippled the Metrodome.

"I think it will be exciting, why not? I think it will be exciting to see everyone out there in the snowy weather," said Vikings Cornerback Asher Allen.

Cold weather games garner monster TV ratings and peak fan interest. The sight of Viking fans shoveling snow at TCF Bank Stadium temporarily has turned Minnesota into the North Pole of the NFL.

"For those guys who just want to be a part of something like this is special," said Vikings Linebacker Ben Leber

It's too bad that a Sunbelt team like Miami, Tampa Bay or San Diego isn't playing in Minnesota this week. Instead the opponent is the Chicago Bears, a team used to dealing with the elements.

Chicago's Soldier Field often is a winter wonderland, so Foreman doled out, and demonstrated, some advice to the Vikings on playing in the cold.

"What you do is you go down and you grab the snow, get it in your face and get yourself ready to go," he said.

WCCO-TV's Eric Nelson Reports

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