Prepare to Freeze Your Ass Off at Lambeau Field in Winter, Or Pay $6 for Something Previously Free

Seat cushions and large bags are being banned from all NFL stadiums this upcoming season.

As part of new security rules unveiled Thursday by the NFL, seat cushions will no longer be allowed to bring into Lambeau Field and all NFL stadiums.

For an environment known as the "Frozen Tundra" in the winter and a stadium with primarily metal bleachers to sit on, not having the luxury of something as simple as a seat cushion could make for a rather uncomfortable experience in December and January when temperatures are frequently below freezing and occasionally below zero degrees.

The Packers do offer an alternative. For $6, you can rent a seat cushion with a back while inside the stadium, with more information provided by Ben Krumholz of WLUK in Green Bay.

I know I for one, would rather save the $6 for the cost of myself and my family each game, especially when I easily brought a seat cushion into the stadium in the past for free.

Large bags are also being prohibited from all NFL stadiums.

According to an Associated Press report:

With the exception of medically necessary items, only clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches will be allowed. One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags also will be OK, as will small clear plastic bags approximately the size of someone's hand, with or without a handle or strap.

One of those clear bags and a small clutch bag will be allowed per person.

Binoculars, cameras, and smartphones also will be permitted.

Banned items will include purses larger than a clutch bag; coolers; briefcases; backpacks; fanny packs; cinch bags; seat cushions; luggage; computer bags; and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size.

I have no issue personally with not being allowed to bring bags into the stadium, but not being able to bring a seat cushion in winter seems like the opposite of common sense to me.

The Packers made no mention of seat cushions in a press release published on the team's official website today, only bags.

For a sport that is finding it difficult to compete with the in-home experience of high-definition televisions, cheap beers and no lines at the bathroom, the NFL isn't making the battle any easier on itself.

Here's the first reaction I got to the news on Twitter:

 

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Comments (24)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Dan Collins's picture

June 13, 2013 at 03:50 pm

First, it should say prepare to freeze your tundra off. But beyond that, there's obviously a entrepreneurial opportunity for someone who wants to build a seat cushion into a pair of trousers with a cheese pattern on them.

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Tundrabum's picture

June 13, 2013 at 05:31 pm

"Honey, does this CheeseButt™ make my ass look fat?"

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jicinsba's picture

June 14, 2013 at 07:22 am

Funny Stuff

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PackerBacker's picture

June 14, 2013 at 07:26 am

"No dear, your face does!!!"

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Matt Schultz's picture

June 13, 2013 at 03:55 pm

What about Styrofoam? That was a common "seat cushion" at the games, because you could just leave it behind when the game was finished.

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PackersThad's picture

June 13, 2013 at 04:05 pm

I've never been to a sub-zero game at Lambeau, so I'll take your word that seat cushions are necessary, but my bigger issue is the banning of bags in the stadium.

Especially cinch bags. It is very easy to open a bag and check the contents. That just makes everything complicated.

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Greg's picture

June 13, 2013 at 04:20 pm

This seems extremely cheap. $6? That's less than the cost of a beer. If it hurts so bad just rent one. Wow.

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joym13's picture

June 13, 2013 at 04:35 pm

Greg - the issue is that they don't have enough of the rental seats for everyone. The reason they don't sell out is because most people bring their own. If they have 60,000 seat rentals, I have no issue renting.

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Walty's picture

June 17, 2013 at 03:48 am

Not to mention that the rental seats take up more space than your average Packer fan with 4 layers during cold weather games. Half of the reason I pay for the rental seats at cold games is because it guarantees at least some space in my spot.

If they made enough for everyone and everyone bought the rental seats they currently have at Lambeau I'd bet there would be a lot of people standing in the aisles without a place to sit.

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Stroh's picture

June 17, 2013 at 09:47 am

You mean for the whole 10 min you sit down during a 3 hr game?!

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Jamie's picture

June 13, 2013 at 05:09 pm

Yeah...gotta say this a bit of a melodramatic and non-sensical complaint.

If it's that bad...pay the $6.

If $6 is too much...then it can't be that bad.

I wonder if you can somehow cram a seat cushion into a clear gallon ziplock, if that would be allowed??

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Chad Toporski's picture

June 14, 2013 at 06:01 am

Trivial or not, Brian is completely right that it doesn't make sense from a PR standpoint. Yes, Lambeau will continue to sell out, and yes, more fans will be forced to pay for a cushion, but it's counterproductive to the cause of getting people into the stands and away from their TV sets for games.

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Point Packer's picture

June 13, 2013 at 07:43 pm

I've been using a cheesehead for years for this very purpose and will likely continue to legally do it for many more.

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Nononsense's picture

June 13, 2013 at 10:29 pm

Im quite sure if they don't have enough seat cushions for everyone, they will now with the new rules in place.

If 6 extra dollars is too much for you than just stay home, im positive your spot will not sit empty.

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MarkinMadison's picture

June 13, 2013 at 11:22 pm

I've been to more than one game in sub-freezing temps, including a pretty chilly Giants playoff game a couple of years ago. First of all of it's January STAND UP and cheer your ass off. When everyone stands, everyone is warmer. Second, you can still bring a blanket in to sit on, unless I'm mistaken. Third, we need to change NFL to No Financial opportunity Left behind.

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djbonney138's picture

June 14, 2013 at 01:29 am

THERE IS NO WAY I AM TRAVELING ALL THE WAY TO WISCONSIN WITHOUT MY FANNY PACK!!!!

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!

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Fi crane's picture

June 14, 2013 at 06:28 am

No large bags? There goes the female fans.

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BobBrews's picture

June 14, 2013 at 07:31 am

The terrorists have already won. 99.99999% of the people are inconvenienced and are kowtowing to the 0.000001% who MAY plant a bomb?

Maybe we should stop beer sales because someone MAY have a driving accident? Maybe we should stop food concession sales because someone MAY put poison in the fans snacks?

In the guise of safety the teams found a new revenue income with expanded sales of rented items.

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PackerBacker's picture

June 14, 2013 at 07:35 am

Brian Carriveau - Defender of Packer Fan Asses!!!!!!!!!!!

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thedon's picture

June 14, 2013 at 12:55 pm

Beyond just how it specifically hurts cold weather teams, this will really piss off women and families with small children no more purses and no more diaper bags. Do they want NFL games to be a boys club?

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LDickey's picture

June 14, 2013 at 11:23 pm

How many people bring children still wearing diapers to a Packer game? Not many. Most kids are out of diapers by 3. I can't remember seeing a child that young at a Packer game.

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Fish/Crane's picture

June 15, 2013 at 07:42 pm

I've seen a lot of dudes who wished they had put on a diaper during a Packer game.

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Lucky953's picture

June 15, 2013 at 11:51 pm

I just duck tape a couple of those hand warmer thingies to my bottom cheeks. I'm toasty.

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Michele Fox's picture

June 16, 2013 at 08:56 pm

Oh, My butt hurts! And I can't hear the game over all the whining.

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