EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- I’ve seen NFL players use tinted contact lenses in an attempt to ward off the sun’s glare in outdoor stadiums. Now they’re using ear plugs in hopes of limiting crowd noise.
On Wednesday, Minnesota tight end Visanthe Shiancoe displayed a purple, custom-made ear plug that he plans to test out in practice this week. I have to believe there are some kinks to work out -- among them, how you would hear a play call or audible with your ears plugged up -- but it’s probably worth a track as 70,000 New Orleans fans gear up for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at the Superdome.
“It’s going to be loud down there so we're going to wear them today in practice,” Shiancoe said. “It's going to be loud every day in practice this week. They're going to turn it up. We're going to try [the ear plugs] out. If you like them, keep them. If you don't, do whatever you want to do with them.”
I just got back from the open portion of the Vikings’ practice. They weren’t simulating crowd noise at that point, but coach Brad Childress said they would do so during the “communication” period of practice.
More in a bit.
On Wednesday, Minnesota tight end Visanthe Shiancoe displayed a purple, custom-made ear plug that he plans to test out in practice this week. I have to believe there are some kinks to work out -- among them, how you would hear a play call or audible with your ears plugged up -- but it’s probably worth a track as 70,000 New Orleans fans gear up for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at the Superdome.
“It’s going to be loud down there so we're going to wear them today in practice,” Shiancoe said. “It's going to be loud every day in practice this week. They're going to turn it up. We're going to try [the ear plugs] out. If you like them, keep them. If you don't, do whatever you want to do with them.”
I just got back from the open portion of the Vikings’ practice. They weren’t simulating crowd noise at that point, but coach Brad Childress said they would do so during the “communication” period of practice.
More in a bit.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Kevin Seifert
Seifert joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Minnesota Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for eight years. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and children.
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