Outdoor Hockey
So I have to admit that when JAD and I got our tickets to the Frozen Diamond Faceoff, I fully expected that it would be the coldest event I had ever been to at Progressive Field, and possibly the coldest outdoor sports event I had ever been to at all. After all, it was an outdoor hockey game in Cleveland in January; of course it was going to be cold. Right?
However, then winter rolled into town and forgot to bring the cold weather with it. To the surprise of everyone involved, the weather has been so warm here that what little snow we've had melted almost immediately. The regulation hockey rink that was set up at Progressive Field for the last several weeks as part of the Snow Days winter carnival actually required a massive bank of cooling equipment to keep the ice frozen. It was only earlier last week that winter arrived in force, with several inches of snow and sub-freezing temperatures. Even then, it was a relatively balmy 27 degrees Fahrenheit with clear skies and minimal wind when the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes met in a Division I Hockey CCHA game. This was substantially warmer than the blizzard Home Opener I attended back in 2007, and much, much warmer than the Monday Night Football game I attended at Cleveland Browns Stadium back in December of 2003.
To the despair of the Buckeye faithful, #2 OSU got spanked 4-1 by #15 Michigan. OSU successfully killed every Michigan power play and scored a goal on a power play of their own, but inconsistent goalie play, including two goals in 30 seconds, doomed them. Overall, it wasn't as much fun as a Lake Erie Monsters game; the quality of the play was far lower and they don't really allow fighting in college.
Aside from the game, the clear highlight was watching The Ohio State University Marching Band script Ohio on the rink during the first intermission. I don't know if they normally perform that on their home ice, but I suspect this may be the very first time Ohio has been spelled out at Progressive Field. It's probably also the first time fireworks have been fired off for a goal. I'm just impressed that the brass section didn't have their lips freeze to their mouthpieces. The Michigan band didn't have anything as cool as script Ohio, but they did have a really sweet arrangement of Respect and just generally seemed to be having a better time than their counterparts across the field.
If I'm going to be outside all day I'm going to need better boots (or at least ones that don't have cracks in the rubber) and some good wool socks. My toes were definitely a little cold by the end of the game. Otherwise, I was fine in my t-shirt, hockey jersey, sweatshirt, fleece, cloth gloves leather gloves, long johns, jeans, scarf and hat. Hilariously, at intermission the bathroom was packed solid but there was no line to use the toilet. Everyone was in there to warm up. We were up in the far end of the upper deck, and although it was quite full at the start of the game it had pretty much emptied out by the end. JAD and I drank several hot chocolates and split two warm pretzels. All in all it was a good time, but I've got no pressing need to do it again unless a good hockey team like the Fighting Sioux is playing in it.
However, then winter rolled into town and forgot to bring the cold weather with it. To the surprise of everyone involved, the weather has been so warm here that what little snow we've had melted almost immediately. The regulation hockey rink that was set up at Progressive Field for the last several weeks as part of the Snow Days winter carnival actually required a massive bank of cooling equipment to keep the ice frozen. It was only earlier last week that winter arrived in force, with several inches of snow and sub-freezing temperatures. Even then, it was a relatively balmy 27 degrees Fahrenheit with clear skies and minimal wind when the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes met in a Division I Hockey CCHA game. This was substantially warmer than the blizzard Home Opener I attended back in 2007, and much, much warmer than the Monday Night Football game I attended at Cleveland Browns Stadium back in December of 2003.
To the despair of the Buckeye faithful, #2 OSU got spanked 4-1 by #15 Michigan. OSU successfully killed every Michigan power play and scored a goal on a power play of their own, but inconsistent goalie play, including two goals in 30 seconds, doomed them. Overall, it wasn't as much fun as a Lake Erie Monsters game; the quality of the play was far lower and they don't really allow fighting in college.
Aside from the game, the clear highlight was watching The Ohio State University Marching Band script Ohio on the rink during the first intermission. I don't know if they normally perform that on their home ice, but I suspect this may be the very first time Ohio has been spelled out at Progressive Field. It's probably also the first time fireworks have been fired off for a goal. I'm just impressed that the brass section didn't have their lips freeze to their mouthpieces. The Michigan band didn't have anything as cool as script Ohio, but they did have a really sweet arrangement of Respect and just generally seemed to be having a better time than their counterparts across the field.
If I'm going to be outside all day I'm going to need better boots (or at least ones that don't have cracks in the rubber) and some good wool socks. My toes were definitely a little cold by the end of the game. Otherwise, I was fine in my t-shirt, hockey jersey, sweatshirt, fleece, cloth gloves leather gloves, long johns, jeans, scarf and hat. Hilariously, at intermission the bathroom was packed solid but there was no line to use the toilet. Everyone was in there to warm up. We were up in the far end of the upper deck, and although it was quite full at the start of the game it had pretty much emptied out by the end. JAD and I drank several hot chocolates and split two warm pretzels. All in all it was a good time, but I've got no pressing need to do it again unless a good hockey team like the Fighting Sioux is playing in it.