Traditions continue despite arctic cold

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Despite below-zero temperatures, lifelong Packers fan Herb Kochon and thousands of other fans continued the time-honored tradition at Lambeau Field's tailgates -- beers, brats and cheese.

Some, however, were finding conditions somewhat daunting. Several fans couldn't quite get beer out of their bottles because they were frozen.

"It's one of our colder days, but we didn't set any records or anything," National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Skowronski said. "We deal with this type of weather. It's not a constant thing up here, but on a typical winter, we will have a couple of days that are comparable to what we have now."

Many players in the AFC championship game wore short sleeves, and several, including linemen, wore gloves. In Green Bay, Packers' offensive linemen and some defensive linemen have a rule that they do not wear sleeves in any weather.

Left tackle Chad Clifton and defensive tackle Ryan Pickett said they are used to the cold, even though there are times when their arms sting, depending on how bad the wind is blowing.

"If you're over 300 pounds you can't wear sleeves, so that's pretty much all of us," Pickett said.

Packers quarterback Brett Favre took the field without gloves despite the cold, and Giants QB Eli Manning wore a red glove on his nonthrowing hand.

One person who knows all about that cold is Bart Starr, the Packers' quarterback during the Ice Bowl game against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31, 1967, when the temperature was 13 below with a wind chill of minus-46. One fan at that game died of exposure.

Starr said the key for players dealing with the elements is their approach.

"I don't want this to sound trite, because it's not -- it's attitude," Starr said. "It's a mental thing and you, an individual, regardless of what's coached to you, you have to put it out of your mind and focus on what the purpose and what your objectives are. You have to push it away."