The NFL made the decision to move Monday
night's Rams-Chiefs game from Azteca Stadium to L.A. (Christian Palma,
File/Associated Press)
Due to poor field conditions at Mexico
City’s Estadio Azteca, Monday night’s game between the Kansas City
Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams will be relocated to the Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum, the NFL announced Tuesday.
“The
decision is based on the determination – in consultation with the NFLPA
and following a meeting and field inspection this afternoon by NFL and
club field experts as well as local and independent outside experts –
that the playing field at Estadio Azteca does not meet NFL standards for
playability and consistency and will not meet those standards by next
Monday,” the league said Tuesday in a statement.
The
stadium had recently hosted a concert as well as a heavy slate of
soccer matches that had caused significant damage to a hybrid surface of
both synthetic and natural grass that was installed earlier this year.
“We
have worked extensively with our partners at Estadio Azteca for months
in preparation for this game,” NFL executive vice president of
international Mark Waller 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.”
The
league said in the statement that details on reimbursement procedures
will be forthcoming for all the fans who made travel plans to attend the
game.
Every time the NFL plays in international
stadiums, the league mandates that the home team keep its stadium
available as a contingency. Because the Chiefs-Rams game counts as a Los
Angeles home contest in its schedule, it was moved there rather than
Kansas City.
This news comes just hours after ESPN
reported that several players from both teams were strongly considering
sitting out the game because of the field conditions.
The
Rams and Chiefs are both 9-1, and concerns about the health and safety
of their players could have cast a negative light on the game had the
decision been made to keep the game in Estadio Azteca.
"It's not fair to risk our health," a prominent player told ESPN.
The contest will also mark the first time since 1979 that the Rams will play host to a Monday night game in the Coliseum.
Despite
the quick turnaround for the Rams to organize the logistics of the
game, the team will reward first responders who have been called to
action in the past week. On Wednesday, a gunman opened fire and killed
12 people at a shooting in a local bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif, just
four miles from where the Rams train. And throughout the weekend,
firefighters have been battling widespread the Woolsey Fire in Ventura
and Los Angeles County.
"The Rams will be
providing thousands of complimentary tickets to first responders who are
bravely protecting the greater Los Angeles community, as well as people
who have been impacted by our community’s recent tragedies," the Rams
wrote in an article posted on their website.
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