Amid local unrest that sparked full-blown riots, the NFL is moving forward with its first-ever game in Paris.
Via Ken Maguire of the Associated Press, the The Saints arrived on Monday for the Week 7 contest. The league, as Maguire explains, hopes to host a “mini-Super Bowl.” Which, of course, would only make the game and its associated events more appealing to disruptions.
Among other things, an “NFL House” will open later this week and the league will host other activities for fans. The Saints have planned their own fan events.
The Steelers will travel Thursday.
“We hope that the NFL is It’s not going to put us in bad situations.” Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb said, via Matt Press of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “So if they feel it’s safe for us to go, we’ll go.”
Coach Mike McCarthy said the team had a “meeting where they talked about potential concerns regarding travel” and that owner Art Rooney II “has been” involved in conversations regarding a contingency plan if the situation escalates and disrupts the game.
As for the simplest Plan B – playing the game in New Orleans – that ship presumably sailed once the Saints landed in France. The worst-case scenario at this point could include moving the game to London, which is just 213 miles from Paris as the crow flies.
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