The New York Giants have plenty of reasons for avoiding the Minnesota Vikings, a team who have beaten the Giants four straight times, but not showing up to the game is a novel way to not lose. On Saturday, the Giants charter plane--en route to Minneapolis--was diverted to Kansas City after a snow storm closed the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Giants spokesperson, Pat Hanlon, said the team will spend the night in Kansas City and try to fly into Minneapolis Sunday morning. The NFL said the game will be played at it's scheduled noon (local) start time.
The hassle of being re-routed and getting up early for a new flight could be a competitive advantage to the Vikings (5-7) who routed the the Giants (8-4) last year. The Giants are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles and fighting for a playoff spot. The last thing they need is a distraction of this sort.
While the NFL hasn't dismissed the possibility of postponing the game, getting into Minneapolis might cause it to happen. The Twin Cities forecast calls for a snow warning until 6 a.m. Sunday with 10-12" of snow possible combining with wind chills of minus-20 to minus-35 degrees. The Giants are hoping the runways are cleared by morning.
The New York media has been stuck in New York airports as well. All airports around Minneapolis have been closed until 3 p.m. Saturday so many flights have been cancelled or postponed. The Vikings cancelled a Miller Lite pre-game party outside the Metrodome.
One person who might find a silver lining inside of this blizzard is Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. The Wrangler Guy, coming off a bum ankle and shoulder injury, will be facing a sleep-deprived Giant defense. A postponement of the game would give him a little more time to heal.
I was wondering who or what would end Favre's consecutive game streak--the NFL, his shoulder or Jenn Sterger--but it looks like Mother Nature is giving him a helping hand.
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