Rams host wild-card playoff game nearly 400 miles east of LA because of wildfires
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The Los Angeles Rams made themselves at home on Monday night for their NFL wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings — even if their adopted stadium featured an unusual amount of red and was nearly 400 miles east of their regular venue. The NFC West champion Rams were the home team for the matchup with the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium, home of the division rival Arizona Cardinals. The game was moved on Thursday, a few days after devastating wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area.
“When we made that decision, the league comes together,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview on ESPN. “And we have preparations for what we call contingency plans, (which) includes two stadiums every week and this was a perfect fit as far as the location for the Los Angeles Rams fans.
“I’m proud to say 45,000 of them made the trip over here, which is just extraordinary to me.”. LA fans filled large swaths of the parking lot before the game, tailgating by the thousands. Both end zones were painted in the Rams' blue and yellow color scheme, and the team's logo was painted at midfield. As fans entered the stadium, they were given Rams towels.
A “Thank You Firefighters and First Responders” banner was prominent in one end zone and an “LA Together” banner was on display before the game. Los Angeles fans had plenty of reasons to cheer in the first half as the Rams built a 24-3 lead. Gilberto Aguilar — who lives in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County — said he’s a season ticket holder and planned to attend the game at SoFi Stadium before it was moved to Arizona. He said since his family and friends were safe, there was no question he was going to make the trip.
