Small Talk: I'll Huff, and I'll Puff, and I'll Blow Your Stadium Down

It's all part of the game right? The sun, the rain, the snow, the fog. Weather can be an equalizer in sports matches of all kinds. It can also ruin the flow of a game because of delays and postponements. But it's extreme weather that throws an interesting curveball in the world of sports. Not only can a game be delayed, but the game can be completely altered altogether.

Take, for example, last year's football game between the Minnesota Vikings and and the New York Giants. The game was postponed after the inflated roof of the Metrodome collapsed due to a 17-inch snowstorm in Minneapolis. Not only was the game pushed back a day because of the storm, but the game moved from Minneapolis to Detroit because the Metrodome obviously was unusable.

Or this past winter, during the NHL's annual Winter Classic slated to be played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The outdoor rink was diligently constructed, HBO followed the Capitals and Penguins for weeks documenting each teams' preparation for the big day and then came Saturday's forecast: rain. There was almost a professional hockey game played in the rain. But the game was postponed to later that night so that concerns about melting ice and higher day time temperatures could be quelled.

But it's not just cold weather that messes with the minds of athletes everywhere. Hurricanes leave some of the most devastating effects on sports schedules. This past weekend was no different as Hurricane Irene threatened to shut the lights out in stadiums all over the Eastern Seaboard. UConn's home opener scheduled for last night was postponed because their stadium is being used as a commodities distribution center for neighboring towns. The Red Sox and the Phillies postponed their games last Saturday to Sunday. Major League Soccer, the PGA tour, the NFL, the New Haven Tennis Open….all of these organizations were forced to make "rainy day" plans in anticipation of the impending storm.

But one game was played.

Division II teams Virginia Union and St. Augustine's College opened their season in Richmond, VA this past Saturday while Irene whirled around them. Eighty fans braved the warnings and watched the two teams "play" in a game they both had to petition the NCAA to happen. I say "play" because the game did nothing to pad any statistics. Both of the teams quarterbacks combined to complete 4 of an attempted 15 passes. Virginia Union scored after recovering a fumble because the ball was blown away from St. Augustine's punter when he dropped it to kick it. Not only that, but there were TWO punts for negative yardage.

All in all, it probably wasn't a good idea to play that game, but I suppose I can understand why the teams insisted on playing it.

In times of hardship, when humans face natural disaster or other forces beyond their control, they find ways to bond. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The Superdome served as a (rather unfortunate) shelter for refugees. Though conditions were a far cry from ideal, it was still a place where people sought respite from the storm that raged around them. After the storm, the Superdome was unusable for the Saints. They played their "home" games elsewhere and failed to really hit their stride that year finishing 3-13.

But then the city began to rally.

In 2006 they reached the NFC Championship Game and then in 2009, the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl signifying a victory for the entire city of New Orleans. Finally, it appeared, the city was bouncing back. But it was an opportunity for everyone, not just citizens of the Big Easy, to celebrate the triumph that sports can have on a hurting community.

Now, I'm not saying that the refugee situation in the Superdome was worth getting excited about (because conditions were offensive). I'm not saying that the Superdome should even stand as the sole symbol of New Orleans during or post-Katrina. And I'm certainly not imposing that New Orleans is fully recovered.

But I am saying that when the winds blow, when the snow falls, and when we step outside after the tornado has passed, we need to grab the football. We should go to the local high school and watch the teams play. As we struggle to understand how these storms work, it goes without saying that everyone knows how to clap their hands when an outstanding sports play occurs. If nothing else, it's an opportunity to be grateful that you're not 10 feet underground hiding from a tornado.