Does traveling really affect a team?

[Jakology]

Was just listening to some analysis of the Seahawks and Panthers game. They brought up the fact that Seattle will have traveled from Minny back to Seattle, then to Carolina and that will affect the team's performance. I call bullshit. How does getting onto a plane and traveling to a different timezone make you less effective? You would assume the teams get there a day early to get over the jet lag.

 

[NinerSickness]

Sometimes it take a few days to adjust to jet lag. Also, it takes a while for the body to adjust to different climates. Less oxygen in Denver for example.

I went flew to Palm Desert for a dance convention, and I got a severe nose bleed at night probably because of the change in humidity.

It's not the end of the world, but I think it does have an effect on the body.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

The only thing that matters to me is trying to adjust to altitude. Everything else regarding travel is an excuse as far as I am concerned.

 

[Jakology]

The only thing that matters to me is trying to adjust to altitude- everything else regarding travel is an excuse to me.

Pretty much how I feel about it. The west has that advantage for sure. Denver having the biggest advantage obviously.

 

[cdumler7]

Couple of factors...

1) West Coast teams going to the East Coast and playing an early game have struggled. For them their bodies are not quite at peak working condition.

2) Sleeping in strange beds. We get our best sleep in our own beds more consistently than in a strange bed. So this will now be 2 days in about a weeks worth of time that they will have slept in a strange bed. That could lead to them not quite having the energy they otherwise would have.

 

[BHF]

How fast do you think you can reset your entire body clock?

Try to go to bed three hours early tonight and start your daily routine three hours early tomorrow, then check back in with how you feel. You'll be able to get it all done, sure. No way you will be at y our peak.

 

[Balljim55]

All in all you want to play at home. Just look at teams' records each year for home games and away games. Less crowd noise issues at home and you don't have to break routines. That said, when you travel in the playoffs you don't have to worry as much about distractions like hustling up tickets for friends and family. I think Vegas giving home teams a 3 point edge is pretty accurate. Some teams like Seattle and kansas city might have another point or two advantage with their crowd noise.. You also have to give Denver an extra edge due to altitude

 

[LambeauLegs]

My personal opinion is this excuse is BS. I dont see how sitting in a plane for 4 or 5 hours or sleeping in a bed away from home can change your ability to play the game. Grow up and be a man.

 

[cdumler7]

My personal opinion is this excuse is BS. I dont see how sitting in a plane for 4 or 5 hours or sleeping in a bed away from home can change your ability to play the game. Grow up and be a man.

It has a lot more to do with the time change than anything. Most teams start practice around noon or a little after that. So the body is used to exerting the most energy at that time. So then when you are asking your body to wake up 2 hours earlier for a game than what it has been used to it doesn't always function at peak condition. For those who work out they understand that you usually try to work out around the same time everyday as your body is more prepared for the work out at that time.

 

[Jakology]

How fast do you think you can reset your entire body clock?

Try to go to bed three hours early tonight and start your daily routine three hours early tomorrow, then check back in with how you feel. You'll be able to get it all done, sure. No way you will be at y our peak.

I understand that, but professionals should have a plan ahead of time to combat the time different. Like say sleeping on the plane. I'm sure all teams form their own strategies around their schedule before the season starts.

 

[cdumler7]

I understand that, but professionals should have a plan ahead of time to combat the time different. Like say sleeping on the plane. I'm sure all teams form their own strategies around their schedule before the season starts.

It is impossible though for them to fully combat that. With the NFL schedule you play at such different times it is hard to practice just for one time slot.

As for sleeping on the plane that doesn't make a difference. Your body has a natural clock within it that tells you what time to get up and at what point your body will be at its best level of energy for the day. You can't change that in a matter of a week. It takes quite a while to change that. Now I have no doubt that the Seahawks will man up and give their best effort but that doesn't mean that their bodies will let them be completely at 100% no matter how hard they try.

 

[NinerSickness]

There's also the fact that there's a higher chance someone will pull the fire alarm in your hotel if you're the road team in Seattle.

Fire alarm pulled at Carolina Panthers' hotel before playing Seattle Seahawks Sunday

 

[BHF]

I understand that, but professionals should have a plan ahead of time to combat the time different. Like say sleeping on the plane. I'm sure all teams form their own strategies around their schedule before the season starts.

Sure there are plans, who said there wasn't? But at the end of the day you are still fighting basic biology. Elite athletes go to ridiculous lengths to set their body clocks to races, games, events, etc. But that takes time you just don't have as the road team.

 

[Jakology]

Might do a little research on this. It would be interesting to see the science to this, and what athletes really do to combat it.

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

Sometimes it take a few days to adjust to jet lag. Also, it takes a while for the body to adjust to different climates. Less oxygen in Denver for example.

I went flew to Palm Desert for a dance convention, and I got a severe nose bleed at night probably because of the change in humidity.

It's not the end of the world, but I think it does have an effect on the body.

.......

 

[NinerSickness]

.......View attachment 77356

Also a good point.

 

[cdumler7]

Might do a little research on this. It would be interesting to see the science to this, and what athletes really do to combat it.

They've done quite a bit of studies in how a West Coast team has done and what they have seen is they definitely play below average when traveling East. It is a bigger advantage for the home team than you would expect.

 

[Dude]

Good question. I believe most teams are affected by having to travel, especially in the playoffs; biggest factor being the lack of home crowd more than actually having to go somewhere to play. Also, depends on the weather. You could be facing really crappy weather at home at any given time and have the opportunity to go play in a nice dome someplace. Or the other way around, nice weather at home and have to go into an ice hole like Minnesota last weekend.

 

[Uhsplit]

Looking at the Seahawks travel dilemma this week, the round trip to and from Minny is about 9 hours total or so. Then had to play what equates as a 10 am game. This week they have to travel to Carolina and again prepare for what is to them, a 10 am road game.
The Panthers have zero travel time during that same period whereas Seattle will have roughly 18-20 hours in the air for both PO games plus probably another 4 hours total in ground transportation.
Just changing the game from a 1pm to a 10 am should have a little effect especially at the start of a game.
I think it has a negative effect, but some teams are better able to handle it and that comes down to the coach.

 

[DunceKaep]

My personal opinion is this excuse is BS. I dont see how sitting in a plane for 4 or 5 hours or sleeping in a bed away from home can change your ability to play the game. Grow up and be a man.

Well, I think you should ask Robert Kraft. NE Owner.
He complained that travel to the West Coast was 'hard' on players.

The NFL owners voted on a proposal that East coast teams would not have to travel to the west coast twice, hence they made a schedule saying a non west coast team traveling west, would not have to go to Oak and SD in the same year. So when scheduled to play the AFC West, a traveling team would go to Oak and KC, but be at home against Den and SD, avoiding the awful trip to the west coast 'twice'. Imagine that.

Same with the NFC, NE traveling West would have Sea and StL on the road, and Az and SF on the road. Avoiding the terrible TWO trip to the west coast. Now that StL in in LA, that screws that up, so I'm sure Kraft will complain about it again.

Do a google search, check teams schedules, it is true. Kraft complained, got the Eastern teams to vote on it, and it was approved.

West coast team have complained about 10am starts, and the NFL basically said, FU. It's no big deal, there is no statistical data to back up your claim. But for Kraft, they bent over pron style, and adjusted the schedule.

Comment on that @LambeauLegs