Steelers vs. 49ers Video: Watch Lights Go out at Candlestick Park

Sometimes when an athlete gets red-hot at their particular sport, we use the term “lights out” to describe the performance. The phrase is also the nickname of linebacker Shawne Merriman, although it was much more apt back when he wasn’t constantly hurt.

On Monday night we used that phrase to literally describe the scene at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Roughly 10 minutes before the Pittsburgh Steelers were wet to square off against the San Francisco 49ers, a transformer blew outside the stadium, according to a 49ers spokesman. The engineers quickly reacted and were able to fix the problem within about 10-15 minutes.

The lights went out after the completion of warm-ups, so none of the players were on the field at the time.

Looking at the video, you can clearly see where the transformer is located in comparison to the stadium as it lights up the sky before going pitch black along with the stadium.

ESPN’s Chris Berman kept talking about the infamous earthquake in 1989 at Candlestick during the World Series, but there were no signs of such an event occurring.

Once the problem was fixed, the game kicked off at 9 PM EST, 30 minutes after the original start time.

It was an incredibly bizarre way to start a game and just another reminder why Candlestick Park is an ancient stadium that needs to be replaced.

The Giants began playing baseball games there from 1960 all the way until they moved into their new stadium in 2000. The 49ers have been playing games there since 1971.

It’s time for an upgrade, and this unexpected embarrassment on national TV should be the strongest sign yet.