From: OutSports
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| Fans in Mexico City cheer the 49ers and Cardinals in 2005. |
For the first time since 2005, the NFL will host a regular season game in Mexico. The Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders will play Monday night in Estadio Azteca in front of 90,000 people.
It makes a lot of sense for the NFL to have a game in Mexico. The NFL has wanted to expand the game for years now, and Mexico has a large population of NFL fans. Four Mexican channels have picked up NFL games, and they broadcast nine games a week.
If the NFL were to expand outside of the United States, having a team in Mexico City would make a lot of sense. Logistically, it is not as far as London, which would require long flights and a large time difference. Mexico has a lot of economic opportunity as well, and having a team from Mexico in an American football league would also bridge a cultural gap.
However, as a member of the LGBT community, I am aware of the homophobic slurs (“puto”) chanted at Mexican soccer games and cannot help but be concerned about whether it will happen on Monday Night Football. These slurs are directed at the team opposing Mexico — usually done when the opponent’s goalie is doing a free kick — so it will be interesting to see if the slurs are yelled in the absence of a true home team.
The two teams playing in the game should have decent-sized fan bases in the stadium. The Texans are from just across the border in Houston, and Oakland has national appeal in the United States and has garnered a lot of Mexican fans. Mexican sporting events are a lot different than American ones, and hopefully the crowd of 90,000 will show some respect to the teams and the LGBT community by not uttering homophobic slurs.
I am excited by the economic opportunity that a Mexico game and potential franchise provides. However, if this crowd acts in a homophobic manner, I will be disappointed and I will hope that the NFL takes action and puts the LGBT community at a high priority.
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