NFL cancels Mexico City trip, moves Chiefs-Rams game to Los Angeles – ESPN

November 14, 2018


8:57 PM ET

The NFL has decided to move Monday’s game between the Chiefs and Rams from Mexico City to Los Angeles because of poor field conditions at Estadio Azteca, it was announced Tuesday.

Players had strongly considered not playing if the NFL had opted to keep the game in Mexico City, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier Tuesday. The issue is that soccer games and concerts have left the field inside Estadio Azteca a mess.

“It’s not fair to risk our health,” a prominent player told Schefter on Tuesday.

Rams safety John Johnson saw the current field conditions in Mexico City on social media and tweeted his reaction.

The much-anticipated matchup of 9-1 teams now will be played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Monday Night Football. Ticket information for the game in L.A. was posted on the Rams’ website Tuesday night, and the refund policy for the game in Mexico City will be announced by the NFL in the coming days.

The Rams will be providing thousands of complimentary tickets to first responders and those who have been affected by the recent tragedies in Southern California.

The NFL has a procedure in place that states all teams that forgo a home game to play internationally are required to keep their home stadium available as a contingency.

The league, in a statement, said it consulted with the NFLPA — as well as club field experts and local and independent outside experts — in making the decision to move the game as the field at Estadio Azteca did not meet NFL standards for playability and consistency.

“We have worked extensively with our partners at Estadio Azteca for months in preparation for this game,” Mark Waller, NFL executive vice president of international, said in a statement. “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.”

Azteca officials changed the playing surface from natural grass to a hybrid in May, but the turf hasn’t been ideal for several months. Concern about the field grew in recent days when aerial photos of the stadium showed serious damage to the grass, particularly on the end of the stadium recently used for a major concert.

Cruz Azul, the Liga MX soccer club that shares the stadium with Club America, played a tournament game on the field last Saturday in noticeably poor conditions. Coach Pedro Caixinha expressed concern, and the NFL continued working with groundskeepers to improve the field.

Crews were seen installing sod at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday, but the NFL, following an inspection of the field Tuesday afternoon, said the playing surface would not meet NFL standards by next Monday.

“The long and unusual rain season, as well as the calendar of events with third parties in Estadio Azteca, might be a factor for the grass to be far from optimal conditions,” Azteca Stadium authorities said in a news release.

Raúl Barrios, who as the stadium’s former operations manager (2000-18) was in charge of overseeing the field’s condition, told ESPN Mexico’s SportsCenter that “not in my worst nightmares did I think this would happen.

“To have an event of this magnitude [moved], it’s something that I didn’t think we’d be going through right now.”

Barrios referenced the hybrid grass system as a reason why conditions have worsened. The new system was intended to make the stadium’s grass more resistant to wear amid the constant events held there.

“[The installation] was inadequate and done by people who had no idea how to treat the field’s subsoil,” he said. “The NFL tests the field in order to determine how the grass resists to being pulled out. Having that is key in football, because if you’re on the line of scrimmage there’s a big risk for injury if the grass has no resistance, so that’s where the fear lies.”

The move creates logistical obstacles for ESPN, which broadcasts Monday Night Football and will have to shift its operations back to the West Coast.

“We have been in communication with the NFL and we understand the league’s decision,” the network said in a statement. “We are already in the process of adjusting our plans and will be ready to present this much-anticipated matchup on Monday Night Football from Los Angeles. We also remain committed to identifying future opportunities with the league to engage its already strong fan base in Mexico.”

The Rams left for Colorado Springs on Monday to train at high altitude for a week before traveling to Mexico City, where the elevation is about 7,300 feet. The team will return to Los Angeles on Saturday.

According to Jeff Sherman of the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, the Rams would go from 2.5-point favorites to -3.5. The total remained at 63.5. Sherman also said that all wagers made for the game being played in Mexico City would be refunded, as the SuperBook states games must be played at the “designated city/geographic area within 8 days of scheduled date.”

ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, Alden Gonzalez, Ben Fawkes, Darren Rovell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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