Let It Snow: Nick Palazzo's Epic Backyard Snow Bowls
Nick Palazzo’s passion for football wasn’t born on a pristine field under stadium lights—it was forged in the icy chaos of snowstorms in a neighbor’s backyard. For five years, Nick Palazzo and his brother turned every major snowfall into a battleground for 2-on-2 tackle football, racking up 100 unforgettable games. This is the story of how Nick Palazzo’s love for faith, family, and football took root in the snow-covered “stadium next door.”
A Letter to My Daughters: The Stadium Next Door
Growing up in Ohio, where snow blankets the ground for three to four months a year, your Uncle and I found a way to make winter legendary. When I was just seven years old, your Uncle, with his knack for turning the ordinary into epic, declared that every snowstorm dumping six inches or more would mean one thing: a 2-on-2 tackle football game in our neighbor’s backyard. But, true to your Uncle’s style, there was always a twist.
He teamed up with a neighbor two years my senior, while I paired with another neighbor four years older than me. Sounds fair, right? Not quite. These weren’t just friendly games—they were brutal, freezing, and gloriously intense rites of passage in our neighborhood. For five years, we played 100 games, no matter how bitter the cold or how blinding the blizzard. Snow up to our knees, breath fogging in the air, we battled on.
These games were anything but gentle. One time, fresh off watching a WWF wrestling match, your Uncle decided a clothesline was the perfect tackle move—knocking out a couple of my teeth in the process. Another game saw me slammed into a tree by our neighbor, leaving me dazed but determined. And then there was the time we all nearly got frostbite, our hands numb from gripping that frozen football. Yet, we kept coming back, storm after storm. Blood in the snow, love in our hearts.
You might think the games were competitive. Nope. My team lost 99 games in a row. For five years, we fought, laughed, and got crushed—every single time. Some games were close, but most were lopsided disasters. Still, we never quit. That stubborn grit, that refusal to give up, was fueled by faith in ourselves and the bond of family that kept us charging into the snow.
Then came year six. I was 12, fresh into CYO football, and my teammate was a junior in high school—a 6’2”, 220-pound starter on the varsity team. This was our moment. The first game of that snowy season was different. Your Uncle and his teammate couldn’t outrun me anymore, and they had no answer for my towering teammate. For once, the lopsided score was in our favor. After 99 losses, we finally won. One glorious, hard-fought victory.
Of course, right after the game, your Uncle declared the backyard snow games were finished. In fact, we never played again. We traded the frozen field for Nintendo’s Tecmo Bowl, that was more fair now. But that single win? It’s etched in my heart forever. I’ve won championships in high school and college, but that one victory—number 99 out of 100—ranks as my #3 all-time football triumph. You'll learn more about #1 and #2 someday.
99-1. The Snow Bowl champions of the world.
About the Author - Nick Palazzo
Nick Palazzo is an industry recognized sports technology entrepreneur and marketing innovator appearing in numerous publications and broadcast programs, including The New York Times, the “Today” show, Mediaweek, MIN, Folio, Sports Business Journal, Forbes and Adweek, and is a frequent keynote and panel speaker at sports, media and technology industry events. Earlier in his career, Nick Palazzo was featured as a “C-Level Visionary” by Folio as part of its annual Folio:40 list of media industry influencers and innovators. Palazzo was also featured in the acclaimed book Upstarts! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking The World of Business.
A graduate of Harvard University, where he finished as one of the football program's all-time leading rushers and scorers and a key member of the first undefeated championship team since 1913, Nick Palazzo is passionate about expanding the possibilities available to today’s student-athletes from under-resourced areas.
Nick Palazzo was also a nominee for The William V. Campbell Trophy aka the “Academic Heisman”, the most prestigious and desirable academic award in college football. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
While a Harvard athlete, Nick Palazzo founded STACK which grew into a global athletic training content sensation with a mission of educating and inspiring youth athletes. STACK was the originator of athlete-centric content produced “For the Athlete, By the Athlete," with a focus on training, nutrition, skills and gear. LeBron James was the first athlete featured by the platform where his high school workout was shared with the world.
Nick Palazzo is a proud #girldad with four amazing daughters. He is also a devout Roman Catholic having been involved in the Harvard Catholic Student Society and a variety of other catholic organizations over the years. Nick Palazzo's favorite Bible verse is Romans 10:9. Jesus is Lord.
Business Site: https://www.npventures.com
Personal Blog: https://www.nickpalazzo.com/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-palazzo/
X Profile: https://x.com/nick22palazzo
Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/nick22palazzo
