ESPN has enjoyed Estadio Azteca citing its history of sold out crowds and unique sights and soundsGETTY IMAGES
ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Scheduling Burke Magnus said his net was "not part of the decision" to move Chiefs-Rams from Mexico City to L.A., but ESPN did get "some notice of the potential issues several days ago." Magnus, speaking yesterday on a conference call, noted the "logistical change here is not insignificant, but we appreciated that the NFL made us aware of the possibility." ESPN VP/Production & "MNF" producer Jay Rothman noted the net had 150 people that were "mobilizing, a ton of logistic, travel, security, transportation, equipment, setting up at the stadium," and had a "catering truck already in Mexico." Rothman: "Our fleet of trucks left Santa Clara (after Giants-49ers), they were in Arizona heading to the border and were to be at the Mexican border (Wednesday) morning. ... It turned into scramble mode for a number of hours for much of our team." But Rothman noted "under these unique circumstances," "MNF" now returns to L.A. for the first time since '85. Rothman also noted it "certainly helps" that Saturday's USC-UCLA matchup is at the Rose Bowl and not L.A. Coliseum, which "helps us from a technical standpoint in terms of set up." Meanwhile, Rothman noted L.A. Coliseum is a "little bit under construction, so that doesn't make for the prettiest of pictures" (THE DAILY).
