As the Green Bay Packers are set to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo this Friday, one Wisconsin lawmaker is urging the NFL to rethink its plans.
Wisconsin state Rep. John Macco, a Republican, has called for the NFL to reconsider having the game in Brazil due to social issues in the country. However, the two teams have already flown to Brazil and are set to play in the NFL’s first-ever game in South America.
“In light of the current political and social climate in Brazil, I urge the National Football League (NFL) and Green Bay Packers to reconsider the upcoming game scheduled to be held in Brazil on Friday. The alarming reports of widespread unrest, escalating violence, and profound censorship against U.S. companies operating within Brazil paint a troubling picture of the conditions there,” Macco said.
Macco’s censorship comments may be alluding to recent news that Brazil banned X due to its owner's, Elon Musk, refusal to ban certain accounts. The State Department lists Brazil as a “Level 2” travel advisory, telling Americans to exercise caution due to crime.
“Hosting a game in such an environment not only risks the safety and well-being of players, staff, and fans but also risks sending messages contrary to the values the NFL and the Packers stand for,” Macco wrote in a statement. “It would be in the NFL’s best interest to move the game back to the United States where safety can be ensured for all in attendance and take a stand for the freedom of speech.”
Still, not only have both teams arrived in Brazil for the game but so have fans. In an interview with Action 2 News , Macco acknowledged that the logistics of his request may not work in time.
“So I would suggest that if we have any of our own citizens going down that they stay extremely close to their knitting, extremely close to venue, and not venture out and be cognizant of the fact. ... I’ll tell you this right now, I would not go," Macco said. "I wouldn’t care how much it would cost. I would never let my wife go, and I would not go, considering I know what’s going on there now."
The Sao Paulo state government said it would increase its security presence and delegate specialized civil and military police battalions to reinforce security during the game. Special police officers will be placed on streets and trains, as well as at hotels and tourist attractions.
"To guarantee the safety of the players, the military police will reinforce the number of personnel upon arrival of the delegations at the Guarulhos Airport and escort the teams to their hotels, training sites and the stadium," the state government said in a statement. It also said authorities will carry out a sweep of the stadium before the game to ensure safety.
Some Eagles players have still expressed their discomfort with the game’s location.
"We had a meeting with a whole bunch of 'don't do's.' So, I'm just trying to go down there, win a football game, and come back home," Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown told reporters last week, according to ESPN .
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. also expressed his concerns on his podcast, The Big Slay Play , saying he told his family not to travel for the game due to safety concerns and that he would be “in the hotel chilling, minding my business.”
"Week 1, I'm looking forward to it, I can't wait," Slay said. "But man, I do not want to go to Brazil. You want to know why? I'm here to tell you why. They already told us not to leave the hotel. They told us we can't do too much going on because the crime rate is crazy.”
"I'm like, NFL, why y'all wanna send us somewhere where the crime rate is this high and we out the country? You know, the first thing people are thinking is like some terror could possibly happen. I told my family do not come down there because I'm not going to be nowhere to be found. I'm going to be in the hotel chilling, minding my business, playing my game after a long 9½-hour flight,” he continued.
Slay later apologized on X for his comments, saying it wasn’t his intention to offend anyone.
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“Looking forward to playing in your beautiful country and i’ve heard y'all are very passionate just like our amazing Eagles fan,” Slay posted .
The kickoff for the NFL season is set for Thursday night in an AFC Championship rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.
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