Windows updates led to 25-minute delay of German basketball game

By Williams Pelegrin March 27, 2015

windows-8-update-restart-notification — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even though they can be annoying, Windows updates are pretty harmless in and of themselves. Unfortunately, there are moments when they become more than just an annoyance — just ask German basketball squad the Paderborn Baskets, as reported by Softpedia.

Tip-off was supposed to be at 7:30 p.m. local time against the visitors, the Chemnitz Niners, for this March 13 game. Controlling the scoreboard was a Windows-powered laptop, which felt the strong need to install updates right before the game began. This resulted in a 25-minute game delay.

Under professional German Basketball League rules, the maximum period of time a game can be delayed is 15 minutes, with this recent delay blowing well past that limit. According to Paderborn Baskets manager Patrick Seidel, the laptop crashed 10 minutes before tip-off and started installing Windows updates after it turned back on.

The bad luck facing the Baskets didn’t end there.

Although the team defeated the Niners, 69-62, the Niners filed an appeal, arguing that because the game was delayed for more than the rules allowed, the Baskets should be penalized. The league agreed, and assessed penalty points against the Baskets that had the effect of sending the team to a lower tier.

Unsurprisingly, the Baskets filed an appeal, challenging the assessment. Maybe the team’s luck will change when Windows 10 is released later this year. Or maybe it’s time to look at OS X, Linux and Chrome OS.

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Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

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