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Here’s the Ironic Explanation Behind the Super Bowl’s Blackout (Beyoncé and Illuminati Not Involved)

Feb. 8, 2013 1:56pm Liz Klimas

NEW ORLEANS (TheBlaze/AP) — Super Bowl fans were stunned when the New Orleans Superdome suffered a game-delaying power outage shortly after the halftime show Sunday. Theories as to what caused the blackout were trending early in the week — among them were Beyoncé and her potential Illuminati connections, cyberterrorism and 49er fans hoping to turn the game around — but it wasn’t until Friday when an official cause was announced.

It was actually due to an electrical device that had been installed expressly to prevent a power outage, the stadium’s power company said, as it took the blame for the outage that brought the game to a halt for more than a half-hour.

Super Bowl Power Outage Caused by Electrical Relay Meant to Prevent Blackouts

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. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Officials of Entergy New Orleans, a subsidiary of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., said the device, called a relay, had been installed in switching gear to protect the Superdome from a cable failure between the company’s incoming power line and lines that run into the stadium.

Watch this report about the cause from CBS out of Miami:

The switching gear is housed in a building known as “the vault” near the stadium that receives a line directly from a nearby Entergy power substation. Once the line reaches the vault, it splits into two cables that go into the Superdome.

Company officials said the device performed with no problems during January’s Sugar Bowl and other earlier events, but has been removed and will be replaced. All systems at the Superdome are now working and the dome will host a major Mardi Gras event Saturday night, said Doug Thornton, an executive with SMG, the company that manages the stadium for the state.

Super Bowl Power Outage Caused by Electrical Relay Meant to Prevent Blackouts

The power failure at Sunday’s big game cut lights to about half of the stadium for 34 minutes, halting play between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

The FBI had ruled out cyberterrorism as a cause.

Entergy’s announcement came shortly before officials appeared before a committee of the City Council, which is the regulatory body for the company, to answer questions about the outage.

Entergy New Orleans CEO Charles Rice and Dennis Dawsey, an Entergy vice president for distribution, told the Council that SMG agrees the cause of the outage was a relay failure. Asked if the two corporations still plan to hire a third-party investigator, Rice said that possibility remains open.

Charles Rice, President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, talks about the power outage during the Super Bowl, at a news conference at City Hall in New Orleans. (Photo: AP/Jonathan Bachman)

Committee member Jackie Clarkson pressed for such an independent probe. “We’ve told the public we’re going to have an outside investigation,” she said.

“We’ll work closely with SMG and if there is a need for a third-party investigation, we will do that,” Rice said.

It remains unclear whether the problem with the relay was a design flaw or a manufacturing problem. Rice said Entergy is working with the manufacturer.

“I’m pleased that we were able to find the root cause,” Thornton said.

Shabab Mehraeen, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Louisiana State University, said the relay device is a common electrical fixture in businesses and massive facilities such as the Superdome.

“They are designed to keep a problem they sense from becoming something bigger, like a fire or catastrophic event,” said Mehraeen, who holds a doctorate from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo.

The devices vary in size, and while Mehraeen noted he was not familiar with the specifics of the relay at the Superdome, he added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was bigger than a truck.”

Mehraeen said the reasons the devices fail are the subject of much academic research into the interaction of relays with the complex electrical systems they regulate.

“It’s not unusual for them to have problems,” he said. “They can be unpredictable despite national testing standards recommended by manufacturers.”

Entergy and SMG had both upgraded lines and equipment in the months leading up to the Super Bowl. Rice said the new switching gear, with the faulty relay, was installed as part of a $4.2 million upgrade by Entergy, including the installation of a new power line dedicated solely to the stadium.

In a separate project, SMG replaced lines coming into the stadium after managers expressed concerns the Superdome might be vulnerable to a power failure like the one that struck Candlestick Park during a 49ers Monday Night Football game in 2011. That outage was blamed at least partly on a transformer explosion.

Thornton stressed Friday that the dome was drawing only about two-thirds of its power capacity Super Bowl night, and said typical NFL games in late August or September can draw a little more.

City officials had worried that the Super Bowl outage might harm New Orleans’ chances of getting another NFL championship game.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell downplayed that possibility after the outage, saying the NFL planned to keep New Orleans in its Super Bowl plans. Mayor Mitch Landrieu said the city intends to bid for the Super Bowl in 2018.

–

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Comments (34)

sizzlinsexybeckster
Posted on February 22, 2013 at 2:58pm
This blackout is a guinea pig test to see how the human animals react to the lack of 30 minutes without electricity. (I, personally, would be just fine… I enjoy opening up the curtains in the morning to enjoy the natural sunlight.) There are so many guinea pig tests out there for the human animal community you’d be overly amazed, and creeped out. However, you’re probably shaking your head ‘no’ in disbelief. This is where the root of the problem exists; naivety – (letting all open clues slide over your head), carelessness – (not working with what has been openly given to you), and I forget the third one – the most important one that brings these all together – (probably since I’m exhausted from shoveling so much snow while trying to get over being sick. – oops.) Conquer these 3 to win. Glenn never watches or attends sports, however, this particular game was purposely brought to his light, including Stu’s attendance, and invited to give a speech FOR A REASON – To witness a simple guinea pig test. The gov’t owns media, celebrities, towns, cities, states working from the ground up.
You’d be more than naive not to think they could own a simple football field for just 30 minutes. Remember, it’s always the first year in office that sets the stage for the rest to fall into place.

