The Carolina Panthers are all set to face the Arizona Cardinals this coming Sunday for their National Football Conference (NFC) Championship game and coach Ron Rivera is making sure that nothing out of the ordinary happens.
That includes freak accidents on behalf of his players which go as far as banning hoverboards inside the Bank of America Stadium.
Rivera has been up to date with the hoverboard craze but upon seeing videos of hoverboards catching fire or blowing up, he is taking no chances.
Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton has been known to ride on a hoverboard to and from work but now, he may have to either walk or find other ways to get to the Stadium. The ban was made as early as Christmas, about the same time when hoverboards drew a lot of heat.
Apparently, the machine has been hit for catching fire or exploding, where some hoverboards are believed to be using inferior lithium-ion batteries. Reported fires range from recharging states to actual use.
The worst case involving hoverboards catching fire is that one where a home in Louisiana got flamed down in December per Wired.com. From there, more incidents in New York and Washington followed.
It was confirmed via ESPN that a lot of Carolina players have hoverboards. When word of the ban came out, no one really objected to it per tight end Ed Dickson. Rather, everyone appreciated the move.
Fires are, of course, not the only cause for concern. Injuries could happen, especially if some players are unable to properly balance themselves or disengage. A bad fall could be costly, especially with a big game coming up this weekend.
The Cardinals host the Panthers this Sunday, Jan. 24, at 6:40 p.m. EST for a game wherein a trip to the Super Bowl will be on the line. The Cardinals are slightly favored over the Panthers in the upcoming matchup.
