Last Saturday, Mississippi State and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) fans alike gathered at Davis Wade Stadium to witness State’s triumphant win over UAB. The forecast, however, was a bombing 91 degrees with only brief periods of rain within a three-hour span. The game started at 1 p.m., the hottest part of the day. This means the stadium felt even hotter than the announced forecast for that day. Sitting in the hot sun for the duration of the game seems like it would be grueling enough, but this doesn’t count walking from a parking space or arriving early to claim a seat. The athletes, cheerleaders, band and staff are also active for this entire length of time.
It was only the second home game of the season, and health professionals were concerned with the number of incidents that resulted from heat intolerance at the stadium. It was estimated that there was one heart attack and over 10 heat strokes at the stadium on Saturday. In addition, over 30 more people passed out due to heat intolerance. This should raise concerns among the student body and staff at MSU regarding any game day precautions fans and athletes should take to help prevent these incidences from occurring. There are several things that anyone attending or participating in the game should be aware of on a hot game day, like this one.
The first is to dress practically for the environment. This rule applies to participants in the game as well as onlookers, because safety should come before looks at all times. But sadly, society has its own standards of presentation. This leads many people in the audience to dress up in outfits that might be unsuitable for the day and sets the guidelines for how staff directs the students participating in the game to dress. The band, for instance, is now required to play in full uniforms that could be dangerous in hot weather. People in the audience are also wearing nice outfits and dresses that are impractical in these conditions. This is not a wise standard to follow. Being presentable is important, but safety comes first. When dealing with this kind of weather, every little bit helps. Sometimes saving a nice outfit for a more practical occasion can at least help someone last through another quarter, rather than being forced to leave at halftime.
It is essential to address the fact that the consumption of alcohol does not help matters when it comes to extreme heat conditions. Some fans have even consumed so much alcohol that they must leave the stadium before the first quarter is over. This kind of behavior is hazardous on hot game days. Alcohol inhibits the ability to maintain the proper hydration to endure hot weather for such a length of time. So it is wise to save the alcohol until after the game.
Everyone knows to drink water, but outside water bottles are not allowed in the stadium. Once inside the stadium, the price for a bottle of water can be up to $4. This is where some people are unprepared because they aren’t expecting these kinds of prices. Lastly, it is important for each person to know his or her limits. Always be aware of the forecast and think ahead. If for some reason you are intolerant of the weather, there is nothing wrong with having a get together at home and watching the game on television.
If you go, be sure to consider taking a break from the heat by choosing various times to leave the stadium and find some shade. It is better to be practical than jeopardize your health. Think game versus health; as big as a football game sounds, that is what it all boils down to. In the future, I hope that MSU health professionals will raise awareness of game day precautions for extreme weather conditions.
