AFC Championship - "The Freezer Bowl"
AFC Championship - "The Freezer Bowl"
1981 - Chargers vs. Bengals

AFC Championship - "The Freezer Bowl"

"Because it was so cold, the game was played in silence." - Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Cris Collinsworth
by Jerry Springer Cris Collinsworth

With a wind chill of negative 59 degrees, the infamous “Freezer Bowl” - the AFC Championship matchup between the Bengals and Chargers at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium on January 10, 1982 – was among the coldest playoff games in NFL history. San Diego, whose previous victory had been a 41-38 shootout over the Dolphins in 79-degree weather in Miami, would see its offense stymied in the sub-zero conditions: the Chargers managed just seven points. The Bengals, meanwhile, were unfazed: their offense put up 27 points, more than half of them through the air, as they advanced to their first Super Bowl. It was a huge moment for a franchise that had suffered three straight losing seasons; unfortunately for Cincinnati fans, they lost a heartbreaker, 26-21, to the 49ers in the Super Bowl – and have still yet to win one.

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Jerry Springer
Jerry
Springer
Jerry Springer is a TV talk show host best known for “The Jerry Springer Show.” Born in London and raised in Queens, Springer was a campaign aide to Robert Kennedy, served as the mayor of Cincinnati, and worked as a news anchor. Growing up in New York City in the 1950s, Springer was a Giants fan. During his many years living in Cincinnati as a politician and news reporter, Springer closely followed the Bengals, including their Super Bowl loss to the 49ers in 1989, for which Springer traveled to Miami.
Profession:
celebrity
Place of Birth:
Highgate, Middlesex, England
Preferred Team:
Cincinnati Bengals
Cris Collinsworth
Cris
Collinsworth
Cris Collinsworth was a three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Bengals in the 1980s who exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in four different seasons. Since retiring as a player, the 6-foot-5 Collinsworth has been an Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster, and is currently the in-game analyst for NBC’s Monday Night Football. He also owns “Pro Football Focus,” an online service that conducts advanced statistical analysis.
Profession:
reporter
Place of Birth:
Dayton, OH
Preferred Team:
Cincinnati Bengals