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By Keagan Stiefel
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The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens could soon have a decision to make...
If they don't feel safe playing on the field at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, could they put pressure on the NFL?
NFLPA executive director JC Tretter was among those to spotlight worries about field quality with a lengthy statement posted to social media on Friday.
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“Based on our experts’ assessment, the field needed better traction and stability,” Tretter said. “They recommended reinforced stitching to help the surface hold together and brought in equipment to reinforce as much of the field as possible before the game. Our experts will remain engaged and continue evaluating conditions through kickoff.
“The concern heading into this week was that the field would be loose, patchy, and lead to excessive slipping. Those conditions are generally more of a playability and performance issue than a significant injury concern. But safety isn’t the only standard. Players should be able to perform at the level they expect of themselves and that fans expect from them. A thin, slick field may not present the same risks as a surface with too much traction, but it still affects performance and the quality of the game.”
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If you don't want to read all of that, just know that the field looks terrible amid a long season for Brazilian soccer clubs, Flamengo and Fluminense.
Rio de Janeiro is also experiencing record rainfall recently, which is an issue for the all-grass surface. The NFL has previously played two games in the country, and while there were major concerns over field conditions during those games, they were played at the 48,000-seat Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. Maracana Stadium holds up to 78,000.
It's not exactly an NFL facility, though, as you can see in video provided by 105.3 The Fan.
It's highly unlikely players would actually try to force the league's hands, but we haven't seen anything that bad before. Cowboys-Ravens is scheduled for kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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