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Posted by jellis at 10/2/2009 10:06 AM CDT on truebluefanclub.com
With the ability to fit more than 100,000 people in their stadium, the Cowboys believe they have one of the greatest homefield advantages in the league. The Broncos have the best.
Not only is INVESCO Field at Mile High loud, but it is, well, a mile high. The altitude of the place creates a little bit of difficulty for opposing teams, not to mention how loud the place can get.
Wade Phillips, whose first head coaching job was with the Broncos, knows the thinner air can be a bit of an advantage for the Broncos, who are conditioned to it. Visiting teams tend to have a little bit of trouble.
"I think it's worse the longer you're there," Phillips said. "A lot of teams used to come in a day early to get used to it, and actually you can't. You just have to go in and play. That's been my experience, just go in and play. If you're in good shape you're going to breathe hard for a minute but you're going to come back for the next play. It's a little different to get used to but it's not something I think is a huge deal for a short amount of time that we're there."
I spoke with Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek for this week's Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine, and he said the only way to avoid the shortness of breath and burning in the throats of the players is to not get caught on the field for extended periods of time, like having to do over a punt because of penalty.
"There's a true physiological difference when you play at that level," Juraszek said. "But there's nothing you can do adaptation-wise because of the time difference. It's going to take anywhere from 10-14 days to adapt. So in my opinion, the less you talk about it, and similar to to the situation you had with a hot game in Tampa, if you don't create situations with long drives where you're on the field too long, you'll be all right."
With the ability to fit more than 100,000 people in their stadium, the Cowboys believe they have one of the greatest homefield advantages in the league. The Broncos have the best.
Not only is INVESCO Field at Mile High loud, but it is, well, a mile high. The altitude of the place creates a little bit of difficulty for opposing teams, not to mention how loud the place can get.
Wade Phillips, whose first head coaching job was with the Broncos, knows the thinner air can be a bit of an advantage for the Broncos, who are conditioned to it. Visiting teams tend to have a little bit of trouble.
"I think it's worse the longer you're there," Phillips said. "A lot of teams used to come in a day early to get used to it, and actually you can't. You just have to go in and play. That's been my experience, just go in and play. If you're in good shape you're going to breathe hard for a minute but you're going to come back for the next play. It's a little different to get used to but it's not something I think is a huge deal for a short amount of time that we're there."
I spoke with Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek for this week's Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine, and he said the only way to avoid the shortness of breath and burning in the throats of the players is to not get caught on the field for extended periods of time, like having to do over a punt because of penalty.
"There's a true physiological difference when you play at that level," Juraszek said. "But there's nothing you can do adaptation-wise because of the time difference. It's going to take anywhere from 10-14 days to adapt. So in my opinion, the less you talk about it, and similar to to the situation you had with a hot game in Tampa, if you don't create situations with long drives where you're on the field too long, you'll be all right."
