To be fair, the Detroit Lions have only been playing in a dome for nearly 50 years.
The weather took center stage in several NFL playoff games this past weekend, with snow forcing the matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers to be pushed back a day while the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins played in sub-zero temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium.
But one team that doesn’t have to worry about the elements is the Detroit Lions.
The Lions have played their games at the enclosed Ford Field since 2002, and before that called the Pontiac Silverdome home since 1975.
But one reporter in Tampa Bay apparently didn’t notice.
The Lions moved on to the divisional round of the playoffs after a victory over the LA Rams in a highly-anticipated matchup with their former quarterback Matt Stafford. And this weekend, the Lions will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rolled over the Philadelphia Eagles after a stunning late-season collapse for Jalen Hurts and his Philly team.
And ahead of the game, a reporter asked Bucs coach Todd Bowles whether he was worried about the weather when the team travels up north:
“The weather has been a factor in some of the playoff games, even for the most prepared teams. Today it’s 13 in Detroit, which doesn’t compare to some of the temperatures. Any special plans to acclimate the team to not only endure but perform in those kind of frigid temperatures should you face them in Detroit?”
The question left Bowles momentarily speechless before he responded:
“You do know we play indoors right? They got a dome.”
And the silence was deafening as Bowles struggled to find the right words to not absolutely humiliate this poor reporter:
“I don’t…umm…no, nothing planned. We’re indoors and we only have to be outside for 20 seconds getting off the bus going under the thing, so we’ll be ok.”
Gotta think that reporter’s wishing she had done a little more research.
