(S18) - PT4 - Fall

[scorycory]

Well our coaches are kind of madmen, we happen to live in the valley of Oregon where the weather is always mild and the worst we really have to deal with in the winter is a rainy forty degrees. So what do Saba and Huskies do to us? They take us up into the god damn mountains for practice where there is already snow on the ground. We're practicing in the high altitude and cold of Mount Hood cause I guess they hate us or something. I'll tell you what though, we're going to be ready for ANYTHING mother nature throws at us on the football field. We'll definitely lean on the run in our offensive game plan a little more and this leads right into good old Paco having the best games of the year at the end of the season. I personally will also be getting better because whenever the opposing quarterback tries to throw the ball in the elements I'm going to be there, ready and waiting for that INT boys. They're already afraid to throw it to my side of the field, well wait til there's snow and rain in your face and you can't feel your fingers and you don't even know where I'm at. This is my time to shine baby.

[Baron1898]

The Norfolk Seawolves are no stranger to the cold, and the changing seasons are often an indicator of how the fortunes of this franchise turn (for the worse) when playoff season comes into view. We asked Venus Powers, the new kicker for the Seawolves, how the team adapts to the cold weather and whether it impacts their game performance.

“The cold really helps clear your mind, keeps you sharp and on your toes,” grumbles Venus, kicking yet another extra point straight through the uprights. She stumbles a bit on the torn up practice field but recovers her footing. “We’ve got a motivated squad here in Norfolk and the weather ain’t gonna stop us from dominating!” She sends another extra point through the bars, prompting smattered clapping from the other players on the field. There are three Seawolves at practice today, a record high for the season.

We asked how the team game plans for cold weather games. Is she concerned at all about how management handles adversity?

“Where is Videl-San?” (GM Videl-San is currently away in Yellowknife, similar to most days this season.) “Whatever, someone in management will tell you what they do to gameplan.” (There was no management able to comment on the game plan.) “What matters to me and this team is winning.” (Norfolk is a dismal 3-9 and out of playoff contention.) “The cold can’t stop us from remaining dedicated to our team and to winning our final two games.” (With this, Venus stepped aside and began calling Peter Brand, GM of the San Antonio Marshals.) “What’s up dude?”

[IsaStarcrossed]

Despite being a southern team who is used to the heat and the humidity, the New Orleans Second Line may actually be more prepared for winter than most other teams. Which is a good thing because winter is coming. We've got guys like our kicker, who's name is literally Frost. The man knows all about what its like to be cold both inside an out. Sometimes we question if he isn't just as frigid on the inside as it is outside. Then we have Quenton Bode who is a literal polar bear. How he managed to get on a NSFL roster is still a bit beyond me, but he is absolutely impervious to the chilly air. In fact, the colder it is the better he plays. You can usually observe more furrocity in his hits the closer it gets to winter. Then we of course have Bjørn Ironside, the direct descendant of an ancient Viking king. The cold doesn't bother this man at all and he has been seen practicing in the snow wearing only shorts and no shirt before games come December. The man loves the cold and isn't at home unless it is below freezing. New Orleans had to invest in a snow machine for him after drafting him. With a core of players this accustomed to the cold weather, they have the perfect group of guys to get the rest of the team prepared for their cold weather games. Unfortunately despite their overwhelming combined knowledge, this has already resulted in a training accident in which Gump almost lost multiple toes to frostbite as Bjørn and Bode challenged him to a bare footed race in the snow. But you know what they say. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so expect Gump to close out the season strong even with his frozen feet.

[Rising Equinox]

Wow, I can't believe it's that time of the year again. The weather can definitely have a huge impact on the game of football. It's one of the biggest aspects of home field advantage, because some teams have the opportunity to practice in the bad weather, while others don't. In Orange County, we don't really have terrible weather very often, so it's hard to prepare for those types of situations. Although, we do have our ways. One thing we do to prepare for the elements is create our own simulated environment to train. By this, I mean that our GM dumps buckets of ice cold water on us and makes us stand in the nude. This prepares us for cold weather environments. Sometimes it can get a little awkward though, when he watches and asks us to start doing drills... still fully nude. All around though, it's a great way to prepare for the elements. I don't know if anyone specifically gets "better" in cold weather games. I think other players just get worse, so it makes the players that are fully prepared look just as good as usual. I like to think of myself as one of those types of players though, one that isn't limited by the weather of the day.

