Ick's Corner

From high schools to pros, sports venues take beating

The massive amount of weekend rain and bulging rivers played havoc with sports arenas and athletic fields on the pro, college and high school level throughout Middle Tennessee.

At about 3 p.m. Monday, water began to rush onto LP Field’s playing surface, reaching approximately six feet high and nearly reaching the first row of seats.

A nearby Nashville Electric Service substation had to be shut down because it was being threatened with flood waters, according to Robbie Bohren, the Titans’ director of media relations. When the substation shut down, it cut power to the stadium’s pumps. That led to flooding of the service entrance, followed by the playing field, which sits at the lowest point of the complex.

Large trash cans were bobbing on the field and blue pads that line the inner concrete wall of the field were torn off and floated like rafts. Lots R and N were completely under water by late afternoon.

Monday also was the deadline for Titans fans to renew their season tickets.

“There are more pressing issues in our community — life and death,” said Don MacLachlan, Titans executive vice president of administration and facilities. “We have had fans trying to call us and even trying to get to the stadium for fear of missing the deadline.”

MacLachlan said fans should not come to the stadium and that the deadline will be extended to Monday and perhaps beyond.

The Titans practice facility at MetroCenter was threatened by rising waters but had not received any damage.

The last thing on the majority of Tennessean’s minds is football, especially those in the Nashville area. We got pounded here in Podunk, but nothing to compare what is still happening to the east of us. Safety is more important that tickets, to anything!

This isn’t a playing field. It’s a swimming pool, that no one would want to swim in.