Tag: Lightning

Watch: Jalen Ramsey bangs the drum before Panthers’ first playoff game

Jalen Ramsey fired up the crowd at Amerant Bank Arena before the Panthers’ playoff game against the Lightning.

The Florida Panthers’ pursuit of the Stanley Cup started Sunday with Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Jalen Ramsey was there to cheer on the home team.

The Miami Dolphins cornerback got things started at Amerant Bank Arena with some hits on the Panthers’ drum.

Ramsey is far from the first Dolphins star to bang the drum before a Panthers game.

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Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did it before a regular season game in 2022, head coach Mike McDaniel got the crowd fired up before an Eastern Conference Finals game last year, and Dolphins legend Dan Marino banged the drum before a Stanley Cup Finals game.

Ramsey, who was acquired by the Dolphins in a March 2023, has been soaking up the South Florida sports scene in his first full offseason with the team. On Friday night, he was courtside at the Heat’s play-in game against the Chicago Bulls at Kaseya Center.

Earlier this offseason, the Dolphins restructured Ramsey’s contract to clear nearly $20 million in salary cap space.

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14 incredible photos of lightning bolts during storms

These photos are stunning.

Yes, lightning can be frightening when it strikes during a storm, particularly when that crack of thunder comes right after, an indication that it was close by.

But the photos that sometimes emerge are pretty incredible.

MORE: Celebrate Shark Week with 11 jaw-dropping photos of sharks

We’ve seen some photos over the years of lightning near stadiums, or strikes on top of tall buildings like the skyscrapers in New York City or towers like the CN Tower in Toronto. Sometimes, amateur photographers snap a shot of them and it inevitably goes viral on Twitter.

We’ve collected some of those below. Check them out:

Examples of players, caddies, fans collapsing or being struck by lightning on golf courses

Amateur caddie at Pebble Beach is the latest example of heart attacks or lightning strikes at pro golf events.

A frightening incident occurred on Friday during the second round of the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am when the caddie for an amateur player, Pebble Beach businessman Geoff Couch, collapsed on the course while the group including Tour pros Beau Hossler and Max McGreevy and country singer Lukas Nelson were playing the 11th hole.

The caddie received CPR at the scene and was transported to a local hospital. He is alive but there were no additional reports on his condition as of Saturday morning.

Todd Lewis of Golf Channel reported that the person was expected to survive.

After the caddie was transported, PGA Tour rules officials encourage Hossler and McGreevy to continue playing but both said they were too shaken at that point. Other groups began playing through and Hossler and McGreevy returned to the course two hours later after receiving assurances the caddie was out of danger.

Both of them finished the 11th hole with pars and both bogeyed the 12th hole. Hossler played his last eight holes at 1-under and shot 72 and McGreevy played even par after returning and shot 75.

Incidents such as that are rare but every PGA Tour event has numerous first-aid stations and first responders within a short cart ride of any spot on the course. The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass, for example, has six first-aid stations, a main medical facility and an entire committee of doctors, nurses and EMTs who volunteer for the tournament each year.

Other notable cases of players, caddies, or fans falling ill or victims of severe weather at professional golf tournaments:

Drew Brees jokes about promo stunt: ‘The lightning must’ve thought I was wearing a Falcons jersey’

Drew Brees jokes ‘The lightning must’ve thought I was wearing a Falcons jersey’ after fake viral video stunt

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Take a lap, Drew Brees. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback sent fans into an uproar after a video hoax went viral appearing to show him being struck by lightning while filming a promotional ad in Venezuela. He circled back after the social media buzz erupted, saying on Instagram that he’s fine and joking that “the lightning must’ve thought I was wearing a Falcons jersey.”

Look, as zingers go, that’s a good one. It doesn’t make up for a dumb marketing stunt that upset a lot of people, but Brees deserves a hat tip for it. The sponsor in question, PointsBet Sportsbook, later shared a follow-up video of Brees roughed up in an ambulance to promote their services. The reaction so far hasn’t exactly been positive, but they must feel any exposure is good exposure.

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Fans on Twitter react to the fake Drew Brees lightning strike publicity stunt

Fans on Twitter reacted to to the fake Drew Brees lightning strike video, getting their jokes off about the poorly-received publicity stunt:

Come on, man. The New Orleans Saints fanbase rushed into concern when a video allegedly showing Drew Brees being struck by lightning while filming a commercial went viral on social media, but multiple local reports from New Orleans outed the marketing stunt as a forgery.

That news prompted Saints fans and observers on Twitter to shift gears, first in relief for Brees’ health, and then towards getting off jokes about what a boneheaded decision this was by his sponsor. Here’s what they’re saying after the truth came out:

No, Drew Brees wasn’t struck by lightning in Venezuela

No, Drew Brees wasn’t struck by lightning in Venezuela. He was just filming an incredibly poorly-conceived marketing stunt:

Drew Brees drew a lot of concern from many New Orleans Saints fans Friday morning after a very poorly-conceived marketing stunt. The fan-favorite quarterback traveled to Venezuela this week to film a promotional video for PointsBet sportsbook, in which he was apparently struck by lightning in a video that quickly went viral on social media. Messages of concern for Brees’ wellbeing were quick to follow.

But NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill defused the situation by reporting “He’s fine” and that the video was a “spoof,” which was confirmed by Nola.com’s Luke Johnson and ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. So there’s nothing to worry about here beyond Brees having made a horrible decision in how he’s allowing his public image to be used by sponsors.

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Weather could delay Saturday’s Vikings game against the Denver Broncos

Weather could change the start time for Saturday’s game

The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Denver Broncos Saturday night at 8 pm central time at least for the time being.

Pregame warmups were in full force when the players were asked to come off the field due to lightning.

This can be a really scary thing, especially being over 5,000 feet above sea level. This seems to just be a precautionary move as lightning is “in the area” and not imminent at the stadium.

Stay tuned for further news regarding kickoff, as nothing has changed for the time being.

NHL fans had mixed emotions about Stanley Cup Final jersey patch worn by Lightning, Avalanche

Every last detail counts when the Cup is on the line!

More than people who follow other major sports, NHL fans might be the biggest sticklers regarding the details and aesthetics of their teams’ jerseys. Don’t get us wrong: Winning still assuredly comes first 99 percent of the time. But it’s only fair that the players strive to look great on the ice, too. Look good, play good, right?

They certainly lived up to that reputation during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Lightning and Avalanche (-1.5) on Wednesday night at Ball Arena.

With being the NHL’s official championship series, both squads had a usual special Stanley Cup Final patch stitched to their respective jerseys.

Of course, while some fans loved the tiny but massive detail for Tampa Bay and Colorado, others weren’t nearly as enamored with the 2022 edition of the Stanley Cup Final patch.

Golfer in Pennsylvania dies after being struck by lightning

A 71-year-old golfer was playing Pine Hills Golf Course in Pennsylvania when he was struck by lightning.

A Pennsylvania golfer died after being struck by lightning Friday at Pine Hills Golf Course in Taylor, just south of Scranton.

According to a report by Pennsylvania TV station WNEP, the Lackawanna coroner made the ruling Sunday that Joseph Slivinski, 71, was killed by the strike. Storms were moving through the area, and the lightning strike occurred around 1:30 p.m.

WNEP reports Slivinski and his playing partners split up when the storm arrived, and Slivinski was seeking shelter. He died at the golf course.

John Jensenius, a lightning safety specialist at the National Lightning Safety Council, said there have been 12 golf-related lightning fatalities in the U.S. since 2006. Slivinski’s death was the third this year.