The NFL has been global for many years. We have seen NFL games in England, Germany and Mexico. That will continue this season. On Friday evening, the Green Bay Packers’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles begins at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo.
It should be a great game, but there are concerns about the safety of players, fans, team personnel and more.
Our own Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. and Matt Hladik of The Spun discussed these concerns on a recent episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.
“I got a text from a friend who plays for another team,” Carpenter said. “… He says, ‘Have you heard anything about them canceling the game in Brazil? And bringing it back to America?’ And I didn’t say anything. … He talks about how there’s a lot of concern among NFL players, especially after Ricky Pearsall was shot in San Francisco. I didn’t know that, but obviously they’re telling the players … that they’re going to stay in their hotels. A lot of players are saying, listen, if we’re going to go somewhere that’s not safe, maybe we shouldn’t go there to move the game forward.”
“We had a post the other day where there were calls, even from fans or people saying publicly, maybe it would be wiser to cancel the game and bring it back to America,” Hladik said. “I think, as you said, the NFL is committed to growing the game and expanding their presence overseas. They’ve just played games in London, games in Germany and some games in Mexico City. Now they’re going to Brazil. I think player safety should always be your number one concern. And you’re also going to have some fans traveling from America to come to the game. … You think about NFL personnel first, but you have to consider that as well. I expect the game to go ahead as scheduled at this point. But I don’t blame any player, coach or family member for being a little bit concerned. And I wonder if the NFL, even if they come out of this game safely and there are no issues, will change their mind or their approach to playing in other places going forward.”
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