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The NFL has been plenty busy ensuring its international reach and market has grown year over year. After playing a game every season in London, England since 2007, the international stage has grown to include Mexico, Germany, and now Brazil. The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will face off against one another during Week 1 in São Paolo, but Packers star running back Josh Jacobs revealed some unsettling news about the upcoming trip.
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Jacobs joined former NFL player Chris Long's "Green Light Podcast," where he talked about the upcoming trip to Brazil. However, the team received some unsettling instructions about the area they would stay in leading up to their Week 1 match.
The podcast opens with Long asking Jacobs about what excites him most in terms of the trip to Brazil. Jacobs is quick to state, "They told us the part of Brazil that we are going to, you can't even wear green at."
The revelation shocks Long, who asks for more information. "I guess its something to do with the gangs and stuff," Jacobs added.
Brazil might have some rough areas, and it appears where Jacobs and the Packers are staying could be an area that has a high crime rate. This isn't the first instance of the country warning visitors about high crime.
In 2014, when the World Cup was played in Brazil, reports came out about tourists and players being instructed not to scream if they are robbed at any point.
There is no telling if the NFL players visiting the country will even be allowed out of their hotel rooms, which Jacobs pondered with some hyperbole: "They are probably going to have armored cars following us."
It's expected that the league will not risk the safety of its players, or anyone who happens to be traveling with the team. The World Cup incidents are 10 years old, and the dangers present then might not be as omnipresent. Still, the idea that wearing certain colors in public would put a visiting celebrity in danger is a bit disconcerting.
The hope is that the matchup between the Eagles and Packers will happen without any issues, so the NFL can return to the country after this season. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been steadily attempting to bring American football to a multitude of international markets, and Brazil is among the world's most populous countries — an ideal test market for football.
About the writer
James Brizuela is a contributing sports writer located in Los Angeles. His focus is on Comics, Comic Book Movies, Video ... Read more