Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 27
NFL Trims Brazil Field With Scissors Before 2nd Maracana Game as Safety Fears Mount
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 27

NFL Trims Brazil Field With Scissors Before 2nd Maracana Game as Safety Fears Mount

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 27

Summary

  • Workers at Rio's Maracana Stadium were still cutting high grass with scissors on Saturday as the NFL rushed to ready the surface for Sunday's Ravens-Cowboys game.
  • The league also applied fiber with a GrassMaster Stitch Machine, underscoring how difficult it has been to bring the field up to NFL standards for the Brazil matchup.
  • Nick Pappas, the NFL's field director, said the surface checked out, but a video he posted at 12:54 a.m. Sunday highlighted how late preparations continued.
  • JC Tretter of the NFLPA said 2 of the 3 NFL games played in Brazil have had field-related issues, arguing international expansion should not force players to 'overcome the field.'

Insights

Despite passing safety tests, could Maracanã's rain-soaked turf become a dangerous trap for Ravens and Cowboys players?
Will the NFL's ambitious global expansion ultimately sacrifice player safety on a heavily worn Brazilian soccer pitch?
How will the unpredictable and heavily patched field conditions in Rio directly impact the outcome of this historic matchup?