NFL: We Had a Backup Generator the Whole Time

While you were watching the dark Superdome field last night, you might have found yourself wondering why it didn't have a backup generator. The answer: It did. There was a backup system, the NFL insisted today, and they were just about to turn it on when the main power came back online, 34 minutes into the blackout, the AP reports.

The League didn't say why it took so long to get the backup power ready, or what had caused the blackout (beyond an "abnormality"), but they did say that, thanks to the backup system, they never considered postponing the game. Roger Goodell had "sole authority" over all contingency plans, the NFL's VP of business operations said. Had they not had power, he added, there were other "backup plans," all involving playing all 60 minutes of the game at some point. (More Super Bowl stories.)