Roughly the time when Erik Friberg left the field to be replaced by Brad Evans, fans throughout the stadium started turning their cell phone flashlights on and pointed them towards the field. The stands, mostly wet with splotches of green ponchos, took on a little sparkle, almost as if covered in holiday lights.
Assigning meaning to the people that started this viral sensation would be incredibly naive. It would probably be wrong. Yes, one could say that it started because Erik “Freebird” Friberg was leaving the pitch. But these events have started popping up in the world of sports, and not necessarily with meaning.