Dori: NFL shouldn’t have suspended Seahawks game just because of a little lightning

When lightning prompted the NFL to suspend Sunday night’s football game between the Seahawks and 49ers at CenturyLink Field, players retreated to the locker room while fans were encouraged to seek shelter in the concourses. And KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson was left shaking his head at the spectacle.

“The whole nation is watching and they suspended it for an hour,” complains Dori, who was at the stadium as part of the Seahawks broadcast team.

“The fact is there have been thousands, tens of thousands of football games played between college and pro I’ve never heard of a player during a game or a fan during a game being struck by lightning.”

The NFL has adopted new rules mandating games be “suspended, cancelled, postponed, or terminated when circumstances exist such that commencement or continuation of play would pose a threat to the safety of participants or spectators.”

The National Weather Service reported over 1,000 lightning strikes around the area including several just blocks from CenturyLink Field as the storm rumbled through. And the NFL wasn’t about to take a chance with players or fans.

The delay was the third since the start of the season. Play was halted Sunday for lightning in Tampa Bay while last week’s Monday Night Football game in Denver was delayed because of lightning as well.

“I’m sorry, I don’t like this rule,” says Dori. “I understand the NFL if lightning strikes somebody sitting in the stands then they’re going to be exposed to a lawsuit, I guess.” But Dori says it’s just the latest example of the “wussification” of America.

“We’ve become so insulated as a society, it’s like we want to child proof life. And you just can’t do that. You can’t put bubble wrap around every single human being.”

Were you at the game? What do you think of the NFL suspending the game for an hour?