A conspiracy theory is floating around the NFL and surrounding the San Francisco 49ers, linking their home location, Levi’s Stadium, to a number of injuries sustained by Niners players.
Just next door to Levi’s Stadium, where the 49ers play their home games in Santa Clara, is their practice facility, which is where the 49ers have strapped up for practice since 1988. And, neighboring that venue sits an electrical substation.
What started as a theory has since gone viral, sparking social media debate about the safety of 49ers players and teams who visit Levi’s Stadium for away games. Not to mention, Levi’s Stadium will be the site of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.
The theory, which has yet to be scientifically proven true, is that excessive Electromagnetic Field (EMF) exposure can cause negative harm to the body.
‘Low-frequency electromagnetic fields can degrade collagen, weaken tendons, and cause soft-tissue damage at levels regulators call ‘safe’,’ an X user, Peter Cowan, posted on Jan. 6 which has since amassed 22 million views, 5,900 reposts and 35,000 likes.
49ers injury conspiracy: NFL players react
San Francisco has suffered blows to many key players throughout the season, including Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Williams and Fred Warner. Many of their injuries were tendon and ligament tears.
George Kittle is the most recent victim to injury, after suffering a torn right Achilles against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Jan. 11.
49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne joked about the viral conspiracy theory explaining the team’s injuries during a Jan. 13 scrum with reporters.
‘Yeah, it’s that power plant,’ Bourne said. ‘Nah, I’m just playing. I don’t know. It just sucks, but we do a good job of just working everyday. Injuries are a part of the game. It’s unfortunate but we just have to hold it down keep that good energy and believe in ourselves, believe in the next man up.’
Although, there hasn’t been an official injury tied to the EMF plant, players around the league are allegedly taking caution and reaching out to their agents about any possibility that there’s truth to the conspiracy, according to the Washington Post.
Experts debunk ‘nonsense’ theory
Frank de Vocht, a professor of epidemiology and public health at Bristol Medical School in England, is a leading expert on how EMF affects humans.
He said in an interview with The Post that the conspiracy theory is ‘nonsense’.
UC Davis radiology professor Jerrold Bushberg, who is also a 49ers fan, told Front Office Sports in an interview that there isn’t any established evidence to conclude the conspiracy as accurate.
“These so-called ‘mechanisms’ have not been established,’ Bushberg said. ‘Many of the experiments are contradictory. Many of the experiments have exposures that either don’t relate specifically to 50-, 60-hertz magnetic fields, or are at much, much higher levels than what would be experienced at a practice level.’
It’s a topic that will likely resurface if there are any major injuries during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara.
While conspiracy fans maintain their belief that there’s truth to their theory, scientists are calling cap.