In $5 billion SoFi Stadium, which has a roof, Raiders-Chargers had a weather delay
You'd think that for $5 billion, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, would never have a weather delay. You'd think that an NFL team playing in Los Angeles wouldn't have a weather delay period.
Viewers who turned on "Monday Night Football" at the usual time were surprised to find out otherwise.
The start of the Los Angeles Chargers' home game against the Las Vegas Raiders was delayed due to lightning strikes in the area. The game, slated to kick off about 8:15 p.m. ET, ended up kicking off about 8:50 instead.
The panels on the side of the stadium are open, and that combined with the lightning in the area posed a safety risk.
Since people are firing off bits at a truly breathtaking rate: SoFi Stadium has a roof, but the sides are open. (See: yellow circle.) There is lightning in the area, hence the danger. pic.twitter.com/gKNCdkvx8a
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) October 5, 2021
People settling in to watch a fun AFC West matchup saw ESPN’s crew filling about 30 minutes of dead time instead.
When the game did start, the Chargers jumped out to a 21-0 lead, withstood a Raiders rally to win 28-14.