[TheWoZy]

The weather is going to be bad for us and we need to prepare against the cold because right now we are currently in a bad spot. We are in second place right now with one win ahead. Our last two games are against the New Orleans Second Line and The Orange County Otters. We are playing at home but those two teams are very strong. If we are prepared against the cold, I think we can win the two games and get to the playoffs. I need to play the best I can to be able to help the team. To get ready, I’ll try to run on wet surface because with the rain and snow, it will be tough to run the ball. I need to get those yards for my team if we want to win. Also, the weather will be cold. I don’t want my hands and foots to freeze. I’ll be training in a cold room where I’ll be trying to move with the ball as long as I can. Endurance is going to be important for the games. I’ll try to not get sick. I’ll drink soup and tea to keep my body hot and be healthy for the games.

[terriblehippo]

Code:

209 words

Many football players hate playing this time of year. The cold weather saps both energy from the body and enjoyment from the game, and it can be hard to stay motivated as the days get shorter and colder. Maintaining a high level of play can be challenging, and a lot of players have to work extra hard in order to continue performing at an NSFL level.

But not Quenton Bode.

Growing up in chilly Anchorage, Alaska, Bode quickly got used to playing in brutally cold temperatures. On top of that, however, is the fact that Bode is literally a polar bear: he is perfectly suited for these colder temperatures. Between his upbringing and his biology, Bode has no problems whatsoever when it comes to playing football when the temperature starts to drop. In fact, the four years he's spent in New Orleans (and the one year he spent in San Antonio) have him eagerly awaiting a chance to play in conditions like these. So, while most of his teammates and his opponents will try to find ways to keep themselves warm during the upcoming months, Bode is one of those rare few who welcomes the change in weather with open arms--or, in his case, open paws.

[soryantyler]

Well for starters colder weather and then rainy or even snowy weather means less of a passing attack and shifts more toward a run heavy game so less looks my way in general which sucks unless I’m playing in a dome. So I train running my routes on a slip and slide it really helps me hit turns at the most difficult times and helps my balance in wet conditions for cuts and such. After the slip and slide routes, I’ll soak my gloves in melted butter to train my hands to catch the most slipperiest balls you could imagine in a wet and or snowy conditions. Both of these things help me a ton in shitty weather conditions. After those two drills for shit weather conditions, I’d for sure like to start mirroring the next best receiver on the team as a corner back. It helps me understand what’s going on in a corners head when they could potentially be matched up with me and to be honest receivers don’t even have a chance against me if I were a corner haha. No one can cover me because I’m the best pure route runner you’ll ever see and you can count on that.

[Leafs4ever]

As a quarterback, weather can reek havoc on your game. Whether it's too cold, rainy, snowy, windy, you have to fight the elements as a quarterback.

In practice with Kansas City, I've been working on different things for inclement weather. I usually don't wear gloves when I play, but I try to get some practice in with them just in case we encounter a rainy game or a really cold game. You want to protect you hands as a quarterback so gloves might be a necessity for some games. As a team, if we know that a rainy or snowy game is coming up, we practice with a condensed playbook. We try to focus on smaller plays and lots of run plays. We run lots of slants and short passes so that the ball doesn't have time to die down in the air.

The one player who excels in bad weather is Orien Drake. He knows that during bad games he's going to get a ton of carries and he makes the most of it. He has fixed up his cleats so that his traction is top notch. He can still make his cuts and jukes and he just runs hard no matter the elements. I envy him for that and as his quarterback, I'm thankful to have a weapon like him in those bad weather games.

(227 words)

[flyeaglesfly29]

PT Pass

[illegaloctopus]

The San Jose SaberCats are not a cold weather team. We do not play our games in the snow, or sleet. On a bad day it may get down into the 40s. Personally I despise this. It should be cold. It should be snowing. But I cannot control the weather. Instead the state burns to the ground. The beautiful, cold, north beckons, while we choke on ash and soot. I grew up in Michigan, I played college ball in Michigan. This pansy bay area winter is a sham!

And while we may not have the luxury of a true winter, we are still a winter football team. We win games through strong defense and running the ball. Wright is still finding his footing as a QB, and while we started the season slow, these last few weeks have shown what this team is capable of. First round draft pick Toriki is showing her skills, as she develops into a true workhorse back, with over 25 rushing attempts in our past two games.

Our defense is stepping up too, with us only giving more than 20 points once in the last 4 games. With the rushing attack taking pressure of Wright, and providing better field position, the defense is able to stay fresh and strong throughout the game. As the weather cools, our defense and ground attack steps up.

As long as we limit mistakes, and control the game pace, we have the ability to stick with any team.