Two things went through my mind when this was uttered during Chris Long’s podcast. One, is this a joke? And two, if true, something terrible could happen to the players and the fans heading to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the Eagles-Packers game. The two teams will open their 2024 season on foreign soil, but Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs said that fans couldn’t wear green due to gang activity, couldn’t leave their hotel rooms, and would be transported in armored vehicles.
This is wild. Also, why are we doing this, then (via Fox News):
NFL players are being told not to wear green in Brazil for the Eagles vs Packers week 1 game
— chris long (@JOEL9ONE) June 6, 2024
Full Josh Jacobs interview out now on @YouTubehttps://t.co/5Ri3uC6w0s pic.twitter.com/VmuivtC90l
The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will play in Brazil Sept. 6 in the second NFL game of the season, but their fans will have to be careful with their wardrobes, according to new Packers running back Josh Jacobs.
"The part of Brazil that we're going to, you can't even wear green. They said, I guess, something to do with the gangs and stuff," Jacobs revealed on Chris Long's podcast.
Green is the primary color for both teams.
Alas, this is fake news. The NFL had to respond to the rumors, which led to Jacobs issuing an apology for the false information (via CBS Sports) [emphasis mine]:
STOP WITH THE NONSENSE!
— Packers Brasil 🧀 (@PackersBR) June 7, 2024
We all can wear green in the game and everyday. THIS IS NOT A JUNGLE, WE AREN'T WILD ANIMALS!
All this misinformation is so stupid that make's me sick. Please, stop. It's time to show love, not hate.#GreenItsNotAProblem @iAM_JoshJacobs @RasulEra pic.twitter.com/a5F8ac0JA8
CBSSports.com's Jeff Kerr actually covered this exact topic back in April and although there's an informal ban on the color green, that ban is related to the local soccer team.
"The Eagles-Packers game will be played at Corinthians Arena, which is home to the Brazilian soccer team Corinthians," Kerr wrote. "The biggest rival for Corinthians is Palmeiras, who wear the color green. Corinthians has an informal ban on wearing green, as a former player was actually fined by the club a few years ago for wearing green cleats."
Corinthians Arena has hosted several major international sporting events over the past decade, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics, and the ban on green wasn't an issue for either of those big events, so it's unlikely that it would be an issue for an NFL game.
[…]
As for other aspects of the trip, Jacobs does definitely sounds slightly concerned about his safety.
"They was like, 'Man, it's one of them places where they probably won't even let us leave the hotels,'" Jacobs told Long. "They probably gonna have, like, armored vehicles following us. I said, 'Bro, Why are we out here? Why are we here?'"
Apparently, Jacobs got his information from someone who had no idea what they were talking about, because the NFL said the part about not leaving the hotel and traveling in armored vehicles is also "not true."
That being said, let’s not act like Brazil is a calm paradise with no crime. Fans should use common sense and be aware of their surroundings. Navigate as you would walking around a Democrat-run city.
You couldn’t pay me to go to a football game in Brazil. Germany or the United Kingdom? Maybe.
