During Monday Night Football hosted at the aging Candlestick Park, a transformer blew, knocking out all the power. The MNF broadcasters immediately thought it was caused by an earthquake, freaking out and – after discovering that there was no earthquake – started comparing a blown transformer to the 1989 World Series earthquake. You know, the 6.9 magnitude quake that killed 63 people and caused massive destruction around the Bay Area. The most destructive and deadly earthquake in recent US history was compared at length to the sports stadium equivalent of blowing a fuse. Really?

And then it gets even more absurd with this comment as they switched back to the studio:

“I hope everyone is safe.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NOTHING HAPPENED! Oh no, the power went out! Everyone is instantly in danger! Never mind that San Franciscans and other Bay Area residents have lives through actual disasters, like that same Loma Prieta quake you were prattering about earlier. That comment is reserved for actual disasters and dangerous situations, not for power outages that were fixed within the hour.

I understand that San Francisco and the entire Bay Area is known for their earthquakes. And we recognize that – our taller buildings are often described by how high of a magnitude they can withstand, and we have more earthquake drills than fire drills. But that also means that if there’s an earthquake, we know how to deal with it. Our incompetence in driving while it’s raining is made up for by our nonchalance for quakes smaller than 6.0 on the Richter scale.

But that’s besides the point, because there wasn’t even an earthquake. A transformer blew, and the power went out for so brief of a time the beer didn’t even get warm. Yet it was treated as the next World Series quake, because MNF is stupid.