It’s -6 in Minneapolis, But Bud Grant, 88, Walks to Coin Toss in Short Sleeves

Eighty-eight-years young Bud Grant walked to midfield wearing a short-sleeve shirt in sub-zero conditions on Sunday.

The mercury stood at -6 for the Vikings-Seahawks game at kickoff. Only two previous games, the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers in 1982 and the 1967 Ice Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, witnessed lower thermometers in NFL history than the afternoon game in Minneapolis.

Bud Grant to NFL staffer: “Would you hold my jacket while I go out for the toss & show how we love this weather?” pic.twitter.com/yRMHmb0P5q

— Greg Aiello (@gregaiello) January 10, 2016

Bud Grant at age 88, no coat and no sleeves for the coin toss in -6 degree weather! #TheRealBeastMide pic.twitter.com/dSuXQYoIdv

— Carlos Lynn (@CarlosLynn) January 10, 2016

Grant did not employ heaters on the sideline at the old, open-air Metropolitan Stadium and forbade most of his players from wearing the long capes to keep warm when off the field. Grant coached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to four CFL Grey Cups, learning a thing or two about playing football in cold conditions, before coming up short in four Super Bowls leading the Vikings.

Next season, the Vikings move from their temporary outdoor digs at TCF Bank Stadium to an indoor venue under construction.