NFL Playoffs, It's Snowing, Will be 30 Below Up North, What's Your BBQ/Cup?
Mates,
So it looks like those of you who live down south are finally getting some snow. Its about time and good for you. Up north we are a little chilly, and they're saying tonight/tomorrow will be well below zero, ambient, with wind chills taking it down to -30. Must have been blowing through the Troll Center onto our basketball team's shooting touch earlier today. About to chop wood for the wood stove and eventually have an adult beverage and fire up the BBQ.
As for football the two games tomorrow are of course the NFC and AFC games. NFC goes first @ 3:00 with the Rams playing the Saints, with N.O. as a 3 point favorite. The over/under is 57 points. In the AFC you will have the NE Brady's playing the Chiefs in KC, and the Chiefs are also favored by 3 points with the over/under set at 56.5 points.
So, that leads to two questions:
1. How're you doing with the snow storm and what's on your grill, in your cup, etc?
2. Who you got for the AFC and NFC Championship games?
Enjoy the winter weather (be safe) and hope you are having a great weekend.
XM
January 19th, 2019 at 9:42 PM ^
Kinda disappointed in the KC/NE game weather-wise. It looks like it’ll be a bit warmer than they originally thought with temps in the teens and maybe 20-ish. Still cold but not the frigid single digits to near zero that was predicted a few days ago.
January 19th, 2019 at 10:00 PM ^
I'm sorta disappointed, sorta not.
Bitterly cold weather is an amazing equalizer. It's visually great, with the breath visible so clearly and the players dealing with discomfort in their own ways. And it is a trial to be genuinely endured.
I went to a game like that once, the 2010 D-2 national semifinal, legendary in the division, between UMD and NW Missouri State. It was amazing.
It was also gritty and low-scoring, because things that are normal even in modestly sub-freezing temperatures, like throwing and catching footballs, become real chores when windchills plunge into the negative teens.
Given the type of game that both NE and KC are capable of, it would be kind of disappointing to see them squeeze out a 13-10 ice bowl when you have Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes playing each other. A game like that (that has the potential to be a meeting of the great QBs from two different generations) deserves good weather.
January 19th, 2019 at 9:43 PM ^
Perrin Reserve flowing right now, 13 degrees outside and a high of 11 tomorrow. Will be doing a lot of cooking and baking tomorrow preparing for the playoffs!
January 19th, 2019 at 10:45 PM ^
1st real snow and cold of winter coming for us. I just checked on my bees earlier this week. All but 1 are doing well. I added sugar to get them through to spring if they run out of food. Our 12-18" of snow prediction has turned to 4-8 and I suspect it will be 1-3 when done. Cold will still be cold though.
Tomorrow church is already cancelled, so I am sleeping in and will eat like a pig and nap intermittently until football comes on. Then I will just nap intermittently.
I'm thinking Chiefs/Saints both win but I'm not an NFL fan so I have no emotional investment.
January 20th, 2019 at 10:29 AM ^
I don't think I've ever heard of a church service being cancelled due to weather.
January 20th, 2019 at 1:09 PM ^
its happened a few times up here over the years. only a few, but those were wise calls.
January 19th, 2019 at 10:52 PM ^
It's been pretty mild as well here in Montreal. Two weeks ago it was 8F, tonight it's -38F. It's a bit nipply out there right now.
Earlier today the wife said she wants pizza tomorrow. What the wife wants, the wife gets. As far as drinks, I'll probably have one or two bottles of the micro brews my sister in law gave me for Christmas. Being a Bucs fan I don't have a dog in the fight. I usually cheer for Brady, but a co-worker is a Pats fan and is a total asshat when they win. So I think I'll be cheering on the Chiefs tomorrow so I don't have to listen to him go on and on about how great the Pats are.
January 20th, 2019 at 10:22 AM ^
During my winter visits to Montreal, there's nowhere I'd rather be than Gibby's, enjoying a great slab of dead cow and one of Montreal's fine, local brews. For dessert, it's sugar pie!
