You could do a healthy amount of debating whether or not the Jets traveling to Denver a few days after a hard loss at home to face Tebow under center is good for us. To some it's an ample opportunity to pad the win loss record, to others it's a potential trap game off such little rest and preparation after losing. Here I'll examine a couple of non-personnel factors playing into the Jets visit to Denver this Thursday.
The Denver Broncos are considered to have the consistently best home record in the NFL over the course of 32 years, and many attribute this to the field's unique elevation.
Denver is called the Mile-High City because its official measured elevation above sea level is exactly that. Sports Authority Field at Mile High is no cutesy name, the damn stadium is 5,280 feet up in the air. The elevation at East Rutherford, NJ is 3 feet above sea level. If you're from the greater NYC area you on average live about 33 feet above sea level. The immediate implications are obvious. A massive elevation change and a two hour difference as Denver lies at the foothills of the Rockies.
The most common misconception is that the oxygen (O2) content of air mixture is lower in Denver than the rest of the continental United States. Not so. In the NYC metro area as well as Denver, both locales contain roughly 21% oxygen in the atmosphere. However, the higher you go in altitude the less the barometric pressure, which is to say air pressure decreases as elevation increases. Due to laws named for guys I can't remember, the partial pressure over oxygen is lower in Denver and so less oxygen is available for your respiration. This can lead to breathing difficulties or diminished athletic performance, especially for those who are not from the area.
The most serious and immediate threat to an athlete experiencing a 5000+ change in elevation is altitude sickness or "acute mountain sickness". If you've ever been to a mountain range you may be familiar with this. Typically you have to travel a few thousand feet more than a mile high in order to experience the most pronounced effects of altitude sickness, but the rapid change can cause sickness a mile-high, especially with those who excessively exert themselves a la athletes.
Normal side effects of sharp altitude increase include hyperventilation, shortness of breath, waking at night and increased urination. More pronounced and serious side effects of AMS include loss of appetite, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and headache. Several more serious complications may occur and the only sure way to beat AMS is to travel back to a lower elevation. Usually, the most affected you see a player at Mile-High is just sucking on oxygen like water. Anyone not from a high elevation is susceptible to these illnesses and exposing yourself previously to high altitudes will not preclude you from becoming ill.
Here's another difference that could help or harm the Jets. Officials at both Coors Field and Sports Authority acknowledge that the environment is home-run or field goal friendly, respectively. This is due to reduced air density. Powerful kickers like Nick Folk and Matt Prater can boot 70 yard field goals with relative accuracy like peanuts all night long. Sanchez, who has not completed a 30+ yard pass all season long, may find that the deep ball is more attainable if his receivers can keep their wind.
I don't mean to overstate the challenge presented to the Jets. But it is the most difficult environment to adjust to in an incredibly short and hectic schedule. The bottom line is never underestimate the power of the atmosphere, for she is a harsh mistress. I think meteorological and physical factors pose a greater threat of causing the Jets defeat than Tim Tebow, that's for sure.
FAQs
Denver really is a mile high, but most people don't even notice the altitude difference. The air is just thinner and dryer. In fact, many people with respiratory problems move to Denver for the benefits of the dry air.
Is breathing different in Denver? ›
The higher you go, the lower the oxygen levels get. When you breathe, your brain gets fewer oxygen molecules. If this happens suddenly, without gradually getting used to the rise in altitude, fluid may begin to accumulate in the brain and lungs. The Denver, CO elevation can definitely play a role in altitude sickness.
Why is the air pressure in Denver different from the air pressure at sea level? ›
For example, the altitude of Denver, Colorado, in the USA is 5,300 ft (1,600 m) above sea level. Denver's elevation causes a reduction in air pressure of over 4 psi from that at sea level.
What is the oxygen difference in Denver? ›
At higher elevations there is less barometric pressure and so less oxygen is dissolved in the air you breath. In Denver which is about 1 mile high there is 17% less oxygen in the air than at sea level. At 8000 feet the amount of available oxygen is 25% less than at sea level.
Why is Denver altitude different? ›
The mystery of why Denver is a MILE above sea level solved: Researchers say water is key to massive rise of tectonic plates. Geologists may finally be able to explain why Denver, the Mile High City, is a mile high: water.
Why do athletes struggle in Denver? ›
Altitude affects an athlete's performance. Teams who practice at sea level tire 20 percent faster and transport 10 percent less oxygen in their bodies when they compete in Denver.
Why is the air different in Colorado? ›
Colorado Springs is about 6,000 feet above sea level. At that altitude, you are breathing in around 21 percent less oxygen than you would at sea level. The summits of Pikes Peak and Mount Quandary are roughly the same, both at about 41 to 42 percent less oxygen compared to sea level.
How does Denver air quality compared to other cities? ›
“State of the Air 2022” ranked Denver as the 7th most polluted city for ozone pollution, one spot worse compared to the city's 8th place ranking in 2021. For the first time since 2016, every county in the Denver region earned a failing grade.
Is there less oxygen in Denver? ›
The most common misconception is that the oxygen (O2) content of air mixture is lower in Denver than the rest of the continental United States. Not so. In the NYC metro area as well as Denver, both locales contain roughly 21% oxygen in the atmosphere.
What is breathing like in Denver? ›
There's less oxygen at higher elevations because there's less pressure keeping those oxygen molecules concentrated together, which is why we tend to take faster and shallower breaths at high altitudes.
The pressure in Denver, Colorado (elevation 5280 ft), averages about 24.9 in Hg.
Is Denver considered high altitude? ›
Denver is situated at a high altitude of 5,280 feet (one mile high) above sea level. Visitors from lower elevations often underestimate the effects of altitude on their health and physical abilities. With high altitude living, the body gradually acclimates to the lower air pressure and decreased oxygen.
Why is the air quality unhealthy in Denver? ›
Denver's air quality is primarily challenged by ozone pollution formed from precursor pollutants emitted by motor vehicles (mobile sources) and the oil and gas industry (stationary sources). Studies have shown that these two sources play an almost equal role in polluting Denver's air.
Why does Denver have so much ozone? ›
The hot, sunny days of Colorado summers create the ideal conditions for ground-level ozone to form. Colorado also has a lot of sources of ozone's “precursor pollutants,” VOCs and NOx. Vehicle traffic, oil and gas drilling, and industrial pollution all emit these pollutants and contribute to the ozone problem.
Why do people need oxygen in Denver? ›
Altitude sickness occurs when the body reacts poorly to sudden travel to high altitudes, where the air is "thinner" and the body gets less oxygen in each breath. About one in five people traveling to the mountains of Colorado suffer altitude sickness.
Why does Denver have unhealthy air quality? ›
Denver's air quality is primarily challenged by ozone pollution formed from precursor pollutants emitted by motor vehicles (mobile sources) and the oil and gas industry (stationary sources). Studies have shown that these two sources play an almost equal role in polluting Denver's air.
Why is flying out of Denver so bumpy? ›
Pilots call it mechanical turbulence. The western slopes of the Rockies are the mechanism that forces air to rise, which can create a bumpy road for planes. But on the side of the mountain opposite the wind direction, curls in the wind can form circulations that pilots call rotors.
