The NFL will decide prior to the Super Bowl whether it will return to Mexico City for another regular-season game after the Raiders beat the Texans 27-20 last night at Estadio Azteca, according to ESPN's John Sutcliffe. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last night "didn't confirm" a return to Mexico, as league officials "have to gather around and see if everything went right." However, the NFL wants to "grow the game," and Hispanic fans make up a "huge market." Also, Estadio Azteca "has been refurbished," with new box seats installed and "millions of dollars invested." Sutcliffe: "The NFL has found a place close to the U.S. that you can come (to) every year and the teams aren't going to complain of the logistics. ... I'm pretty sure the NFL is coming back to Mexico City, and I wouldn't be surprised (if) it's 'Monday Night Football'" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/22). Goodell prior to the game spoke to Sutcliffe on the Mexican version of "NFL Live" and indicated that he is "optimistic the league will return to Mexico City in the years ahead." Goodell: "This is a priority for us. We see the passion that's happening here and the fans' interest in this game continues to explode. We want to feed that. ... We want to continue that relationship and be back for more." He added that the NFL's plans "will not be impacted by President-elect Donald Trump's previous comments on Mexicans." Goodell: "I don't see that changing our perspective at all. For us, this is about the future and continuing to grow and to reach more fans. ... This isn't about politics" (ESPN.com, 11/21).
FANS WERE READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL: ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez reports a "fan fest was held in the sprawling Chapultepec Park" in Mexico City during the days leading up to last night's game. Fans "ran the 40-yard dash, returned punts, tried on NFL uniforms, snapped pictures of Super Bowl rings and posed with the Vince Lombardi Trophy." Every station "had long lines throughout." Residents "love their football here, even if fútbol (soccer) remains the dominant sport." Fans at the fan fest wore jerseys for players ranging from current stars (Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger) to HOFers (Roger Staubach, Joe Montana) to "fringe stars" like former NFLers Zach Thomas and Patrick Willis (ESPN.com, 11/22).
BLACK HOLE SOUTH: In Oakland, Jimmy Durkin writes last night's game "lived up to the expectations by having a pro-Raiders crowd." Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said, "The Raider Nation showed up tonight." QB Derek Carr added, "The fans were amazing." Durkin notes conditions at Estadio Azteca "were noticeable but were only related to the altitude." The air was "officially rated as good by the Air Quality Index." While the atmosphere was "festive, one of the issues the Raiders had anticipated came to fruition." The crowd "stayed loud while the Raiders were on offense even as the scoreboards flashed calls for 'silencio.'” The game otherwise "had the reasonable feel of a home game, featuring the same scoreboard graphics and soundtrack the Raiders use" at Oakland Coliseum (EAST BAY TIMES, 11/22). The AP's Josh Dubow noted the "party in the stands started early" with "loud cheers and chants from before kickoff until the final whistle." The game featured Raiders music "during stoppages, Tommie Smith lighting the Al Davis torch in a memorable return to Mexico City nearly a half-century after his Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics and frequent 'RAI-DERS!' chants" (AP, 11/21). In Houston, Brian Smith notes walking around the sold-out stadium "was almost impossible an hour before kickoff." It was "even more difficult" after the game, which "led to unbearably crammed walkways and joyous 'Raiders! Raiders! Raiders!' chants from a departing standstill crowd." Raiders fans were "literally everywhere, drowning out Texans supporters who traveled well but disappeared into a black hole once gates opened" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/22).
LASER LIGHT SHOW: In Houston, Aaron Wilson reports Texans QB Brock Osweiler after the game "expressed frustration about a green laser pointer repeatedly being shined into his eyes by an unidentified individual or individuals." Osweiler said, "I never want to say one thing is a difference-maker, but certainly, having a laser zoomed in on your eyeball definitely affects how you play a game. ... I've never experienced a laser being shined in my eyeball during a football game, let alone a professional football game in the National Football League" (CHRON.com, 11/22).
