The Pittsburgh Steelers canceled a fan event in Paris ahead of the NFL’s big Oct. 25 game at the Stade de France as the country continues to be beset by violent rioting and looting.
The team told Outkick that it canceled a Steelers House fan event scheduled ahead of this weekend’s game.
“Following recent events in the Bastille neighborhood and after careful consideration, we felt it appropriate not to move forward with the planned Steelers House fan event in Paris,” the club said in a statement.
Despite the cancellation, the NFL says Sunday’s game is full speed ahead and that all will be well, even as Paris burns around the stadium.
“Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday,” the NFL said in a statement this week.
“We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites,” the statement added.
The NFL has a lot at stake, as it will mark the first time it has played a game in France. The league has played many games in the UK and Mexico as part of its outreach to foreign countries.
But not everyone is sure playing in Paris is a good idea. Dani Watt, wife of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, questioned the NFL’s sanity for keeping Sunday’s game in Paris on the schedule after the protests in the city devolved into riots and violence.
“Tell me how this makes sense?” Watt wrote.
The NFL announced it is implementing heightened security for the game as civil unrest continues in the City of Lights.
“There’s nothing more important from our standpoint than the teams’ security, the fans’ security — everybody involved with this game,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said on Tuesday. “Obviously being very vigilant in everything we do, in all of our planning on an hour-by-hour basis, working closely with the two teams.”
“We feel confident that we would not have any impact on the broader resources needed,” O’Reilly added. “That’s always top of mind for us, and we feel confident that we wouldn’t be depleting resources in a negative way around this game.”
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