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NFL moves Chiefs-Rams game from Mexico City to Los Angeles due to poor field conditions
www.cbssports.com ^ | 11/13/2018 | by Sean Wagner-McGough

Posted on 11/14/2018 1:59:19 PM PST by Red Badger

The Chiefs and Rams will no longer meet in Mexico City. Due to concerns over the field conditions in Mexico City, the NFL has moved Monday night's game -- arguably the best game of the season -- from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

In a statement, the league announced that the decision was made "in consultation with the NFLPA" after an inspection found that the field "does not meet NFL standards for playability and consistency and will not meet those standards by next Monday."

"We have worked extensively with our partners at Estadio Azteca for months in preparation for this game," said NFL Executive Vice President of International Mark Waller. "Until very recently, we had no major concerns. But, the combination of a difficult rainy season and a heavy multi-event calendar of events at the stadium, have resulted in significant damage to the field that presents unnecessary risks to player safety and makes it unsuitable to host an NFL game. As a result, we have determined that moving the game is the right decision, and one that we needed to announce now in order to allow our teams and fans to make alternate arrangements."

The decision to move the game came after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier on Tuesday that players on both teams were strong considering sitting out the game if it was played in Mexico City. The photos that have emerged over the past few days make it easy to understand why players didn't want to set foot on the field and why the NFL chose to relocate an important international game between two Super Bowl contenders.

This does not look like an NFL field:

The @EstadioAzteca field in Mexico City was left like this after a concert just nine days before the @RamsNFL and @Chiefs will play there 😲

(📸 @Migue_luk) pic.twitter.com/tCaOfearoo — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 10, 2018

There are still some logistics to sort out. Ticket holders will need to be reimbursed. As the NFL's release noted, the Rams will now need to announce ticket information as soon as possible. The Rams players are currently in Colorado, where they were preparing for Mexico City's altitude. According to ESPN's Lindsey Thiry, the earliest the Rams will return is Saturday.

Even if the logistics are messy, this was a no-brainer decision for the NFL. The league couldn't really afford to put its players at such an obvious risk by playing on an unplayable field. If the NFL hadn't moved the game back to L.A., it would've faced the possibility of seeing players on both sides refuse to partake in the game, which would've turned the game of the year into an embarrassing debacle. This really was the only logical choice the league had.

Now, the game of the year will be played on an NFL-caliber field, the Rams won't lose a home game to the international series, and nobody has to worry about getting hurt on a dangerous surface.

So who wins Rams vs. Chiefs in Los Angeles? And which side of the spread hits in almost 55 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on Monday, all from the computer model that has returned nearly $4,000 to $100 bettors over the past two seasons.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Music/Entertainment; Sports; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: oldnews
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It was reportedly over 'field conditions', but the real reason was they wanted more Mexicans at the game...................
1 posted on 11/14/2018 1:59:19 PM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Guess so. If the reason was they wanted more violence and gun play in the stands they would have moved it to Chicago.


2 posted on 11/14/2018 2:01:44 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Red Badger

The game is being moved from a city in southern Mexico to a city in northern Mexico.


3 posted on 11/14/2018 2:02:03 PM PST by forgotten man
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To: Red Badger

Or maybe they just couldn’t sell enough expensive tickets?


4 posted on 11/14/2018 2:02:26 PM PST by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys all aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: Red Badger; tx_eggman

Patrick is Mahomes! Guns up!


5 posted on 11/14/2018 2:03:05 PM PST by SpinnerWebb (Winter is coming)
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To: Red Badger

The NFL couldn’t get enough Mexicans to kneel during the National Anthem.


6 posted on 11/14/2018 2:07:40 PM PST by YOMO
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To: Red Badger

The city of Los Angeles can now give away free tickets to the parasite caravan invaders.


7 posted on 11/14/2018 2:10:29 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: Red Badger

Raining lead on the field?


8 posted on 11/14/2018 2:11:23 PM PST by House Atreides (BOYCOTT the NFL, its products and players 100% - PERMANENTLY)
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To: YOMO

“It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”

Emiliano Zapata


9 posted on 11/14/2018 2:11:43 PM PST by EEGator
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To: House Atreides

Probably piss.......................


10 posted on 11/14/2018 2:14:00 PM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Red Badger

I honestly don’t know what the NFL’s grand marketing strategy is. They’re obviously all-in for Goodell and coddling the SJWs. The sport will never sell in Europe, no matter how hard they try and have tried. I understand trying to get the Hispanic market, but how much of a dent are they going to make? The owners should take a knee and beg patriotic Americans to come back, promising to enforce their own policy. But I’m guessing that won’t happen any time soon.


11 posted on 11/14/2018 2:15:05 PM PST by scottinoc
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To: Red Badger

They will find a lot of anti gringo KNEELERS there. In other words, the mexiclowns think this is a gringo game and the game will be postponed due to poor ticket sales..

I dont even know why they move to L.A. because it’s part of mexico already...


12 posted on 11/14/2018 2:15:28 PM PST by max americana (Fired libtard employees 9 consecutive times at every election since 08'. I hope all liberals die.)
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To: max americana

RAMS home.....................


13 posted on 11/14/2018 2:16:38 PM PST by Red Badger (We are headed for a Civil War. It won't be nice like the last one....................)
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To: Red Badger

What is the NFL?


14 posted on 11/14/2018 2:20:40 PM PST by RagtimeCowboyJoe
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To: Red Badger

Or higher ticket prices in LA.


15 posted on 11/14/2018 2:26:52 PM PST by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know. how people are infected with Ebola.")
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To: Red Badger

National
Felon
League

sissies


16 posted on 11/14/2018 2:27:49 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: Red Badger

They had to refund all the 17 tickets that had been sold.


17 posted on 11/14/2018 2:43:54 PM PST by Vinnie
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To: Red Badger

A valuable optic for the NFL is fan shots. I think they realized would not have been able to avoid anti-American displays.


18 posted on 11/14/2018 2:43:56 PM PST by Baynative (their degree in economics)
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To: Red Badger

Why in the heck were the teams even playing in a nasty 3rd world county in the fist place?

Did they want to kneel during the Mexican national anthem?


19 posted on 11/14/2018 3:23:30 PM PST by KosmicKitty (Opportunities multiply as they are seized.)
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To: Red Badger
The NFL did not want that game in Mexico. The field could have been resodded in a week. And players wouldn't complain about field conditions on their off-day and without seeing the field. The NFL's explanation didn't make sense.

Possible explanations:
- anti-American protests and bad optics
- possible threats of violence against fans or players
- El Chapo trial
20 posted on 11/14/2018 3:26:31 PM PST by Right_Wing_Madman
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