NFL Presses Ahead With Historic Rio Game Despite Days of Field-Quality Warnings
The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens played the NFL's first-ever regular season game in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, September 27, at Maracanã Stadium, a venue built for soccer that has hosted some of that sport's biggest matches. The lead-up was dominated by concerns about the grass playing surface after Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi said of the same field a week earlier, "It's unbelievable that we're playing on a field like this," citing bumps throughout the pitch following a rainier than usual Rio winter. The NFL Players Association's executive director, JC Tretter, said the union's own experts found the field "needed better traction and stability" and recommended reinforced stitching, which the league brought in equipment to perform before kickoff.
NFL field director Nick Pappas told reporters Saturday that an independent inspector walked the field with league and union representatives and it "checked out," adding there were "no concerns" heading into the game. The matchup also played out under a red weather alert for heat and possible rain, adding humidity to the list of conditions players had to manage. This marked the NFL's third game in Brazil, and Tretter noted that two of the three have now come with field-related complaints, renewing his call for the league to adopt universal field standards as it continues expanding its International Series.
What supporters say:
Historic international games like this one grow the NFL's global fan base and generate revenue and cultural moments, including Sunday's halftime performance by Ricky Martin.
League and NFLPA field experts jointly inspected and reinforced the surface before kickoff, and the league says an independent inspector confirmed the field met standards.
What critics say:
The NFLPA says two of the league's three games in Brazil have now come with field complaints, arguing venues built for soccer aren't consistently ready to handle football's demands.
Extreme heat and a red weather alert in Rio added a separate safety concern on top of the turf issues, and Tretter has pushed the league to adopt universal field standards for all International Series venues rather than handling each site case by case.
What's your take?
Should the NFL keep expanding its International Series to venues like Rio's Maracanã despite recurring field-quality concerns? Yes 
No 
Other 
#NFL #NFLRio #Cowboys #Ravens #NFLPA
Now let's hear from you.
You get one Take and 3 ratings so use them well.
Strong arguments beat loud ones. See Moving The Needle (How to)
Don't forget to rate your own Take.
Please don't feed the trolls.