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- sizzlinsexybeckster
  Posted on February 22, 2013 at 3:13pm
  ………adding to my comment… I must say I’m so close to an expert on human nature as you can get. However, yeah yeah yeah, there are no experts since every field always needs improvement. Lately I’ve been conducting little guinea pig tests myself on the public, random strangers out about in town. They fall for it everytime. Anyways, I’ve been having fun playing a game just taking a simple glance at a stranger and I immediately know their whole life demeanor and story. A lady was returning a purse at a store because of a “pen mark”. At first glance I knew this lady lived on food stamps, welfare, was lonely, lived alone, jobless, and her whole day -everyday – consisted of buying purses and returning them just for the personal conversation with another human being. Too bad I couldn’t confirm it, however I just knew. The next week I went into that store again and at the checkout the cashier said “oh no, there’s that lady coming in here again…” She was talking about that same woman. She said “she comes here everyday, buys purses and then returns them, she drives us crazy….” It’s getting a little freakish because I know things with only a simple one second glance and it takes no effort anymore that I am…. always correct. Actually it’s been like this for years, I’m just finally giving my brain the recognition because it’s too amazing and interesting. So please believe what I wrote prior about the guinea pig test OR WE LOSE.
  
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- sizzlinsexybeckster
  Posted on February 22, 2013 at 4:30pm
  ….. she makes the pen marks herself.
  
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Col. HawK
Posted on February 10, 2013 at 9:42am
I have one question regarding this faulty relay…. I know about relays and have a few acting up with our lights at work, because they are simply old and getting weak…. Back to my question….”Where was this electrical relay made?”

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LightInBottle
Posted on February 9, 2013 at 2:35pm
Take a peek someday at your competition RT tv. Not saying I agree with all the pieces they do. Many are very slanted to the left, but at least they get down and dirty and are willing to shake things up and get people thinking. You used to do that. I guess the last man with any courage turned off the lights in this country and we the American People are finished and completely lost to the corporations, military industrial complex, special interest groups, and Federal Reserve take over and yes the secret societies running them all.

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LightInBottle
Posted on February 9, 2013 at 2:35pm
The Blaze and Beck do seem to spend an excessive amount of time denying that there are secret societies working to the detriment of America and towards a one world order. Why is that Blaze? Why does Beck really have skull and bones symbols on his new line of clothing? Why is there such a push to discredit any thought of conspiracy? Why did Beck stop exposing the Federal Reserve? You say something one day and either completely contradict yourselves the next or just shut down. Is that the courage we should emulate? Beck, I thought you left Fox so you could courageously expose the monumental wrongs that have been perpetrated on the American public the past 100 years via the Federal Reserve System and international banking elites. Instead, your programming looks more like Jello backbone regurgitated journalism constantly spouting party line BS! I use to be a supporter, but you are losing me more and more every day. The Blaze TV is like watching a boring watered down version of Fox news or CNN. I guess I expected more from Beck. Where are the hard hitting investigations into matters that matter? I think we are all so tired of the party line crap that has been used to keep our attention off the corporate and banking takeover of our government and the world. Honestly Beck you deliver the same formatted crap that all the other news networks bring us. (continued on next thread due to Characters remaining)

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dylan
Posted on February 9, 2013 at 12:21am
Closely following O, her lord and savior. Things are starting to cluster for her. She is as pleased with him as he is with her. Big plus: lots of cash. She is an apt pupil and very, very good following O.Has that ‘feeling. She’ll be the 1st to go.

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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 9:33pm
Made in China.

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kadster01
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 3:00pm
I don’t give a rip about football and wouldn’t even pay any attention to this article if it weren’t for the fact that TheBlaze can’t seem to resist taking a jab at part of their base by saying “Beyonce and Illuminati weren’t involved.” Was that really necessary to report this story? I never even heard anyone say they were involved. Keep it up, guys. You’ll eventually find your audience going the way of that of CNN and MSNBC.

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thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:58pm
I heard that a guy name Tyrone shot his .22 cal. in the air and the bullet hit a transfer box on a pole. He was giving a warning shot to his ho because she was running away from him. His next shot hit her in the buttocks but they were so big the little .22 bullet did no damage and she ran to her Auntee’s house.

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The Big Mick
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:46pm
Sunday to FRIDAY to say, and still not CLEARLY and SUCCINCTLY!–”We had a piece of equipment, a relay, fail.” Don’t know if it’s a faulty design or a bad part.”

