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Opening the retractable roof at AT&T Stadium for the Week 11 NFL game between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys turned out to be an unsafe decision. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
A large piece of sheet metal fell from the roof at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the retractable ceiling was opening before Monday night’s game between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys.
Several reporters on hand, including NBC 5 DFW’s Noah Bullard, took photos and videos of the fragment, which was quite large. Fortunately, the metal did not hit anyone as it fell from the roof, though several working in production at the stadium were reportedly nearby.
Following the large piece of metal falling, stadium officials decided to close the roof. However, photographers and reporters noted that a loose piece of metal is still hanging from the rafters.
The piece was taken off the field, and the game went on as scheduled. ESPN and ABC, of course, addressed the matter and both Troy Aikman and Joe Buck had some fun with it as their broadcast got going.
Meanwhile, amid concerns from NFL security that the game wasn’t safe to play, the larger piece of metal was bolted to a catwalk to prevent it from falling onto the field, ESPN’s Lisa Salters reported. The network showed video of the metal falling to the stadium turf.
The Cowboys issued a statement shortly after news of the incident circulated.
“We can confirm a piece of metal came loose and fell to the field (with some additional small debris) while the roof was in the process of opening,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “There were no injuries. It is being reviewed further, and a decision regarding the ability to re-open the roof safely will be made.”
The team also said high winds during the day may have caused the issue, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Since nobody was hurt, plenty of fans on social media naturally had jokes about the mishap.
For one, that sheet of metal looks like it could perhaps be large enough to block out the sunlight…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/monday-night-football-metal-fragment-falls-from-att-stadium-roof-after-opening-before-texans-cowboys-game-233357366.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-18 23:33:00
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