13 Most Embarrassing Stadium Fails
A major stadium fail is when the lights go out at the Super Bowl. It can be many things, actually. Structural mishaps, problems with facilities and power issues can all cast a negative light on the stadium experience for those inside the walls.
Today, we’ll examine some of the most embarrassing such fails in sports. We’ll go easy on the structural stuff that happened in empty stadiums—the Metrodome has taken enough heat, don’t you think?
The focus will instead be on situations where an audience was present for the actual gaffe, and therefore, humiliation was at its peak.
Levi’s Stadium Parking Lots
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The opening of a new NFL stadium is a big deal, and it’s something those involved undoubtedly want to go off without a hitch.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for the 2014 opening of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The new home of the San Francisco 49ers opened up for a test run, hosting an MLS game in August. As is often the case with test runs, there were some problems: Concessions, restrooms and transportation after the game, for instance.
Most of the issues were resolved before the 49ers' first home game in September, but unfortunately, the postgame egress was not one of them. According to Mike Rosenberg of the San Jose Mercury News, it took some fans over two hours to get out of the parking lot after the game.
AT&T Stadium Video Board
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AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, opened in 2009 and was hyped as one of the most modern and lavish stadiums in all of sports. The excess included the world’s largest 1080p video board, a 1.2 million-pound behemoth that is larger than a basketball court.
As it turns out, the monstrosity might be a little too big. A Tennessee Titans punt hit the video board in a 2009 preseason game, but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was quick to dismiss it as an intentional act on the part of the punter.
It happened again in 2013 when the Cowboys' own punter Chris Jones hit the big board. On the resulting rekick, the Cincinnati Bengals return man took it back 75 yards for a touchdown. Oops.
No Air Conditioning for NBA Finals
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Two important purposes of professional stadiums are as follows: Provide an optimal playing environment for athletes, and ensure enjoyment and comfort for paying fans. When there’s no air conditioning—and you’re in Texas—both of those goals become very difficult to accomplish.
During Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals in San Antonio, an electrical issue rendered the air conditioning moot in the AT&T Center. Temperatures inside the arena reached 90 degrees, and LeBron James famously had to exit the game in the fourth quarter due to cramping.
The incident was not great for the AT&T Center, but unfortunately for James, he took the brunt of the ridicule.
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Power Outage at New Meadowlands
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The New Meadowlands Stadium, now MetLife Stadium, opened in 2010, and it wasn’t long before its first major gaffe. During the third quarter of a November game against the Dallas Cowboys, the power went out while the players were on the field.
The result was utter darkness for a brief six seconds. Jane McManus of ESPN.com reported that Giants co-owner John Mara said, "It's frustrating whether it’s a new building or an old building. You certainly don't want to see anything happen like that during the game."
True, an incident like this never looks good, but it's probably particularly embarrassing when the stadium in question is new and supposedly state of the art.
'Unplayable' Turf at Veterans Stadium
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What’s the most important part of a sports stadium? Some might argue that it’s the playing surface itself. In 2001, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia couldn’t quite get that right.
A preseason game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles was cancelled after new artificial turf was deemed “unplayable,” according to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press (via USA Today).
Then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue made the call when officials and representatives from both teams expressed safety concerns over unevenness on parts of the field.
Temporary Seating at Super Bowl XLV
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Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium) hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011. Demand for tickets was predictably high, and the plan was to put in temporary seating to accommodate the masses.
Snow and ice storms leading up to the game delayed construction of the seating, and some fans who purchased tickets to the game were forced to use standing room only. The whole thing resulted in a lawsuit, and the NFL came off looking pretty bad for selling tickets for nonexistent seats.
Lights out at Candlestick...Twice
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In December 2011, the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on the national stage for Monday Night Football.
Just before game time, the lights suddenly went out in Candlestick Park. According to Al Saracevic of the San Francisco Chronicle, confusion took over on the field and ESPN stopped the broadcast, leaving fans around the country wondering what had happened.
The start of the game was delayed by 20 minutes, but the problems were not over. There was another power outage in the second quarter, causing a further delay of 16 minutes.
One power outage is bad. But two? That’s just embarrassing. Plus, stadium failures are always worse when they occur on national television.
Overall Stadium Fail in Tampa
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The Tampa Bay Rays have long struggled with attendance, coming in dead last in the MLB for the last three seasons.
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently said, "You have to conclude that the stadium issue is the key issue because the Rays have put a great product on the field consistently for a really long period of time."
It’s got to be pretty embarrassing when baseball’s head guy says your stadium is the No. 1 issue regarding your poor attendance. That’s an overall stadium failure.
Boston Garden Fog and Darkness
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In 1988, the Boston Garden provided a foggy and dark environment for hockey fans. It was Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton led the series 3-0.
The building had no air conditioning, which wasn't altogether uncommon back then. On this particular night, a warm temperature plus the cold ice created fog inside the stadium—you know, because of science.
To make matters worse, the power went out in the second period and the game had to be replayed two nights later. To make matters a lot worse, the home team eventually lost, sealing the 4-0 series sweep. Ouch.
Food Safety in Kansas City
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Food safety violations aren't exactly unheard of in sports stadiums, unfortunately. However, Kansas City was home to two particularly egregious offenders in 2014. Both Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium shared a food safety manager until recently, and in November, he went public with some concerns.
According to the manager, there were cockroaches in vending areas and mouse feces on food trays. The city health department later found 37 critical violations, including mold, adding to the list of words that make you want to give up stadium food forever.
Marlins Rain Delay
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One benefit of having a baseball stadium with a retractable roof is, obviously, the elimination of rain delays. Yet, despite having such a roof at Marlins Park, the Miami Marlins had a rain delay on Opening Day.
Whoever is in charge of such things apparently opted not to close the roof for some reason. Adding insult to injury, the grounds crew appeared ill-equipped to handle a rain delay since, you know, they’re never supposed to have them.
Lights out at Super Bowl XLVII
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Clearly, the Superdome isn’t the only stadium to suffer a power outage during a game. However, experiencing one during the Super Bowl has to be particularly humiliating for everyone involved.
The Baltimore Ravens led the San Francisco 49ers 28-6 in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVII when the lights went out. The game was halted and didn’t resume for 34 minutes. Momentum shifted, and the 49ers made a run as play resumed, prompting conspiracy theorists to rear their heads.
The Ravens held on to win 34-31, but a lot of people still had a ton of explaining to do regarding what went wrong.
Wrigley Field Restrooms
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Opening Day 2015 at Wrigley Field had some issues, to put it mildly. The construction site atmosphere and lack of bleachers were planned for, but the restroom debacle? Not so much.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, there were only two working bathrooms on the main concourse. This, of course, resulted in outrageous lines and even prompted some resourceful males to pee in cups. Yikes.
When the highlight of Opening Day was your concourse being full of urine cups, that’s embarrassing.
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