San Francisco 49ers Benefit from Blackouts, Take 'Big Step' Towards New Stadium
Two blackouts and thirty-five minutes of delays during a Monday night football game in California’s Candlestick Park has raised concerns and speculations for a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers.
A blackout at Candlestick Park, home of the 49ers, delayed the start of a prime-time matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers for about 20 minutes. Once the game started, the 49ers took off quickly, jumping to a 6-0 lead. A second blackout occurred in the second quarter with about 12 minutes left, after a David Akers’ field goal, and lasted for 15 minutes.
Joe Molica, a spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, said the power company was still investigating the cause of the outage, according to ESPN.com. Molica also said that Candlestick Park was the only client affected by the power outage.
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NFL security chief Jeff Miller said he witnessed a transformer blow up while he was monitoring a gate outside the stadium, according to Fox News. Sources believe it overloaded while trying to power the stadium’s giant high definition TV screen.
It is unclear if the 49ers, who will host a playoff a game at Candlestick Park, directly benefited from the interruptions. They dominated a lackluster Steelers’ team, which was led by an injured Ben Roethlisberger. The 49ers won the game 20-3.
Quarterback Alex Smith said it was the biggest home game he had played since he became 49er. Team president and CEO Jed York tweeted, “Electric atmosphere tonight.”
While the 49ers reveled in a successful night at their home stadium, the Steelers could have been rattled by the technical difficulties.
Steelers’ defensive back Ryan Clark said that it was clear that the 49ers needed a new stadium.
“I just feel like San Francisco took a big step to show the NFL and to show the state of California that they need a new stadium,” Clark said. “I think it was a very strategic move, and Candlestick may be no more."
Candlestick, which was the stage for NFL greats like Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, and Steve Walsh, may be on its way for demolition.
Last week, the Santa Clara City Council voted to endorse and fund a $1 billion stadium in the South Bay area. The stadium will be located just off Highway 101, according to The Bleacher Report. The blackouts on Monday night showed how the team could benefit from new stadium, and experts believe they will get it.
The stadium must still be approved by the NFL, of course. However, there are a handful of other teams, like the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers, which need NFL money to construct a new stadium or renovate the current one.
The new stadium should be ready by 2014 with 75,000 seats and it will be equipped to host a Super Bowl. The new stadium will be home to the 49ers of the Harbaugh era, featuring franchise studs like Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, Patrick Willis and Justin Smith.
