Hurricane Irma and its 185 mph winds haven't hit Florida soil just yet, but already the massive storm is having a major impact on Florida sports. Welcome to the Orlando Sports Weekly Rundown.
For a quick recap of some sporting events that have been affected, here goes:
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins moved from Sunday to Nov. 19
- (16) Miami Hurricanes vs. Arkansas State CANCELLED
- Louisiana-Monroe vs. (10) FSU moved from 7pm Saturday to 12pm Saturday in Tallahassee
- Northern Colorado vs. (22) Florida moved from 7:30pm Saturday to 12pm Saturday in Gainesville
- Alcorn State vs. FIU moved from 7pm Saturday in Miami to 7pm Friday in Birmingham, Alabama
- Memphis vs. University of Central Florida moved from 8pm Saturday to 6:30pm Friday in Orlando
- (21)USF vs. UConn moved from 12pm Saturday to 10:30am Saturday in East Hartford, Connecticut.
- Northern Colorado vs (22) Florida now CANCELLED
- Seattle Pride FC vs Orlando Pride moved from Saturday to 8pm Thursday at Orlando City Stadium.
All the Hurricane Irma talk got me thinking...
What were some of the wildest sporting events in Orlando I've witnessed?
I've been here since 2004, so I've seen some games in crazy weather. For example...
- The Dec. 30, 2009 Champs Sports Bowl between the Miami Hurricanes and Wisconsin Badgers. It's easier to remember the horrible field conditions from that game, rather than the outcome (Wisconsin won 20-14). You may also recall Miami junior RB Graig Cooper tore the ACL in his knee on a non-contact play. Cooper later sued Orlando Sports Venues. They reached a settlement in 2015.
Orlando Sports Weekly Rundown: Hurricane Irma Impact On Florida Sports
- The Jan. 1, 2010 Capital One Bowl between LSU and Penn State. This game was played only days after the Champs Sports Bowl and it probably doesn't surprise you that the field conditions did not improve. Here's a picture that then-Penn State assistant Jay Paterno took after the game.
- The Oct. 8, 2011 football game between Marshall and University of Central Florida at Bright House Networks Stadium. 7 inches of rain fell during the game!
Brynn Harvey ran for 180 yards and the Knights beat the Herd 16-6.
I was lucky to have stayed dry, calling the game live from the television broadcast booth.
Those are a few of the wet-n-wild games that come to mind. I've always loved games in inclement weather, although Hurricane Irma is just too big a storm to mess with.
It's good to see all the different teams around the state making arrangements to avoid Irma.
Feel free to fill in the comment section below with some of the most memorable Florida sporting events in severe weather.
And please stay safe during the coming hurricane.
David Baumann can be heard on EK Sports Tuesdays from 7-9pm on 96.9 The Game FM/740 The Game AM.
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