Lightning: fact or fiction?

**Johnnie Monster** · 05-26-2011, 04:08 PM

This isn't a troll post or anything like that, it's a sincere question. I've heard conflicting stories about the actual proximity of the lightning to the stadium, and since I wasn't there, I'll defer to those who were.

Some have said that lightning struck BMO's stands multiple times. Others have said this is false, and that the lightning was merely "in the neighbourhood."

Can anyone give a personal account one way or another?

**socceronly** · 05-26-2011, 04:13 PM

Yes. I was in the CSA booth on the west stand looking east.

Lightning at the end of the first half, and it didn't really stop for long.

Paused a bit when the came out and then started again. Starting hitting the CN tower every five minutes or so.

When I first moved here, it took awhile to clue in that lightning actually kills people here, where as if you are from Vancouver it's like hey cool lightning! I still do that.

I may live here now, but I have had season tickets to 86'ers and Caps a lot longer than Toronto has been a team.

It was absolutely totally certifiably unplayable.

**Rudi** · 05-26-2011, 04:19 PM

Nothing it BMO Field, although there were multiple strikes withing 2-3 km of the stadium.

There was "cloud to cloud" lightning right above out heads at one point. The CN Tower generally absorbs most lightning strikes near the downtown core, but there are always one or two that hit elsewhere.

**Richard** · 05-26-2011, 06:29 PM

As a Whitecaps fan it pains me to say this but lightning is a real issue in southern Ontario, well do I remember the thunderstorms. The CSA asked fans to leave for their own safety, not unreasonable to pull the players off the field too. "Lightning is a major threat during a thunderstorm. In Canada, lightning is responsible for about 7 deaths a year and 60 to 70 serious injuries annually (Environment Canada, 2002)." We may well be suspicious of Winter's motive but player safety has to be top of mind for any coach.

Edit: I don't know that Winter pulled his team, was going on what other people had posted but if he did I don't blame him, would have been a good decision if the referee didn't call the game.

**nfitz** · 05-26-2011, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

We may well be suspicious of Winter's motive but player safety has to be top of mind for any coach.

The other thing to note, is shortly (5-10 minutes) after the players left the pitch, the lightening went from being around, to quite intense. It was clearly the right call.

Though did Winter stop the game, or was he just the first to make a beeline to the tunnel when they stopped the game?

**Gian-Luca** · 05-26-2011, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by nfitz

The other thing to note, is shortly (5-10 minutes) after the players left the pitch, the lightening went from being around, to quite intense. It was clearly the right call.

Though did Winter stop the game, or was he just the first to make a beeline to the tunnel when they stopped the game?

De Guzman was the first person to make a beeline to the tunnel from what I saw (by that point I moved down to the 100 level and stood a few rows up from the bench as nobody was there), Winter stayed to be interviewed briefly by Sportsnet before making his beeline. I think they both were reacting to the Ref's call on the field, which he made the moment after Martina missed that chance in all alone.

**narduch** · 05-27-2011, 10:55 AM

Do Whitecaps season tickets come with tinfoil hats?

The lighting was real. The **** weather was real.

As a fan that was actually in the stadium, I'm more shocked that they didn't cancel the game sooner. They should have never have let fans hang around that tin can stadium under those wether conditions. It was not safe at all.

**seathanaich** · 05-28-2011, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by narduch

Do Whitecaps season tickets come with tinfoil hats?
The lighting was real. The **** weather was real.
As a fan that was actually in the stadium, I'm more shocked that they didn't cancel the game sooner. They should have never have let fans hang around that tin can stadium under those wether conditions. It was not safe at all.

Johnnie's question is civilly phrased. Do Toronto season tickets come with an arsehole-o-meter?