The night the lights went out in Georgia

[voiceoflg]

http://www.lagrangenews.com/articles...s/sports01.txt

Screams echoed through the stands of Callaway Stadium as the lights suddenly shut off in the first quarter of LaGrange High’s homecoming game against region 2-AAA opponent Northside Friday night.

The field went pitch black, the teams jogged to the sidelines and the game was suspended for more than 10 minutes.

A transformer blew last night just as the back judge threw a flag for (I couldn't make this up) delay of game.

Have any of you had any lighting issues...completely out, not well lit fields, etc.?

[BktBallRef]

Sure, many times.

1. Lights go out as the opening kickoff is in the air. Got them back on and finished the game. Double $$

2. Lights go out in pre-game, get them on 30 minutes later, only to have them go off again 5 minutes later. Moved the game and played at visitors' field 3 nights later. Double $$

3. Last game of the season, one of 4 bank of lights went out. Played anyway.

4. 2nd quarter, transformer blows. Had to come back on Monday night. Double $$

5. Basketball game, a car accident knocked out electricity at the school. Made full fee for 1 quarter.

I remember them all!!

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by voiceoflg

Have any of you had any lighting issues...completely out, not well lit fields, etc.?

Just as a spectator, Chi. Lions at Gary Golden Bears, NSFL ~30 yrs. ago. The entire lighting support derrick (one of 2) was broken down at one end of the field. After dusk, the remainder of the game was played in the lit half of the field, at least in terms of where the ball was scrimmaged from, the officials reversing the field (changing ends) as necessary.

Robert

[Bad Mood Risin]

At a school last ge of season, already dark when we arrive at 5:45 for a 7:30 kick. Lights are on. We're barely out of the car when transformer blows. Sounds like a cannon. AD says they're going to get it fixed, so we get dressed. Check about 6:30 and lights come back on -- for about a minute. Boom! Now they're out for good, and with no more games that year, they're not going to rush repairs. We played next day at noon. It snowed and the field turned white. No one could see a line, but at least it was 40-0 and everyone there just wanted to get it over with.

[Texas Aggie]

not well lit fields

You're kidding, right? The only well lit fields I go to are large school stadiums -- and many of them aren't very well lit. Smaller school stadiums, campus JV fields, and jr. high fields are notoriously poorly lit -- some more so than others. I've been on a few that were so dark, I actually considered suspending the game.

Never had the lights go out, but my very first game on the field, we were working on a field without lights. 2 games scheduled and starting at 5:00 (in August). Needless to say, we didn't get the second game in without running the clock in the 4th quarter, and of course, an idiot coach blamed it all on us. I just about read that coach the riot act in front of his team, saying how dare he even hint that it was the fault of anyone outside HIS school district.

[Mike L]

Lights went out twice during the first half. One just as the offense is snapping, the other with a pass in the air. We ended up finishing after about 30 minutes total of delay.
Now then, ask me about another game with a 1 hour 45 minute lightning delay, lightning hitting the field and the apartments around the school. Gotta love it when you see the flash and hear the crack at the same time.

[mikesears]

Twice.

1. Working a game when a thunderstorm moved in. Well after the field was cleared, a bolt of lightning hit one of the banks of lights and knocked it out. Both teams chose to go with the final score as the outcome was not in doubt.

2. As a basketball fan, lights went out just as a player dunked the ball. It was restored a couple of minutes later.

[Bresquire]

Two lights out issues.

First one, right before kickoff of Varsity game one of the banks of lights caught fire, and in sequence the next bank went off, and the next and the next. We had two banks of lights on one side of the field. Early enough in the season to get the first half in. Electrician fixed the other poles during half, and finished the game with two on each side, one corner was pretty dark.

The other was also a Varsity game, had a squirrel get caught in the light box, sparks everywhere, and burnt squirrel at the concessions stand, hehehe. Played with one less bank of lights.

Bresquire

[Forksref]

Had one side of the field go out. Of course, it was the other side and I was a wing. We finished the game that way. Since the light was coming from the other side, all I could see was shadows. Even though the light was shining on me, I was the one in the dark!