“Too much humidity in the air could be as destructive as bombing.”- Rose Valland

The ART FRONT

Moments after catching up with an old buddy who lives in one of the most humid places this country has to offer…

This humidity creates fertile ground and is perfect for cotton, corn, or beans. Not for humans. The heat and humidity were brutal there today, and hearing him talk about it made me think of Rose’s quote. It hit home with me when I read it a few months ago. Something about that drastic description is oddly realistic.

Of course, the French heroine of the Arts during World War Two is referencing how humidity can damage paintings, but anyone who has spent time in places such as the mid-southern United States, the Central American Jungle, or magical Orlando knows that humidity may just be as destructive as bombing to a human given enough exposure to it without relief.

Not to say that folks in Hackensack, New Jersey don’t also know humidity, or Mooresville, North Carolina, or Philadelphia, PA, or the Potomac River bottomlands of the District of Columbia for that matter. The liquid air is in many places helping things grow and keeping eco-systems alive. Simultaneously, however, this liquid air, while it does make for a prime growing environment for plants, drains the very life and energy out of us mere humans. Most notably when the mercury is north of 90 degreesF.

That said, we humans are a resilient bunch and we make do–every day. No matter the conditions, we make do. Rose Valland was this resilient type. A Lieutenant in the Army who worked very closely with Valland during WWII described his first impression of her as this:

“Middle-aged, simplicity in manner, self-reliant, independent, as scrutable as a cat and mouse play, sense of humor, sighs before speaking, never anything but cheerful, strong-willed manner, feminine charms, wanted to carry her own suitcase.”

May we all carry as much strength, grace, and determination in a concurrent manner as Rose did during one of the most difficult times in Modern World History.

And deal with the humidity. Football teams are doing just that on this very day.

It’s 99 degrees according to the digital thermometer in my kitchen. There is a 116 heat index in the middle of Mississippi right now, and it’s 109 in Tuscon. It’s hot across the land.

So how much will it cool off before college football kicks off officially?

Of course, we will not be counting the Dublin game as the average August temperature in Dublin is 67 degrees. It’s in the mid to upper 90’s in Manhattan and Ames, so the Iowa St and Kansas St fans that make the trip will be in for quite a treat as they watch their team play in the cool weather on the shores of the Irish Sea. Maybe all August football should be played in Dublin. It’s a long commute, but it would still get millions of tv viewers. And the reward would be worth it for those fans that made the long trip across the pond, so I see no downside but I do have a caveat.

I do not want conference games being played outside of home stadiums. Those should all be true home or away games. While it does add stakes to the first game of the season, it robs the ‘home’ team of a much needed advantage in those critical games. Let the ‘Dublin’ type games be a Georgia Tech vs Colorado, a Notre Dame vs Miami, a Tennessee vs Syracuse, or a TCU vs North Carolina. Games that bring crowds and entertainment value, but do not necessarily hurt a teams conference title chances. Conference games need to be played on conference fields.

Outside of that–yeah, let’s play football exclusively in cool weather areas in August. Maybe there is room for a stadium on the bluffs of the Oregon coast. It’s 58 and breezy there right now with an 8 on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Sublime.

But alas, a game will be played in Lawrence, Kansas August 23 at 4:30 where it’s 96 right now, and in Tampa August 28th at 3:30 where the heat index reads 98 right now, and in sweltering Hattiesburg, Mississippi at noon on August 30th.

So, how much will it cool off by these kickoffs? Probably not much. But hey, humans are resilient, and football players and coaches are some the best examples of being the most physically resilient in harsh conditions. Leaders rise through adversity. They show the strength and determination of a Rose Valland. Perhaps not the grace. At least, while on the field. There is no room for grace on the grisly gridiron. Only grit.

So who can be the most gritty in tough conditions? That is who will survive these early season heat dome games.

Let’s look at a few games that could potentially feature some of the highest heat index on opening weekend:

• Fresno St @ Kansas 8/23 4:30
  • Lawrence is cooking right now so it made the list, but temps have been as low as the upper 80’s in late August so maybe it won’t be a cooker like it is today. Still, 89 with humidity gets the heat index into the upper 90’s.
• Boise St @ South Florida 8/28 3:30
  • Oh, to be from Boise and have to visit Tampa on an August thursday afternoon. The average temp is usually around 90 with an average humidity of 72% allowing the heat index to again, climb into the upper 90’s. This will be a trend.
• Northwestern @ Tulane 8/30 Noon
  • New Orleans sports an average temperature of 91 and 75% humidity in August. Also, I’ve been told that Yulman Stadium is one of those that struggles to circulate the air. You’re not just cooking like a brat in a beer bath, you’re suffocating as well.
• Old Dominion @ Indiana 8/30 12:30
  • Now, Bloomington has an average of temperature of only 81 to 84 for the month of August, but it has been as hot as 98 on August 30th, 2007, and they reached 115 on July 15, 1936. So this town is not immune to the heat nor the humidity.
• Miss State @ Southern Miss 8/30 Noon
  • It’ll near 100 on the heat index by halftime of this game. 90-95 with humidity reaching 80-90%
    • No thank you. Perhaps, I’m not one of those resilient Rose Valland types.

There will be plenty of other hot, humid games during the first few weeks of the season as there always are but these work as fine examples. In fact, in each of these examples, the prediction is that the home team comes out victorious. It’s not just about the humidity, but it works to illustrate the point.

So, here’s to being strong, resilient, determined, and full of grace like Rose and beat this heat. Whether playing or coaching or simply eating popcorn in the stands, may we all be Rose Valland types.

Rose Valland’s book THE ART FRONT tells the incredible story of how she rescued art and other precious stolen valuables from being hoarded or destroyed by the German Armies. It’s inspiring to read how her love and passion for something drove her to risk her life to save to save such priceless heirlooms. All the while, maintaining her “cheerful, strong-willed manner,” and “feminine charms full of grace.”

Grit might win on the gridiron, humidity may be destructive for a day, but grace wins in the end.

Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’

Whit W.