Wildfires have been raging through Los Angeles, wreaking havoc on homes and forcing the city into chaos. It’s hard to ignore the smoke-filled skies and the uncertainty it brings. While LA people face the serious brunt of this calamity, it has touched the sports world too. As the wildfire situation in the city gets out of hand, there are some unexpected changes in the postseason—starting with Sean McVay’s Rams’ media appearance.

The Rams had to break a rule of the NFL playbook ahead of their Wild Card Round game. The NFL’s Media Access Policy says players have to be available for interviews during the 45-minute open locker room time on practice days. They also need to talk to the media at least once during the practice week and after games. So, ahead of the Vikings game, the Rams were to do interviews, but they couldn’t. The team had to cancel the media session after a new fire broke out in the city.

The fire has been devouring LA like a parasite. Forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes, many watching their homes burn to the ground. “This is a tragic time in our history,” said Jim McDonnell, sheriff of the LA County Police Department. The exact cause of this natural disaster is still unknown. But things like low humidity and dry vegetation from the lack of rain could be playing a big part. The Rams, who practiced this week ahead of their Wild Card Round game, will now be facing a major setback. With the city dealing with heartbreaking destruction, the NFL has had to make some big changes for the Rams and Vikings game.

Sean McVay’s Rams lose out on home-field advantage

As the fire rages on in LA, the NFL is moving the Wild Card game from SoFi Stadium. For the Rams, this is a tough break (losing home-field advantage in the postseason is never easy). The atmosphere at SoFi would’ve been electric, especially with the team pushing hard for a playoff run. Now, they’ll face the Vikings in a neutral spot in Arizona (not what they’d hoped for). But honestly, with everything going on in LA, football kind of takes a backseat. The fires are devastating, and it’s hard to ignore the real pain the LA natives are going through.

“In the interest of public safety, Monday’s Vikings-Rams wild card game has been moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA to State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals,” announced the NFL. The NBA also postponed a game between the Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets. “It’s one of those deals that almost doesn’t feel real, but it certainly is real to the people that are affected,” said Sean McVay. He also shared that a few people on the Rams staff have had their homes affected. “Fortunately for us, there have been some people that have been affected in regards to power outages, recommended evacuations — a couple of our staff members did have their homes affected — but fortunately to my knowledge, nobody has been injured. For that, we’re grateful,” added McVay. 

Along with the Los Angeles Rams, the LA Chargers are facing a similar situation. Jim Harbaugh‘s team also completed their practice session under smoky skies. They’ll be taking on the Texans for their Wild Card matchup in Houston.