LA Rams issue statement on Minnesota Vikings playoff game as NFL MOVES it to another state over deadly fires
SoFi Stadium will no longer host the Los Angeles Rams’ NFL Wildcard matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
In recent days, wildfires have ravaged Los Angeles, destroying 10,000 houses and claiming ten lives.
Despite the unfolding catastrophe, the Rams affirmed on Thursday that the playoff game will still happen.
The group added in a statement, “The safety of the Los Angeles community is our top priority,”
“Everyone impacted by the local fires is in our thoughts.
“We appreciate the unwavering efforts of first responders who keep our city and community safe, as well as those who continue to assist our neighbors in need.”
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The game would be relocated outside of the city “for the interest of public safety,” the organizers subsequently explained.
The Arizona Cardinals’ home field, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, will now host Monday’s game.
“The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs and the NFLPA,” the Rams stated.
Ticket holders will “receive either a refund or a credit towards their season tickets next season” when the game starts at 5 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the game in Arizona can be purchased starting at noon PT on Friday.
This is not the first time that flames have forced another California team to play in Arizona.
In 2003, the Miami Dolphins and the then-San Diego Chargers played a regular-season game in Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium.
Smoke billowed over the Rams’ Woodland Hills complex during their practice on Thursday in Los Angeles.
According to the NFL Network, players were also permitted to forego media commitments in order to return home when a fresh fire started.
Rams head coach Sean McVays stated, “Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with everybody that’s been affected by these fires.”
It’s one of those transactions that, although it almost seems unreal, is real to those who are impacted.
It’s one of those deals that gives you perspective, and you can see how many people are impacted. I’m praying that as many people are okay.
“Hopefully, they are able to contain this situation. This week has been unusual.
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‘War zone’ LA feels ‘broken’ as fires still ravage the city – but we will rebuild
Katy Forrester, the assistant editor for exclusives for the U.S. Sun, lives in Los Angeles and saw the devastation firsthand as the city was enveloped in flames. The city feels like a “war zone,” she claimed.
Los Angeles prepares for wildfires each year. It is not unusual to witness houses burning to the ground and hills being torched by flames.
However, a lot of locals have never seen something as terrible as what happened this week. And it’s far from over.
While I was in the vicinity of Pacific Palisades, where the air was heavy with smoke, I witnessed frantic families escaping the city and others pleading with police to allow them to enter their homes because the roads were closed.
Since thousands of individuals were left homeless and with few belongings, the phrase “everything is gone” was heard a lot.
I was fortunate that the power outage just affected my house, but I will always remember what I saw when driving around the city.
It resembled a battlefield.
I had a conversation with a shelter resident who has been fighting cancer for about 30 years when I was there. Even after being instructed to leave, he stayed.
Only as the flames started to leap around his building did he finally pack his things and flee.
Buildings were still engulfed in flames when I reported from Altadena, and there were not many fire trucks visible due to the overburdened emergency services.
Heartbroken relatives crowded around in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had occurred, while cars and school buses were entirely destroyed by fire.
I felt comfortable as I drove back home toward the city center as the sun was setting, but a few minutes from my house, I noticed orange flames leaping behind buildings.
I was ill. Wildfires so close to Hollywood had never happened to me before, and all of a sudden, phones began ringing with evacuation orders.
Street lamps and traffic lights were out, and places with fallen trees from the high winds were congested.
Although friends panicked and left their houses, I consider myself tremendously fortunate to reside just minutes outside of the evacuation zone.
The truth is rather different, even if many people around the world will just shrug when they hear that wealthy people have lost their homes.
Everyone in the city feels broken; from elderly folks to single mothers, everyone has experienced terrible things.
People are also upset.
Others are in shock over alleged corruption and poor management, while several have described how their insurance policies were canceled just months before the fires.
They might be upset. However, they also have hope. Los Angeles residents are resilient individuals.
We’ll overcome this. We’ll rebuild, too.
After a 10-7 regular season, the Rams are in good shape going into the playoffs.
They finished 5-1 in December, but they will have a difficult time facing the Vikings, who are 14-3.