DENVER (KDVR) — With a chance of storms in the metro area forecast, weather is top of mind for thousands of Broncos fans ahead of the home opener on Sunday.
Thursday night’s NFL season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys had to be delayed in the third quarter due to lightning near the stadium. Fans were encouraged to seek shelter, but they were not ordered to evacuate the stadium.
“It’s supposed to be nice here in Denver Sunday so luckily that’s not gonna be the case, but if that happened, I’d still sit in the stadium if it happened here and wait til they resume the game,” Broncos fan Dawson Bloair said.
Another Broncos fan, Nichole Reynolds, spoke to FOX31 about the delay during the NFL’s season opener game.
“It was weird because I was like, ‘Gosh, I wouldn’t want to be cramped up with 70,000 other people somewhere,’” Reynolds said.
Denver has seen a handful of severe weather delays in recent years, including games in 2013, 2014 and 2017.
In 2017, a Broncos spokesperson told FOX31 that fans are alerted with an announcement through the speakers and on the big screen when lightning is detected within five miles of the stadium.
Empower Field at Mile High is also equipped with lightning rods positioned above the stadium lights. They are designed to direct lightning strikes through the structure and away from the stands.
In a graphic provided to FOX31 in 2017, the lightning rods offered protection for all fan seating areas. However, a small portion of the field was outside of the protection zone.
FOX31 also interviewed a football fan, Scott Zukowski, who has a goal of visiting all 30 NFL stadiums. Empower Field at Mile High will be number 28 when he attends the home opener on Sunday.
He notes that weather delays are an inevitable part of the experience.
“Yeah, it’s always gotta be safe. You gotta do the right thing. It’s gotta be safe,” Zukowski said.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