Gees, THAT they could have have gotten to with “Looks like we might have had a relay fail, we’re checking, THIS is what a “relay” does….ON SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME WAS OVER!

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TomFerrari
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:38pm
Really?
We need to investigate a power outage?
Why doesn’t SOMEBODY do SOMETHING about this!
I know, let’s pass some laws making it illegal for power to go out.
Better yet, just use executive orders!
Pavlovian knee-jerk to a non-event.
smh

Personally, I just assumed Mrs. That-Guy was showing off her arms to one of their many admiring fans, and lost track of where her hips were, bumping into a socialist mop, causing the mop-handle to slide along the wall in an arc as it fell, thereby flipping off a light switch on said wall.

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- Strange_Paradox
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 3:05pm
  LOL that made me laugh TOMFERRARI….good stuff!
  
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Robert999
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:37pm
Don’t write off the Illuminati. They are too clever for us and are perfectly capable of making it look like something else when they are really responsible.

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Eastinfection
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:36pm
Was the suspect part maybe made in China?

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Margyt
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:30pm
I really preferred the “Ravens did it” theory. So nicely evil and conspiratorial. Oh well, I guess equipment failure will have to do.

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:29pm
A relay is just a switch, controlled by an electromagnet. Whatever they are talking about is more complicated. Either they are dumbing down the description or they are fabricating the cause.

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- TomFerrari
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:44pm
  Yes, I expect it is dumbed-down, just like everything else these days.
  
  (Not all are not electro-magnetic. Some are mechanical, and I’ve worked with mission-critical relays that are tripped by actual explosives in order to accelerate the transfer and minimize the split-second power interruption.)
  
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- StanO360
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:57pm
  It’s called switchgear , it’s a big giant breaker (or series of them). They need to be backed up with batteries in critical situations.
  
  Typically in refineries, or data centers they will have two power sources coming in, two distribution units, two switchgear and two panels for complete redundancy. Then backup generators (which may be unrealistic for a stadium).
  
  My guess is that they had to manually go in and reset the switchgear after it shorted.
  
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Lloyd Drako
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:28pm
You can’t fool me. It was the Illuminati. I call coverup.

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moreteaplease
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:28pm
Oh good! Now I can finally get a good nights sleep knowing that the problem has been fixed.

The country is being screwed into the ground and this is what’s on people’s minds?

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term limits for congress
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:23pm
Epic Fail!

(sorry)

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term limits for congress
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:22pm
The warning label on the relay clearly stated “Do Not Submerge in Water.” Katrina… Hello!

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gyro
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:21pm
I know this device I think and it was inproperly set (calibrated)
to set it you need to moniter and calibrate over a month in peek conditions calibrating in off peek conditions gives trubble
this switch if it is the one I have installed is to detect the difference between phases to counter shots(some one turned on a 600 volt 100 hp fan motor ) that can create a overload of curent on wires or in a under curent situations a voltage spike
I am betting the stadium was not balenced and some one over loaded a phase creating a inbalence that the switch triped off internaly
Simple fix is to rearange the 600 volt lighting paterns and AC and fans to better balence the switch
A little power factor corection would not hurt to !
Three days work for 3 people in jb boxes $1000
:)
Must be some mexicans down there that can do it for less ?
Remember in one tv interview a person did say THE PIPES WERE RATTLING above their head

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FISH_BONE
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:19pm
More time and effort has been spent in an attempt to get to the bottom of this propblem than has been spent on figuring out what happend in Benghazi. Priorities?

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RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:12pm
I’ll just continue to stay with my “sh/t happens” theory.

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AmericanStrega
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:11pm
This happened during a game of football. WHO CARES! The world did not end. Dogs and cats are not shacking up and fornicating. WHO CARES!

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- thegreatcarnac
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:53pm
  You know…that is a sign of the end of the world. When you see dogs and cats fornicating together….run and hide.
  
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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:07pm
What happened is the power cable coming into the stadium is very old, and hasn’t been getting clean power. Dirty power causes a slow buildup in the cable lines of residue, very simular to a clogged artery. In the simplest of terms, the Super Dome had a heart attack caused by dirty power and a clogged power cable. The technicians had to run a software program to clean out the power cables and then reboot the power grid. That is what happened, so help me God.

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- AmericanStrega
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:18pm
  But DARMOK, that answer is to easy! It must be a conspiracy by someone, somewhere. It, It, It just HAS to be!!!! OH, THE HUMANITY! (giggle)
  
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- gyro
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:22pm
  omg ?
  
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- AmericanStrega
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:31pm
  gyro
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:22pm
  omg
  
  What? Oh, wait. I was thinking you typed OMC (band from the ’80′s. Song titled “How Bizarre”.) (double giggle)
  
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- SoNick
  Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:36pm
  Minor fact check: OMC formed in 1993. “How Bizarre” came out in 1995.
  
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BSdetector
Posted on February 8, 2013 at 2:03pm
Let’s all bask in the faint glow of all that “green” energy in that stadium…

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