As NFL prepares to stage Steelers-Saints in Paris, local unrest intensifies
In little more than a week, the Steelers and Saints will play the NFL's first-ever game in Paris. Although the league recently said it plans to proceed amid persistent local unrest, the situation seems to be getting worse.
On Saturday, more than 1,200 arrests were made after an "escalation in violence" that occurred with roughly 550,000 citizens protesting.
The demonstrations, sparked by concerns regarding conditions in schools and the cost of living, have lingered for weeks.
Said the NFL on Wednesday: We're excited for the first-ever regular season game in Paris, and preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France on October 25. As we do for every NFL game, including our international games, we work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We look forward to welcoming fans to Paris later this month."
If the NFL is going to pivot from Paris to New Orleans (the Saints are the home game for the Week 7 contest), a decision may need to be made soon.
Obviously, the NFL has a very strong interest in following through with all of its international games. Then there's the fact that the game is set for a 9:30 a.m. ET standalone broadcast window on NFL Network.
When the Chiefs-Rams game moved from Mexico City to L.A. in 2018 due to poor field conditions, the time for the game (Monday night) didn't change. If the NFL pulls the plug on the Paris game and plays in New Orleans, would the game begin at 9:30 a.m. ET?
It's also possible, in theory, to play the Steelers-Saints game in London, if either Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley Stadium are available. Either way, any change in location would become a potential logistical nightmare for the NFL, the teams, and the fans that have made plans to travel to France.
That outcome is still better than having NFL personnel, team personnel, or NFL fans caught in the middle of the mess that continues to play out in Paris.