It is all because of Dee Ford

Why? Why is it so cold outside?

“It’s North Dakota in the winter, dude. Get over it.” No, I will not get over it. I will never get over it because it has been historically cold this winter.

What have we done to deserve this? Personally, I blame Dee Ford.

Now, who the heck is Dee Ford? Since you asked, Dee Ford is an outside linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Dee Ford lined up offsides late in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game.

Dee Ford’s offsides penalty negated a would-be game-sealing interception for the Chiefs.

Dee Ford, in some butterfly effect way, was a reason the New England Patriots won their nauseating sixth Super Bowl.

And thus, according to me, this winter has been America’s punishment for Dee Ford allowing this to happen. He’s paid the price already through death threats and embarrassment and what not, but mother nature is a Chiefs fan, and she is still mad.

Cars take too long to warm up. The walk to class is entirely way too long. Skipping class to avoid the outside world has never been more understandable.

But this is supposed to be a feel-good story, so let’s get to it. Punxsutawney Phil is a liar and a cheat because this winter is not going away anytime soon. However, there are a few things that can help keep everyone’s morale up.

College basketball

Look, I know you have heard it before. I’m sure of it because I was one of the people to tell you this. But college basketball in March is undefeated in the history of the world.

The NFL playoffs this year were, for the most part, boring. The Golden State Warriors are bound to win their fourth^t title in five years. The MLB and NHL are always a mixed bag come playoff time.

But anything can and does happen when it comes to college basketball in March. Start watching now. I promise you will not regret it. North Carolina and Duke, one of the best rivalries in all of sports, have their rematch this weekend, and star freshman Zion Williamson should be back.

Bragging rights, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the ACC regular season title are all potentially on the line. Then next week conferences begin tournament play.

Who knows where the next Kemba Walker like performance will come from? And then, best of all, March Madness is finally upon us. Two glorious weeks of cheering, panicking, arguing and stressing about our brackets. Use college basketball as the best form of escapism for the upcoming weeks.

Go to the gym

Really not much to say here. There are gyms all over Fargo; just pick the one that suits you the best. Escape the cold for a hot second and get rejuvenated lifting weights or running on a treadmill for a while, if you’re into that sort of thing. The Wallman Wellness Center is a good place to start.

Do a good deed

Someone is always in need of help, whether it’s to help jump their car, push their car out of a snow drift or maybe even just some help clearing their drive way.

The snow has affected all of us this winter, and it’s always nice when there is someone there to help out. North Dakota nice does not need to just be a thing people say. Make it a reality.

As a whole, the best advice I can offer is to simply get up every morning and get through the day with a smile on your face. Try and make every day as sweet as you can.

Bosses can be difficult. Teachers can be annoying. Life can be a pain sometimes. So, if you’re ever down in the dumps, just remember: you could be Dee Ford.