January 20th, 2019 at 11:28 AM ^
Hell yeah Njia. Heading to Montreal in a few weeks for my birthday and Gibby’s will definitely be on the list.
January 20th, 2019 at 1:00 PM ^
Happy early Birthday! I hope you have a great time up here. While here you should also try Schwartz's for a smoke meat sandwich and try a Montreal style bagel. The family loved the bagels. We sent them home with 3 dozen and 6 cans of maple syrup.
January 20th, 2019 at 4:35 PM ^
Schwartz’s Deli FTW! Smoked meat is one of my weaknesses. And the bagels at St-Viateur are absolutely the very best I’ve eaten anywhere. Who would have known what a difference a little honey in the water could make?
January 20th, 2019 at 7:57 PM ^
I have been extremely fortunate as my mom has worked in the office of Schwartz's accountant for years. And then the accountant bought out one of the owners. My mom used to sign my wife's cheques when she was a cashier many years ago. So I have had more than my fair share of smoke meat from there. Our midnight buffet at our wedding was Schwartz's smoke meat. Beautiful sight seeing the guy cut meat and make sandwiches at our reception. There were lot of happy family and friends at our wedding to say the least. People were getting sandwiches to go.
January 20th, 2019 at 12:55 PM ^
Gibby's is great. The last time I was there was about 15 years ago, before we had kids. It's a little pricey to bring them and they wouldn't truly appreciate it. I always get the slab of dead cow. The wife has a thing for their chicken Kiev. Sugar pie is always a great choice. Cheers!
January 19th, 2019 at 11:15 PM ^
Got about 5" of light fluffy stuff here in A2 so shoveling was a piece of cake—barely enough to raise the heart rate.
KC over NE, NO over LA. Rooting for KC over NO.
Just got my first bottle of Lagavulin 16 in about 18 months—been making do with Talisker 10, but Plum is now carrying hooch at state minimum prices so I took the plunge.
January 20th, 2019 at 6:54 AM ^
sure, don. like skeletons even have a heart.
not a scotch drinker, but i hope your heart was warmed by a wee nip o' the nectar.
January 20th, 2019 at 5:21 PM ^
I wonder what the weather in New Jersey is.
January 20th, 2019 at 12:01 AM ^
Moved to Seattle in early November, still happy to not have to deal with the cold and snow.
January 20th, 2019 at 10:07 AM ^
Tomorrow morning, I'm headed to Seattle for the week. Got a reservation for tomorrow evening at Canon on Capital Hill. If you haven't been there, check it out. There are 170 PAGES of whiskeys on the iPad menu.
Looks like the weather will be decent - certainly better than Michigan, and great for this time of year in Seattle.
January 20th, 2019 at 12:18 AM ^
Was not happy with the pattern of drift in my driveway where the snow piled up to about a foot in the center. Must have been weird shifting wind direction. Normally I would see snowdrift either on the west or east windows, not both. OTOH the sidewalk was easy.
January 20th, 2019 at 8:44 AM ^
No snow here in Houston buts it’s 32 with a real feel of 24 but compared to what you guys have up north I’ll take it . 32 isn’t 7 below so I’ll take it .
January 20th, 2019 at 9:05 AM ^
5 degrees here in TC, -15 with wind chill. Not terrble but not great either. Debating whether or not to go ice fishing. It might be a good day to relax.
January 20th, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
-4 here in the TC this morning. Snowfall is taking a break until Tuesday. There's nothing better than that Sunday morning feeling when you don't have to work on Monday.
As for today's matchups, I'd be excited for any potential outcomes, although I suspect the Rams will win on a late field goal and the Chiefs will blow the doors off the Patriots. The Saints have not looked right since Thanksgiving, and I just have a feeling that NE will turn the ball over early and things will start toto snowball on them.
