Zak and Mak Kriener, along with father Darryl Frana (l-r) stand near the field at TCF Bank Stadium prior to kickoff between the Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks playoff game. The three, along with over 52,000 other fans, were part of the third-coldest game in NFL history as they braved the -6 degree temperature to root on the their team. (Zakary Kriener photo)
-6 Degrees? Worth every second
Zakary Kriener
News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com
As I crawled out of bed at 5 a.m. Sunday morning, dressed myself in several layers, and stepped outside into the frigid temperatures, I began to question my decision to join my dad and brother on our trip north.
Last Sunday, Jan. 3, I received a call from my brother, Mak, shortly after the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers and secured a home playoff game. He said that Dad was buying us both tickets to join him in Minneapolis to watch our favorite team play in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Over the years, I have attended several games in Minneapolis. I have seen some pretty memorable moments, including Adrian Peterson setting the NFL single-game rushing record, the longest play in NFL history, and a last-second Hail Mary touchdown pass from Brett Favre to give the Vikes a win. The one thing these games all had in common? They were all played in the warm, comfortable Metrodome stadium.
So as we left northeast Iowa on Sunday, with enough extra layers to make us look like we each weighed an additional 50 pounds, we knew what we were in for.