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Investigation closes in on cause of blackout

Super Bowl XLVII - Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: David Akers #2 of the San Francisco 49ers waits during a power outage that occurred in the third quarter that caused a 34-minute delay during Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Usually, a “blackout” happens in the NFL only when the NFL intends for it to happen. On Sunday, an accidental blackout knocked out power at the Superdome for 34 minutes. (Or, in other words, the amount of time it takes for Rob Ryan to find 6.8 jobs.)

Four days later, the powers-that-be are closing in on determining the cause of the power outage. According to WWLTV.com, it’s believed that “a protective relay within a piece of equipment called a switchgear” caused half the building to lose electricity.

Officially, however, no one is pinpointing a cause, citing the fact that the investigation continues.

The equipment at the core of the controversy was installed recently, as part of the eleventh-hour effort to get the stadium ready for the Super Bowl. The relay shut the system done after sensing a problem, even though there apparently was no problem.

Other than the 34-minute blackout.