The Arizona Cardinals are accustomed to the desert heat on a daily basis, and the schedule reflects that with morning practices at the team’s facility in Tempe.
They were probably figuring the weather wouldn’t be a factor for Sunday’s game against the 49ers in Santa Clara, but it probably will be. The high Sunday is forecast to be 97 with humidity at about 31 percent.
When head coach Jonathan Gannon was asked about the potential of heat being a factor, he said, “I learned this a long time ago: The advantage is to the team that thinks it’s an advantage. We’re adapted to it.”
The question is how the 49ers will adapt. They will be wearing red jerseys and tried to get the league to allow them to wear all white. However, teams are required to declare their uniform choices before the season, so the NFL rejected the request.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday, “When I was on the East Coast, that was such a big deal. Being in Tampa Bay and things like that, you’d always want to wear those whites early in the year. Didn’t have to worry about that much out here. But, got the memo earlier in the week that it was going to be hot like this. We asked on Monday and we weren’t allowed to do it; you had to do it before the season started.
“So in order for us to do it, we kind of have to make a conscious decision or a commitment before the year that we wear all whites until like the middle of October or whatever, and then they go to normal. But it’s not usually this hot. But we’ll probably do that now, just in case.”
The Cardinals will be in their all-white outfit and the 49ers will wear white pants, which prompted Shanahan to say, “Hopefully it helps a little.”
He did say it hadn’t been an issue before, noting, “We’ve never known in advance how hot it was going to be. And honestly, since I’ve been here, it never seems too hot. I feel like even on the hottest days, I still need a hoodie at some time during that day. But this week has felt different, and I truly believe Sunday is going to. So it’s the first time we’ve really looked into it and I think that’s been a rule for a little bit. We just had to get reminded on it.”
As for the potential use of pregame IVs, Shanahan said, “I would assume so. Each person is different. Sometimes when you push IVs a lot, then people think they don’t have to hydrate at all and they just depend on the IV. So we’re not preaching all that yet, but that’s usually what you do in these situations. A number of guys do it, just as routine anyway, on Sundays. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot more are doing it this Sunday.”
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