As I sit here finishing up this article, the weather in Pittsburgh is currently 11 degrees Celsius, 52 degrees Fahrenheit, with light rain falling and a relative humidity of 100%. The Penguins – Capitals 2011 edition of the Winter Classic would be well under way were the weather more amenable to playing a hockey game outside right now! In a sensible bit of foresight, yesterday the NHL pushed the start of the game back to 8pm est in the hopes that the temperature would drop and rain cease by that time, allowing for an improved playing environment for the game, albeit not optimal by any stretch of the imagination, with the rain projected to have stopped by then but temperatures still at a balmy (by January standards) 9 degrees Celsius/48 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let’s face it: outdoor hockey at the professional level is an intriguing spectacle to watch, but when you play with that bull Mother Nature, you’ve got to accept that you can get the horns. Looks like 2011 is the year that the risks of that gamble were realized to some degree with regards to this event, but it is far from a unique occurrence in as much as nature consistently likes to make its impact on the sports we love if for no other reason than to just remind us pesky humans who is in charge!
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some examples of the wildcard factor nature can play in hockey and other sports at both the amateur and professional levels. Other sports are included as, quite frankly, it would be hard to put together a hockey-only display as the indoor nature of the sport has prevented a lot of snags in this regard over the years.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and many events are surely being left out. At the same time, consider it a sampling of how weather and natural events can run a block on our various pastimes! Hope you enjoy!
Winter Classic January 1, 2008
This one is admittedly less of a block for the fans as it actually 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, but although it was an added factor to overcome in laying the game for them, the general consensus from them after the fact was that they enjoyed the intrigue and flashbacks to days of their childhoods they got from the conditions.
1988 Stanley Cup Finals, Edmonton vs Boston
Ok, this one 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 as a result of a subsequent 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 today’s situation! 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...
2010 US Pond Hockey Championships in the rain
Also ringing a bit true of today! The championships were to be played from January 22-24, 2010 in Lake Nokomis, Minnesotta. 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!
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 one stadium 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.
1989 World Series Earthquake
There are times when nature creates inconvenience. At other times it’s downright destructive and deadly. 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, the following went down:
A 6.9 magnitude quake. Sixty three people were killed, 3757 injured 3,757 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.
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