Oakland tailgaters shocked before Steelers game even started

Posted by Darin Gantt on September 24, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT
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After many years of reading, and writing the news, there are certain sentences you can see coming a mile away.

Two fans were rushed to the hospital Sunday prior to the Raiders-Steelers game with non-life-threatening injuries when they raised a flag pole into a high-voltage power line, according to Joshua Melvin of the Contra Costa Times.

Wait for it, . . . wait for it, . . .

Oakland Fire Department Battalion Chief Darin White said alcohol may have been a factor in the incident.

You think?

The incident happened around 8:35 a.m. Pacific time, prior to the 1:25 p.m. kickoff, when they raised the 20-foot pole into a 115-kilovolt power line.

No other information about the fans was available, which is a bit of a shame. The folks from the Darwin Awards, I’m sure, would be interested to know more.

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30 responses to “Oakland tailgaters shocked before Steelers game even started”

  3. Dude, way to show some respect for their injuries. That honestly doesn’t even sound like a completely drunken a-hole thing to do — well, maybe a little — but it’s not crazy to think that could happen to a perfectly sober fan who made a mistake.

    Glad you think it’s funny.

  4. Nothing like a little Schadenfreude on a Monday morning.

    Oh, and Darwin Awards probably wouldn’t be too interested, since I think removing one’s self from the gene pool is a prerequisite for winning.

  6. I dislike the Raiders and their fans as much as the next guy, but this seems a little classless considering there are a couple of potentially brain dead fans hanging onto life in a hospital bed in Oakland.

    Raising a flag pole and bumping a power line, not the smartest thing in the world, but not so dumb that it warrants a pft story mocking them. I’m hoping their family members aren’t checking out this site.

  7. You guys act like Raider fans are the only ones who pop a top at football games. It doesn’t matter if it’s the “other” teams fans who are jerk off’s, the Raider fans always get the blame. It’s really lame.

  8. This is not as devastating as what happened in Buffalo a couple of years ago…
    Some tool let go of a bunch of balloons into some major power lines, which then shut the power down for the whole stadium. Even the station that televised the game wasn’t able to broadcast.

  11. WOW!!! i hope they are ok. bless their families. i think everyone has known at least a few people that got too buzzed and done something a little off.

  12. to bad, they missed one of the best games in Oakland in quite some time. Have to say there were a lot of yellow towels in the stands waving most of the game, but in the 4th quarter for the most part they disappeared.

  13. The article says their injuries weren’t life-threatening so what’s with all the guilt some of you guys are trying to lay on Darin Gantt about people being brain dead?? Uh … yeah, but not from that accident.

    Great photo!

  14. And just how did the refs give the game to Oakland stoolerfanjo? You need to spew facts, sore loser.

    When have any refs ever given any game to the Raiders ever in the history of the NFL?

  15. Darin, I’m sure the families of these men appreciate them being mercilessly mocked and laughed at on a football blog. Some things are more important than football, this is one of them. It’s understandable to question whether alcohol was involved in circumstances like this, but to mention the Darwin Awards, especially before the entire story has come out, is classless. Can they bring Rosenthal back? This new guy is a piece of scum.

  17. @ EJ….are you REALLY saying that a power outage affecting some game is worse than fans getting shocked by power lines and ending up in the hospital? Please tell me that was sarcasm.

  18. steelerfanjo, your boys lost that game. The refs didn’t have anything to do with it. They got beat, so quit your crying.

  19. steelerfanjo says:Sep 24, 2012 11:40 AM

    The refs gave the game to Oakland. NFL is a joke.

    *********************************

    HAHA! Really dude? Your blaming the refs? How about blaming Antonio Brown for not holding on to the ball, how about blaming your defense for laying down like a bunch of girls.

  20. “43 percent of all occupational electrical fatalities can be attributed to contact with overhead power lines” source-U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

    This is no sarcastic, or for that matter, laughing story Gantt. At every football game, on any level in the nation, fan accidents occur. However, you Gant choose to capitalize on previous events surrounding Oakland Raider games, simply opportunistic journalism.
    Do me a couple of favours will you, leave the Raiders alone, and please keep covering your Panthers. Secondly, for empathy and contrition, the next time you feel like writing a cheap article, look for the nearest wall socket and give yourself a reminder.
    No wonder, a degree from Appalachian State…LOL

  21. if anything the refs were letting pittsburghs corners get away with illegal contact alot down the sidelines. What about the 4th and 1 on the first drive when brown blocked huff before wallace caught the ball? And the helmet to helmet on dhb? the refs let the steelers get away with alot. The raiders were the better team hands down.

  22. This is not the fans fault….
    Did any one see any warning signs either posted or on the pole that states “Do Not Touch Pole with Live Electric Lines.”
    How could they have known that was not permitted? Or smart?

  23. This story is incomplete without a mention of the fans in foxboro who ripped down the goal posts after a playoff win ( I want to say it was the win to go to the Superbowl in the 80s) then carried them down route 1 where they made contact with some wires electrocuting about 7 fans ( I think they all lived)

  26. I was next to the fan who was electrocuted n he was NOT in good condition. I have a pic of him on the stretcher. I don’t like how they blame drinking played a roll. Anyone cld have been putting up there fan flag without looking up trying to setup quickly. i felt the power and I was two tvs down, it was a loud amplified sonic bomb with a bright blue flash if light. I look bag n saw 2 smoking flags still on the pole falling down. The fan had Levi’s on that were split in half. His Jersey was burnt n smoking. He just stood in shock! ( no pun tended) it was horrible n he is someone’s son! If that pole hadn’t bent when it hit the line, he cldve been killed! It bent n fell to the ground! The concrete was lifted n cracked. I heard after speaking the the fans who spoke to police that the fan was in critical condition n went straight to surgery. His insides were burning. So please don’t make humor out of this. It was scary..

  27. @steelerfanjo that has to be a joke. How in the world was that game on the refs? If anything, calls were going YOUR way. Helmet-to-helmet on DHB, anyone?! Typical Steelers fan…sore loser. Pathetic.

  28. Non life threatening doesn’t mean the guy just walked out of
    The hospital fine. You don’t get zapped by a power line without some serious internal damage, so stop saying non-life threatening means its ok to laugh

  30. Alcohol may have been involved at 8:30 in the morning?? I hope he means like one beer. Regardless if it was one or many, I still think this article is about as low class as you can get from a so called professional. They didn’t do anything malicious and it’s pretty heartless to just bag on two people that could have been killed. For the record…I’m a commercial electrician and soldier…and this tragic stuff happens to sober people more than you would possibly imagine. Show some respect.

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