Here it is: 4pm in Toronto, Saturday, December 31st. Current temperature is 4 degrees Celsius, with projected evening, overnight, morning and midday temperatures of 2, -2, -3 and 1 in the works, respectively. All in all, conditions seem favourable for a decent sheet of ice for tomorrows Centennial Classic, which is fan-diddly-tasting for us puck-heads! On days like this, however, we face a legit double-edged sword: outdoor hockey at the professional level, while an intriguing spectacle to watch, puts us in a position where playing with that bull Mother Nature, we’ve got to accept that we may get the horns (EDIT: Sure enough, 12:30, Sunday, January 1st and the start time has been pushed back 30mins in the name of player safety due to sun glares off the ice! Minor stuff, but Mother Nature making sure she reminds us she's calling the shots here!). While the 2017 Centennial Classic is seemingly going to avoid taking the horns in the backside, poorer outcomes are far from a unique occurrence! With that in mind, let’s look at some examples of the wildcard factor nature can play in hockey and other sports at both the amateur and professional levels.
This is not an exhaustive list, but more of a cumulative collection of some standout events over the years. Hope you enjoy!
Eagles vs Lions, December 8, 2013
The most recent event on the list, this was such an enjoyable game to watch as the teams not only battled each other, but the elements as well. Football necessitates dealing with weather factors all season long, and in the end, there are no excuses to be had. Teams either up their game or they get beat. Well, at least that's the optimal mentality! This was a game that football fans who had no allegiances to either team were flipping over to watch...
Winter Classic January 1, 2008
This one was admittedly less of a problem for fans as it set a very cool vibe for the whole event. The snow added to the feel of the outdoor, pond-hockey shinny type of environment the league envisioned for the event. Quite a different story for the players who have grown accustomed to the climate-controlled environment of an arena for their games! Although it was an added factor to overcome in playing this particular game, the general consensus from the players after the fact was that they truly enjoyed the intrigue, and flashbacks to days of their childhoods, the conditions brought...
1988 Stanley Cup Finals, Edmonton vs Boston
Ok, this is a bit of a cheat! Sure, the fog in the arena was NOT a natural one per se, but the heat from outside WAS legit. Coupled with the Boston Gardens lack of air conditioning, the conditions were right for a foggy game that eventually ended due to a power failure late in the second period. The game was abandoned, only to be re-played should a game seven have been necessary.
Sault High Blue Devils
This one rings true of prevailing concerns with these events over the past few years. An outdoor rink had been constructed for a high school game, but due to unusually high temperatures the surface turned to slush and the game could not be played...
Cue the “Price is Right” horn…
2010 US Pond Hockey Championships…in the rain
The championships were to be played from January 22-24, 2010 in Lake Nokomis, Minnesota. It rained on both the 22nd and 23rd, and was too warm to play on the ice on the 24th, with the finals games being delayed until the 30th. Average temperature was above freezing on all days, and from the sounds of the audio, it was a bit breezy!
30ft x 600ft Rink
This one is less interfering and more cool! The unexpected result of a flash freeze was a rather large rink for the folks in this area!
Sometimes the stars align for some fun, no?
Metrodome Roof Collapses
Moving beyond hockey, we’ve got football and this recent disaster! Heavy snowfall in the Minnesota area resulted in an accumulation of the white stuff that the roof of the Dome just could not handle. The video shows the end result!
The “Ice Bowl”
What more can I say beyond what this video does? One of the most famous weather-related football games ever played. Minus 16 Fahrenheit/minus 27 Celsius.
College Baseball Cancelled Due to Snow
Baseball is used to nature interfering, but usually it is in the form of rain. When the snow starts though, it’s a different story! This college game was cancelled as a result of unplayable conditions, but as you can see below, Indians fans don’t seem to mind a bit!
2009 Malaysian Grand Prix
Formula One cars are capable of driving in the rain. Even have specific rain tires. But even they have their limits! Malaysia is particularly notorious for their rainstorms, one of which hit midway through the 2009 race, resulting in it being red flagged and stopped.
Cardinals vs Braves 2006
Coles notes here: post national anthem a storm hits in the area of the ballpark. Said storm caused the largest power outage in St. Louis history, with winds hitting at speeds of 70-90mph. Rain accompanied the winds, causing localized flooding in the park. The tarp was torn from the ground and shredded in some areas in sizes of 10 feet. Thirty injured and five hospitalized fans (two back injuries, a dislocated hip, dislocated shoulder and a seizure), press windows blown out, concession stands flipped, and a woman reportedly "run over" by a garbage can.
(Heh, heh, heh…not “reportedly” once you find the video!)
End result? A two hour, 15 minute delay. Game played in full. Cards win 8-3. Like it was nothing! I admire this…
1989 World Series Earthquake
There are times when nature creates inconvenience. At other times, it’s downright deadly and destructive. Case in point: Game 3 of the 1989 World Series. Half an hour before first pitch, with thousands of Oakland and San Francisco fans inside Candlestick Park, this goes down:
A 6.9 magnitude quake. Sixty-three people were killed, 3757 injured, and between 3,000-12,000 people left homeless. The series did not resume for 10 days. On a side note, many credit this game, held between two teams situated across the San Francisco Bay from each other, with having drastically reduced the death toll as (courtesy of the Wiki description of the quake) “many people had left work early or were staying late to participate in after-work group viewings and parties, reducing the traffic that would otherwise have been on the collapsed freeways (initial expectations were that hundreds of people had died in the collapse of Interstate 880 in Oakland; the final death toll from that event was 42).” An even more interesting note, perhaps, is that the Goodyear blimp, in the area specifically to cover the game, was used in coordinate emergency efforts around the Bay area during the immediate aftermath.
BYU vs Texas, September 2013
Nothing particularly historical about this one! Just a kudos for a) the great video; and b) the fantastic demonstration of a large crowd who refuse to live by the notion of “Survival of the Fittest”
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