The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for a Week 7 showdown against the New Orleans Saints. Yet the site of the matchup is causing a bit of controversy this week.
The game is taking place in Paris, which has been in the news recently for widespread protests throughout the city. The NFL has been insistent the game is going on as planned.
However, the Steelers organization decided to cancel a fan event as a precaution to keep fans safe.
Steelers Forced to Cancel Fan Event
The Steelers released a statement canceling the “Steelers House” event that was set up for fans. Of course, this comes amid the protests that are ongoing as the game approaches.
The NFL has made no mention of postponing the game and it remains on track for Sunday.
Fans may just rightfully be worried about safety concerns if the fan event was deemed too unsafe to go on as planned.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently stated he has no concerns about the game going off smoothly. Fans are hoping that remains true and the Steelers can play the Saints without interruption.
NFL’s Continued International Expansion
The NFL is clearly committed to spreading the game to all corners of the globe. The league held a game in Australia back in Week 1, while Brazil has hosted a game as well.
Games in Spain and Germany are on the upcoming schedule as well now that the London Games are complete.
It was seemingly only a matter of time before the NFL ran into an issue such as the current one in Paris. This will provide the league with a real test to see if the game can go as planned given the civil unrest in the city.
Steelers Aiming to Keep Streak Alive
The Steelers are hoping to win a third consecutive game and improve to 5-2 against a Saints team that got a win last week to improve to 2-4.
Aaron Rodgers has a streak of his own as he has thrown for at least two touchdowns in each of the past four games. The Pittsburgh offense is heating up after a slow start and the recent wins even have the team in trade rumors to improve the offense before the deadline.
It will be hard to completely ignore the situation in Paris during Sunday’s game. However, at least to an American television audience, the game appears on track to go on without issue.
Steelers Cancel Fan Event Amid Paris Protests