Frosty temperatures are typical for NFL playoff games, but never have football fans and players shivered as much as they did on January 10, 1982, when the Cincinnati Bengals hosted the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game. With a kickoff temperature of -9º and a -59º wind chill, what would be dubbed the “Freezer Bowl” was the coldest game in NFL history. Despite dazzling sunshine, Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium felt colder than the inside of a meat locker. It was worse for the San Diego Chargers. Not only did they hail from the warm California climate, but a week earlier in Miami they had won an epic overtime game in 84º heat that left players dehydrated. To them, Riverfront Stadium’s concrete bowl felt 140º colder. Inside the locker rooms, players pulled on pantyhose and layered Saran Wrap between pairs of socks for better insulation. Unlike their opponents, Cincinnati’s offense and defensive linemen chose not to don long sleeves in order to use the cold to their advantage and psych out the Chargers a little. Meanwhile, 13,000 fans stayed home and watched the game on television instead, many because their cars wouldn't start. Fans who did show up bundled up and shivered in their seats. Players would later reveal that the frozen pigskin was as slippery as a greased pig and as hard as a rock. “It’s like kicking a cinder block,” said San Diego punter George Roberts. In the end, Cincinnati celebrated the victory of another of the NFL’s greatest games with a 27-7 win.
