The NFL Lands in South America
Brazil takes football (soccer) fandom to hysterical levels. Fans often sacrifice chickens, wear the same clothes, avoid the match altogether or entrust a psychic to jinx opposing teams to gain a spiritual advantage. In São Paulo, supporters of Corinthians football team detest their cross-town rivals Palmeiras so much that players can be fined for wearing the color green and club officials have flirted with the idea of painting their pitch black to banish all associations to the verdant hue.
When the NFL comes to town, however, green will be awash Neo Química Arena today, as the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles touch down on Brazilian soil to play the first ever NFL match in South America.
The league has made it a priority to expand the game past North America — regularly hosting games in London, Germany and Mexico, as well as Brazil, its fifth largest global market. Since planting roots in the ‘90s, there are now over 120 American football clubs in the unofficial home of the beautiful game, with nearly 24 million fans who regularly tune into NFL games. Not everyone is excited though, namely the players, with Eagles defensive back Darius Slay going on his “Big Play Slay” podcast to state he didn’t want to make the historic voyage.
“I’m like, ‘NFL, why y’all wanna send us somewhere where the crime rate is this high and we out the country?”’ said Slay. “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.”
Slay has since apologized, but his sentiments echo real issues in Brazil’s largest city, which has a “very high” crime rate, according to Numbeo, from assault to armed robbery. But ironically, Philadelphia, in U.S. terms, is not far off from Brazil’s most populous city when it comes to crime, particularly homicide rates.
At the grassroots level, SPIRAL spoke with Alvaro Fadini for Issue II, a chemist from the island of Vitoría who was entranced by the blend of strategy and athleticism offered by the sport. Turning a hobby into a profession, Fadini, who plays quarterback, quickly ascended the rigors of the game to be selected by the Brazilian National Team, as well as for Pernambuco club side, Recife Mariners, where he currently plays. “American football is just pregnant right now in Brazil, ready to give birth to something great,” former New York Jets tight end, Johnny Mitchell previously told The Associated Press. The sport’s meteoric rise is a testament to this growth, despite fans’ general lack of exposure and limited access to live broadcasts.
For fans and league executives, Eagles versus Packers will be seen as the first domino to fall in what is expected to be “a catalyst to deeper, year-round engagement,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s Head of International Affairs, in an interview with The Athletic. The game will be a continental affair, drawing in thousands of fans from neighboring countries.