The 35-minute blackout during Super Bowl XLVII was the talk of the town (and by “town”, we mean America) Sunday, so if you’re in a pro sports team’s marketing department, why not go with the latest trend in arena/stadium lighting? Some genius in the Minnesota Timberwolves organization did exactly that, scheduling a blackout between the first and second quarter of their game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. Sure, the stakes of the game were a tad lower, and the number of viewers probably wouldn’t even register a noticeable fraction of the Super Bowl’s record-breaking audience, but we’re talking about it (and so is everyone else), so mission accomplished, in that regard.

[SportsIllustrated]