Sounds Like The NFL Has At Least Discussed Indoor Neutral Site Conference Title Games And That Idea Sucks Out Loud

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The NFL is coming for our snow games. Well, they might be. 

In the aftermath of the Patriots' 10-7 win over the Broncos on Sunday in the AFC Championship, there were plenty of fans complaining that the snow "ruined the game." 

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That last post was not from a fan, but from former NFL lineman Mitchell Schwartz. Even he thinks conditions were "not the best way to determine who goes to the Super Bowl." 

Giphy Images.

What the hell are we talking about? 

Was the game an offensive masterpiece? Nope. But football is meant to be played outside. Sometimes, the conditions affect the game, and they affect both teams. And it was just fans and ex-players complaining, that would be one thing. But listening to Mike Florio, it sounds like the NFL has at least considered playing the AFC and NFC Title games at indoor, neutral sites. 

"There was a push from some in (NFL) league office…this was a few years ago. Someone got the idea and somebody was pushing the idea…to have neutral site Conference Championship games to create a college football vibe where half the stadium is in support of one side and half is in support of the other. But it never went anywhere. 

"But, if you had an issue with the fact that the plug was pulled on both offenses, in Denver, once the snow started to accumulate, it doesn't sound like that bad of an idea."

It sure as shit does to me. 

You play all year to try to get homefield advantage. You try to get that bye. Let's say you do. You get to host one home game and then, if you win, have to win back-to-back neutral site games to win a Super Bowl? No thanks.

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So, yeah, I want that home field to mean something in the Title Games. It's funny that college football people are pushing to get these CFP games back on campus, while the NFL has considered putting its biggest games back in a dome. 

Why? So can there be more points? So it's more FAIR???? To quote Artie Lange, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

Almost 5 million views on this beautiful catch and throw, in the snow, by Drake Maye and Kayshon Boutte. It's majestic, thanks in part TO THE SNOW. They want to take this away from us. 

Jarrett Stidham had not started a game since the end of the 2023 season. I know Tony Romo couldn't stop glazing him on Sunday, but did people think Stiddy was going to light up the Pats' excellent defense???

Thankfully, Robert Kraft will fight against this. 

He spoke glowingly last week about outdoor football and its advantages, saying he'd never want a dome. By 2031, we could have as many as 17 teams playing indoors or in buildings with some sort of weather protection. There will be an advantage for teams like the Patriots, and selfishly, they should be able to keep that home-field advantage. 

The NFL is not a simulation - it's a real game played in real conditions. Sometimes those conditions might make a game ugly. Players won't have the best conditions. I'm just trying to say conditions as much as Romo did on Sunday. 

Part of what makes it (and sports in general) interesting is seeing how players and coaches adjust to those …conditions. You want a simulation and no bad weather? Go play Madden. 

Hopefully, whoever was pushing this neutral site Title game idea from within the NFL has been fired. Or has smartened up since then. Keep the big games at home and play it out in the, wait for it, conditions.