January 20th, 2019 at 10:54 AM ^
Championship weekend is the best time to watch NFL football. You get two games in a row, adverse weather conditions, and generally exciting games between really really good teams, with all on the line. By comparison, the Super Bowl is generally a letdown, since it's been two weeks since the last game, and the pomp and ceremony of the game (plus commercials) are huge distraction from the football itself.
The College Football Playoff has the right idea by doing the semifinals back-to-back. Maybe one day I'll get to actually enjoy it as a fan of football instead of angry and disillusioned coming off of a Michigan football disappointment.
January 20th, 2019 at 11:39 AM ^
Cold and windy down here in Indiana, got about three inches of snow last night. Settling in with a cup of coffee and enjoying a nice quiet Sunday.
I've got the Patriots and the Saints. Excited to see the Reid vs. Belichick tactical battle. I think the NE short passing game will cut through the KC defense, and the NE defense will stop KC enough times to get the win.
January 20th, 2019 at 11:39 AM ^
Cold and windy down here in Indiana, got about three inches of snow last night. Settling in with a cup of coffee and enjoying a nice quiet Sunday.
I've got the Patriots and the Saints. Excited to see the Reid vs. Belichick tactical battle. I think the NE short passing game will cut through the KC defense, and the NE defense will stop KC enough times to get the win.
January 20th, 2019 at 1:18 PM ^
A bit of envy for those who have tomorrow off.
No grilling today but I have a pot of pintos with a ton of bacon simmering away and will throw together some cornbread later. May have to indulge in a couple ice cold Miller Lites.
Don't really care who wins the games, but will enjoy laughing at my friends who are insufferable fans of the losing teams.
January 20th, 2019 at 1:58 PM ^
Flew into KC for the game and getting read to head to the stadium (thank god for club tickets!)...gonna be a fun one!
ps...not a chiefs fan per se but it’s arguably one of the coolest stadiums I’ve ever been to!
January 20th, 2019 at 4:13 PM ^
Fantastic. Enjoy the game.
January 20th, 2019 at 2:44 PM ^
Bright and sunny but cool day here in Austin. Don't think we'll even see 60 degrees today. Last week was beautiful with a couple days in the mid 70s.
Thought about golfing this morning but decided to wait a day or two for warmer weather. The drink is Jamison and coke. The picks are NO and KC.
The weather stuff is joking around from a dude that spent 22 yrs in Michigan and 7 in Madison. ;)
Cheers.
January 20th, 2019 at 3:03 PM ^
Gosh I forgot the bbq, which is on the docket today but will be purchased up the road instead of home-cooked. Please make fun, I deserve it.
2 lbs of brisket, 2 lbs of ribs, and assorted sides from the switch in dripping springs.
I'll snob out now and submit that as a guy that spent his first 22 yrs growing up in se Michigan, then 8 years in Montgomery Tx (north of houston on lake conroe), then 7 in Madison WI, then the last couple in Austin... y'all, we don't really do bbq in the midwest. And the se with their yeller sauce is also sketchy as hell.
Give me tx bbq with spicy red sauce and some double hearted from bells (along the same lines, they just don't have the brewing chops down here - lots of options, but man I love visiting michigan for the microbrew), and I'm about in heaven.
Cheers.
January 20th, 2019 at 3:04 PM ^
Most enjoyable rendition of the National anthem I've heard in a long time.
January 20th, 2019 at 5:18 PM ^
Having some doubts at the moment that I really should live where the windchill is -35. Illinois filets on the grill.
January 20th, 2019 at 5:31 PM ^
smash, i have to ask: what is an 'illinois filet'?
scared of the answer....
January 20th, 2019 at 7:17 PM ^
I have complained to you before about the quality of meat we are able to find “up north”, and therefore bring it with us from Illinois. In this case we enjoyed them down south, between games. Oof-TB12 just threw an interception in the end zone. Drat!