A debunked conspiracy theory, with no real basis, linking an electrical substation to San Francisco 49ers injuries has been relayed to general manager John Lynch.
Lynch was asked about it during a press conference Wednesday, on the heels of a 49ers season ravaged by injuries to key players. Here’s what he had to say:
“Because this is supposedly about the health and safety of our players, I think everything needs to be looked at,” » said Lynch. “Our guys have been – we’ve contacted everyone to see – if there’s a study other than a guy who sticks a device under a fence and comes up with a number that I have no idea what that means.
“That’s what we know exists. We’ve heard that debunked. So yes, we’re going to look into it. We have. The health and safety of our players is of the highest priority. … I know a lot of games have been won in this facility since it opened. We’re not going to turn a blind eye. We’re looking into everything.”
John Lynch responded to a question Wednesday about a conspiracy theory linking the 49ers’ injuries to an electrical substation near their stadium and practice facility.
(Mitchell Leff via Getty Images)
We won’t go into detail about the theory here because, as noted, it has no basis in reality. But the summary suggests the 49ers have experienced an increase in injuries because their field, Levi’s Stadium, is built near an electrical substation.
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The theory was amplified by someone who describes himself on social media as a “certified quantum biology practitioner.” An article perpetuating the theory had been viewed more than 22 million times as of Wednesday.
Sports at reception And the Washington Post published recent articles debunking the theory, citing scientific and medical experts.
According to FOS, the person who published the viral theory is not a doctor. He brought a Gaussmeter, which measures the strength of magnetic fields, to the 49ers facility to get a reading. This is likely the “device” Lynch was referring to on Wednesday.
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Jerrold Bushberg, a professor of radiology at UC Davis, told FOS that “there is no firmly established evidence” that supports this theory. Other medical experts FOS spoke with called the theory “absurd,” “wild” and “impossible.”
The Washington Post spoke with Frank de Vocht, a professor of epidemiology and public health at Bristol Medical School in England, whom the Post described as a leading expert on the impact of electromagnetic fields on humans, which is the basis of the theory. De Vocht told the Post that this theory was “absurd.”
The 49ers have played at Levi’s Stadium since 2014, but the substation is also adjacent to the practice facility they have used since 1988, a span that includes two Super Bowl championships.
