Tuesday, November 13, 2018
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NFL moved the Rams' Monday night showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs from Mexico City to Los Angeles today due to the poor condition of the field at Azteca Stadium.
The league announced the extraordinary decision six days before one of the most-anticipated regular-season games of the year.
In a news release, the league said it determined the recently re-sodded field at Mexico City's historic stadium "does not meet NFL standards for playability and consistency, and will not meet those standards by next Monday."
The Rams (9-1) will host the Chiefs (9-1) at the Coliseum instead.
The decision creates a morass of logistical concerns for the teams and for fans traveling to Mexico, and it disappoints thousands of fans eager to see a marquee matchup. But the league consulted with the players' association and local officials before deciding it couldn't risk the players' health on a damaged field.
"The combination of a difficult rainy season and a heavy multievent 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," said Mark Waller, the NFL's executive vice president of international. "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.