Chargers, Bills Play Despite Ralph Wilson Stadium Power Outage

Chargers-Bills Play Most Of Sunday's Game In Powerless Ralph Wilson Stadium

Yesterday's Chargers-Bills game was disrupted by several power outages at Ralph Wilson Stadium that resulted in the game being "stopped for 15 minutes," while the game clock and scoreboard operation "were off and on for most of the contest," according to Allen Wilson of the BUFFALO NEWS. The helmet radio systems "of the quarterback and designated defensive player also went out." New York State Electric & Gas said that the problems "were caused by helium-filled party balloons that tangled in power lines that serve the stadium" (BUFFALO NEWS, 10/20). In Toronto, Stephen Brunt notes there was a "loud bang, a fireball erupted in mini-Hindenburg fashion, a transformer blew, and out went the juice." The Bills "got the power up and running, briefly before the game started, but then it died again six plays into the first quarter." There was "no scoreboard, no game clock, no play clock, no giant screen, no public-address system, no in-stadium music, no instant replay, no wireless Internet ... and no CBS television broadcast." The game moved "at a brisk pace without the TV timeouts, and in no way evidently worse for all the missing technology." Power was restored "in the second quarter -- though it went out again just before the halftime." By the midway point of the third quarter, things were "permanently back to normal" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/20).

NO COVERAGE: In Rochester, Leo Roth reports it was "also hectic in the radio booth where play-by-play [announcer] John Murphy and color analyst Mark Kelso kept broadcasting by taking turns on a cell phone patched into parent station" WTKK-FM. CBS broadcasters Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf "sat helplessly during the outages" (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 10/20). USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand reports Chargers-Bills was scheduled to air in 37% of the U.S. during the 1:00pm ET window, but CBS switched those viewers to Steelers-Bengals "until there were about seven minutes left in the second quarter." CBS Exec VP/Operations Ken Aagaard: "It's a stadium issue. They're supposed to supply power." Meanwhile, Dierdorf said that it "wouldn't have made sense to stop the game after players had warmed up" (USA TODAY, 10/20).

THROWBACK GAME: Chargers LB Marques Harris said, "Honestly, it felt like high school. There was no scoreboard, we didn't know how much time was left in the game." In Toronto, Rob Longley reports while the power was out, "there were some wild scenes in the crowded hallways and washrooms" of the stadium, but "other than a delay-of-game penalty by each team, the troubles had little effect on the outcome" (TORONTO SUN, 10/20).