Ah, the good ol' days of 2020 have returned. This time, though, the NFL plans to fly two teams into riots in another country, apparently unhappy with the lack of opportunity in the U.S. for stirring up social unrest. Will the league also insist that the end zones display the slogan "Arrêtez le racisme" in the end zones?
In 2020, the league had no choice but to work around the George Floyd/BLM riots, since those took place in the American cities where its teams are based. This time, the league has gone thousands of miles out of its way to put two teams into the riots and looting in France, all to boost its opportunities for merchandising:
Where's the players union on this?
The NFL hopes to bring a "mini-Super Bowl" vibe to Paris this week for its first regular-season game in France, even as authorities consider imposing curfews following civil unrest.
The security situation has partially overshadowed the buildup to Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at Stade de France.
But the league says preparations are on schedule with an "NFL House" to open later in the week and other fan activities. The Saints arrived in Paris on Monday morning and have their own fan events planned, too. ...
To land lucrative media-rights deals in any market, the league knows it needs to attract new fans and push higher into that country's TV viewership preferences.
A Super Bowl "vibe," eh? Is that what this is?
Rioter in France. “In the name of Allah, we will kill them all!” But apparently it’s about classrooms. https://t.co/sc77aUQgI8
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) October 20, 2026
Some wild footage from the riots in France #france #riot #paris #news #21savage #news #rap #rappers #hiphop #tokyo #japan #shibuya #shinjuku #losangeles #tokyo #drake #babajitimes https://t.co/ldaQ9yPO9m
— babaji_times (@babaji_times) October 20, 2026
Well ... it's certainly a vibe. For most people, it's a Get Out vibe, but the NFL has merchandise to sell and a few more games to schedule. Maybe next year, they'll schedule a game in Beirut or Tehran. Imagine the vibes those locales would provide!
Former NFL star and commentator Boomer Esiason didn't hold back his criticism of this move yesterday. Not only is the league trading safety for money, it is also likely to provide a rallying point for the organizers of the riots in France:
"If you want to amplify your unrest, the best way to do it would be around an NFL football game in France." – Boomer Esiason https://t.co/9MT3ZYWFRz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 19, 2026
"They claim that where they are going, there is no unrest. But if you want to amplify your unrest, the best way to do it would be around an NFL football game in France. It is ugly over there right now, and it's basically uncontrolled," Esiason said on "Boomer and Gio."
"It's out of control," he added in response to his co-host's account of the historic Hôtel de Ville in Limoges, France, being set ablaze and partially collapsing. "I don't necessarily know whether the French government has the stones to put it to rest. But right now, it's about as bad as it's ever been."
How bad is it? The French government has imposed a curfew, although it's still not clear if they have the "stones" to enforce that either:
Authorities said Monday that about 2,400 people had been arrested across France and at least 3,000 businesses had been damaged or looted.
Paris police have also imposed an overnight curfew covering parts of the city, including Place de la République and Les Halles, from 11 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday.
And so the league will fly two of its teams thousands of miles to play a game while the country imposes a curfew on its populace ... and for what? A few jersey sales in Paris and maybe a contract to show NFL games on late-night TV in France?
This is sheer lunacy. It's not just the players that the league has put in the middle of what may be a civil war in France. This choice also puts their families, league personnel, support staff, and the referees in danger. (Okay, maybe I should have skipped that last category.) Roger Goodell's greed might injure or kill someone, and his attempt to "broaden the appeal" of the league may spark even more rioting. It's despicable.
The latest episode of The Ed Morrissey Show podcast is now up! Today's show features:
- What happens when a new boss starts telling people to do their jobs? At CBS News, reporters go running to Semafor to complain about having to actually report on Democrats.
- Andrew Malcolm and I discuss the shocking turn of events at the Teflon Network. We also discuss the riots in France and the likely political outcomes in Europe – and why the media won't report honestly on those, either.
The Ed Morrissey Show is now a fully downloadable and streamable show at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the TEMS Podcast YouTube channel, and on Rumble and our own in-house portal at the #TEMS page!
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