Why not get the damn O2 masks out late in the 2nd? Maybe they did and I missed it. This is a game of inches. Of anabolic edges. At 5,280 ft above sea level there’s an edge to being fully oxygenated.
I went to college at Laramie, WY, and there’s a painted wall right where the opposing team leaves their locker room that reads “welcome to 7,220, how’s your oxygen?”
Hypoxia affects you physically and mentally. All those bodies near the summit of Mt. Everest? They suffered from hypoxia. It dulls your athleticism, and it dulls your mental acuity. In modern NFL sports medicine somebody should have realized the edge that was lost playing at 5,280 ft above sea level.
HOWEVER, I cannot say that I was not entertained. I don’t bleed purple because I need a super bowl. I’m here for the entertainment, and in that sense, my Vikings did not disappoint. But next time you play Mile High Stadium bring the damn O2.
I’d be willing to bet a decent amount of money that these guys have access to hyperbaric chambers while can help with preconditioning for high altitude environments. Hell, I’m a nobody and I could go sit in one at Lifetime if I wanted.
Denver plays 8.5 home games a year and the science behind altitude acclimation is well known. Just because they didn’t show our guys gasping into a mask doesn’t mean they weren’t prepared.