Los Angeles wildfires force NFL to make rare change as team move playoff game more than 300 miles away
The NFL is taking matters into its own hands.
The league announced that Monday's Wild Card game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams has been moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona due to the wildfires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area.
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It's a no-brainer decision by the NFL as the fires in Southern California have caused historic damage across the area. More than 10,000 structures burned in the two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena.
On Thursday, smoke could be seen from the Rams' practice facility in Woodland Hills, forcing bosses to send everyone home. Following this newest fire, an evacuation order in West Hills, a suburban neighborhood directly northwest of the Rams’ complex, was triggered.
The fires have not been burning near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — which is southwest of downtown Los Angeles — the NFL have still decided to move the game with concerns about air quality, the strain put on the community and the possible demands on police and fire department personnel.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody that's been affected by these fires," Rams head coach Sean McVay said.
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"Every time we suit up, we're the Los Angeles Rams," Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said.
"We play for the people in this community, the people that support us, and this week will be another example of that."
The Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers — who will play a wild-card game at Houston on Saturday — both practiced outdoors this week, but both teams’ coaches were concerned about the air quality, with Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh cutting his players’ normal outdoor time in half.
The Rams, meanwhile, will travel to Phoenix on Friday and will hold practice Saturday at the Cardinals’ complex in Tempe.
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Relocating games is rare but it does happen. In 2003, the league moved a Monday night regular-season game between the Chargers and Dolphins from San Diego to Sun Devil Stadium in Arizona to avoid wildfires in Southern California.
With at least ten people confirmed dead so far, it's a reminder that sport is secondary in moments like these.
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Travelling is unlikely to impact the Vikings, while The Rams, like most NFL teams anyway, stay in a hotel before a game so home comforts may not be missed too much.
Speaking about how players have been affected, Stafford explained: “We’ve lost power where I am for a couple of days.
“We’ve been lucky in that regard, that (loss of) power is the worst thing that’s happened to us," the quarterback added. "Obviously it’s a tough thing to watch on the news, to be around, to see. Driving around, seeing all that, it’s just really sad to see what’s going on. A bunch of people [are] doing everything they possibly can to try and get things under control and get people back to normal as quickly as possible.”
Soccer player Ali Riley, who plays for Angel City in LA, revealed her family home had been reduced to rubble, while actor Mel Gibson's home burned down while he was speaking to UFC commentator Joe Rogan on his podcast.
NFL fans reacted accordingly to the league's decision, with the majority agreeing it was the right thing to do.
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'Some things are bigger than football,' one fan posted on X.
'Prayers to everyone in LA,' another fan chimed in.
'All of the ticket sales should go towards the wildfire relief fund and to support families that were affected by this tragedy,' one fan suggested.
The Vikings and Rams played against one another earlier in the season in Week 8, where the Rams won 30-20.
The 10-7 Rams won the NFC West, but will now have to play their first round game at a 'neutral' site.
Some things are bigger than sports.
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