NFL issues major statement on Vikings-Rams playoff game amid horrific Los Angeles wildfires
The NFL has issued a statement regarding an upcoming NFC Wild Card playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams as wildfires continue to devastate the Los Angeles suburbs.
The game will be played Monday night at the Rams’ SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
“The NFL’s priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community,” the league’s statement read. ‘We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires.
“We continue to prepare to play the Vikings-Rams game as scheduled Monday evening at SoFi Stadium. As with all games, there are contingency plans in place in case a location change is necessary.
“In this case, if necessary, the game would be played Monday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ.
“We will continue to closely monitor developments in this area and will remain in contact with government officials, both clubs and the NFLPA.”
The NFL has a contingency plan if the Vikings-Rams playoff game cannot be played in California
The game takes place at SoFi Stadium in the city of Inglewood in Los Angeles County
The game could be moved to State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals
The Los Angeles sports world is being rocked by multiple simultaneous wildfires, which have spread over tens of thousands of hectares and are out of control.
It prompted the NHL to cancel a Wednesday night hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Calgary Flames at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA.
In the NBA, Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said he is “stepping away” from the team as his family evacuates from the raging inferno in Pacific Palisades. Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick and his family have also been evacuated from the same area.
Additionally, ESPN canceled its NBA Today broadcast from its LA studio on Wednesday, while schools facing the Palisades fire like UCLA and Pepperdine remain steadfast but are willing to cancel any number of sporting events at a moment’s notice.
Three major fires raged in parts of the sprawling Los Angeles metroplex on Wednesday after two days of unusual winds.
At least 70,000 people are under evacuation orders and more than 1,000 structures have been destroyed. So far, five people have died in the fire north of Pasadena in a canyon several miles east of the venerable Rose Bowl.
The Rams and Los Angeles Chargers both train in areas not threatened by fires, but both teams are monitoring air quality and its potential impact on their preparations.
The Chargers changed their practice schedule Wednesday to minimize their players’ outdoor time in the coastal city of El Segundo, while the Rams won’t resume practice until Thursday. The Chargers are on the road against the Houston Texans in the wild-card round on Saturday.
Multiple fires in greater Los Angeles are causing devastation in the area
The Rams said no players or staff members had yet been affected by the fires. The team is headquartered in Woodland Hills, a neighborhood about 13 miles north of the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades, but separated by the Santa Monica Mountains.
The fire started around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, shortly after the start of a storm in Santa Ana that the National Weather Service said could be “life-threatening” and the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade.
Winds were expected to increase overnight and last for days, producing isolated gusts that could reach speeds of 160 kilometers per hour in the mountains and foothills – including in areas where no substantial rain has fallen for months.