Posted on 09/04/2025 8:27:37 PM PDT by Morgana
The NFL season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys was suspended in the third quarter due to lightning strikes in the area.
In remarkable scenes, the players were quickly taken off the field and the PA announcer urged fans to 'seek shelter' from the elements.
There was 4:44 remaining in the third quarter when the decision was made by officials at 10:26pm, with the Eagles leading 24-20.
A few minutes later, it was revealed by reporters that the game was suspended due to lightning within eight miles of the stadium, starting a 30-minute clock.
If, after 30 minutes, no more lightning has occurred, the game can continue. Any new lightning strike, though, resets the clock - threatening a long night for football fans.
Many jumped straight on social media to share their fury at the decision, with one noting: 'Soft league, just let them play.'
Another added, 'It's 10:30pm, some of us got jobs', while a third said: 'This would’ve never happened in the 90s or early 2000s.'
In a further twist, the National Weather Service was forced to correct the Eagles' warning to their fans of a 'severe thunderstorm' approaching.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
What a bunch of pussies western civilization has become. Sad. Pathetic. Unworthy of most who have gone before.
It was hardly anything. There have been much worse. I lost AC blower, Heater controller and Dishwasher last month. I heard one rumble. very funny.
According to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are about 1 in 1.2 million. Your lifetime odds (estimated as an 80-year span) are about 1 in 15,300.
I am curious if a professional athlete in any sport, anywhere in the world, has ever been struck by lightning during a game.
Which is better? Being brave, and having fans and/or athletes fried by lightning, or using strict safety rules due to the heavy lightning attractive use of steel in the stadium?
UK Daily Mail is trying to foment anger over prudent safety precautions, IMO.
If a fan was hit by lightning, they would be entitled to a major, major cash award. Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe would be licking their chops.
“curious if a professional athlete in any sport, anywhere in the world, has ever been struck by lightning during a game.”
If anyone pro golfers.
Well I googled that question.
Yes, athletes have been struck by lightning during games, with tragic fatalities and injuries reported in various sports, including soccer and baseball. Notable incidents include the death of a Peruvian soccer player in 2024, a group of four women’s soccer players in Colombia in 2025, and the survival of Cleveland Indians pitcher Ray Caldwell after being struck in 1919.
Recent Tragedies
Peru, 2024:
.
A lightning strike during a soccer match killed a player and injured several others. The game had been suspended due to a thunderstorm, but lightning struck the field as players were leaving.
Colombia, 2025:
.
Four women’s soccer players died after being struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree during a storm that interrupted their match.
Historical Incident
Ray Caldwell (MLB, 1919): Cleveland Indians pitcher Ray Caldwell was struck by lightning during a game. He was knocked unconscious but revived and was able to finish the game, though the incident caused panic in the stadium.
Other Incidents
Colombia, 2025:
.
In a separate incident from the one that killed the four women, another male player in the same Colombian match later died after being injured by lightning.
Brazil, 2024:
.
A 21-year-old soccer player in Brazil was also killed by a lightning strike on the pitch.
has anyone ever been struck by lightning in a stadium. Isn’t it a natural lighting rod protecting people. And if not why not. You have flag poles everywhere. I assume they are connected to grounds. So people are safer in the stands.
(I am curious if a professional athlete in any sport, anywhere in the world, has ever been struck by lightning during a game.)
Absolutely! Golfer Lee Trevino is one. Four women’s soccer players were killed back in February. There’s others
An empty pitch in a mountain city in South America is not the same as a stadium in the US. The stadium is a lightning rod. As long as you are not standing on the rim holding a flag pole I think you are safer than anywhere else.
Why? A nice sizzling lightning strike would probably bring some life to the game.
4th quarter
12:46 left
Cowboys 20 - Eagles 24
1st & 10
Ball on PHI 34
I don’t think the hard stuff came down until later.
I know of at least one pitcher in a baseball game who was struck and killed on the mound but I don’t think it was in a pro game. If I recall correctly it was in a little league match. Very sad.
A bit off topic but in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans 80+ people were killed in the worst crash in the history of motor racing. They kept racing and didn’t halt the race because they didn’t want to clog the roads for ambulances and rescue crews for the injured.
The UKDM is a scandal sheet, Never believe a word they say.
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