English

Reasons why Mexico doesn't fulfill the NFL standards

The match was canceled after it was revealed that the playing surface at Estadio Azteca didn't fulfill the NFL standards

Patriots vs. Raiders, Mexico City, 2017 – Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP
14/11/2018 |15:33Alejandro Orellana |
Redacción El Universal
Pendiente este autorVer perfil

The state of the playing field at the Azteca Stadium ( Estadio Azteca) forced the NFL to cancel the match between the Rams and Chiefs , scheduled for November 19, but this hasn't been the only incident related to Mexico .

When the NFL finally returned to Mexico in 2016, the game between the Texans and the Raiders was overshadowed by the homophobic chant “Ehhh fag!” against the Texans , as the fans mostly supported the Raiders .

Later, someone pointed a laser at Brock Osweiler , who was the Texans' quarterback, who was affected by the green light during the game.

Newsletter
Recibe en tu correo las noticias más destacadas para viajar, trabajar y vivir en EU

Also, some people were carrying signs with encouraging and supportive messages, but then were transformed into paper planes and thrown at the players.

On 2017, the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders came back to the Estadio Azteca . And there were more complaints. The tickets sold out in minutes, as the majority had been bought by Banorte clients, a bank that was the event's sponsor .

The NFL Mexico released a statement announcing that the madness was over, and so were the tickets.

The experience wasn't ideal for the fans, as many claimed they couldn't buy tickets.

Nevertheless, a few hours after the announcement, resale websites , such as Stub Hub , were selling the tickets at a much higher price.

The 2016 and 2017 games represented a USD $86 million profit for Mexico City.

According to the NFL , each international visitor spent over five days in the country.

gm